Case 39
| release date | October 1 2010 |
| studio | Paramount Pictures |
| director | Christian Alvart |
| writer | Ray Wright |
| starring | Renee Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Bradley Cooper, Sam Easton, Alexz Johnson, Alexa Karter, Chelan Simmons, Kirsten Storms, Alexis Thorpe |
| tagline | Some cases should never be opened. |
| site | case39movie.com |
| trailer 1 | Trailer #1 |
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I actually saw this movie a few months ago. So, no I have not seen it in theaters yet(hell it’s not even out yet), but it was rather leaked some odd about 7 months ago and I was actually excited to see it. However, don’t trust the trailer, TOTALLY misleading. The acting by the little girl was atrocious, in my opinion. Rene doesn’t fit the role of a horror movie actress. And well, if you’ve seen Ringu or The Ring, you’ve pretty much seen this. It’s pretty boring most of the time, all-in-all the movie itself isn’t THAT bad, but as a horror movie, it pretty much fails.
Wow BD you guys wouldn’t know a good horror movie if it bit you in the ass. This may not be amazing but is way better than 2 skulls. I thought this was a very good suspence/thriller. Check this movie out when you get the chance.
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: I love surprises, I really, really do – and “Case 39″ is definitely one of the biggest and most pleasant surprises of the year, especially because actually I had no expectations for this.
It’s a really brilliant horror-thriller (in the vein of “Omen” or “Orphan”), highly suspenseful and extremely scary, packed with great jump-scares and terrific edge-of-seat-scenes, cinematographically and visually stunning (lots of great-looking shots and camera moves). The acting is simply excellent: Renée Zellweger & Ian McShane are fantastic, Jodelle Ferland is outstanding. A wonderful and haunting score, some great CGI and a couple of remarkable scenes (girl in oven, hornet attack, some nice gore…).
I admit that the story is not that original and also a bit predictable, nevertheless I really had a great time watching it. Thumbs up!
You know it’s interesting situation. I saw Case 39 a while back as it was released quite some time ago two years I think over seas where it did pretty decently. Upon seeing the film I couldn’t really understand why it hadn’t been released here besides the excessive violence concerning children it was a pretty straight forward hollywood scare flick. I’m not sure how much the version being released here will differ from the one I’m seen but I feel inclined to give you a heads up concerning this film to the bets of my knowledge. Case 39 is the story of a social worker with 38 cases who comes across another which explains the title. This time around it’s a young girl who is seemingly abused by her parents who she over hears are going to send her to hell. Eventually through a series of events Zellwegger’s character ends up adopting her and supernatural things start to emerge in the form of people who are closest to her being murdered and eventually she begins to be terrorized. i’d like to ell you more but from the appearence of the trailers and TV spots it seems obvious that the studio is looking to completely mislead you. Which is not such a bad thing as the twist to the tale is quite surprising even though it hits early on. The performances are strong all around and Bradley Cooper makes for nice shirtless eye candy. The movie is somewhat original in concept and it’s executed stylishly and solidly by its director whose last film Pandorum was sadly under rated. The main problem with this film is the familiarity of the material. We’ve seen this movie before a hundred times and although it’s executed well with a welcome creative zest it still feels a little tired for lack of a better term. I would like to say that this film can best be summed up in a completely simplistic explanation it’s like a lifetime movie thats been taken over by the omen with a dash of the ring. Now I’m not giving anything away with that statement as I am talking about the movies feel. With a more brutal execution the material could have fared better and been truly horrifying and disturbing instaed what stands is an entertaining and solid but forgettable psychological horror thriller.
a so so movie,not good but nod bad either.
Case 39 was surprisingly better than expected. Solid performances, very well paced. Was a little silly in places however this aside, Case 39 is an all round Halloween horror pleaser. Worth the price of a ticket.
After Orphan we get another horror/childrens movie with a grown up woman who adopts a child and then realize that the child is the living devil. Bradley Cooper is only just in the movie for a couple of scenes and than dies by insects. Whatever, i hated this movie from the start. Christian Alvart already made a bad movie with Pandorum, and again he does this with Case 39.
Meh, this movie is bad and it is wicked obvious why it sat on a shelf for 3 years. It’s bad
I look for quality in my movies ad this has nothing new in it. Trailer is misleading and contains footage not in the movie. It’s bad and if u liked it, remind me to stay away from ur reviews of movies in the future:)
I saw Case 39 last night and thought I was going to hate it. That was not the case at all. Yes, it is very predictable and could be compared to every single other supernatural horror film. Yes there a couple CGI scenes that could of been done better. But I was surprised by how entertaining the movie was through out. There a number of decent scares and consistent suspense throughout. Jodelle Ferland gave a chilling performance and proves to be a great horror villain. I was rooting for Renee Zellweger’s character the entire time and was satisfied by her performance. So, while this film is nothing new or groundbreaking, it is a fun and creepy thriller that you should go see on a rainy day.
This is what I’m talking about! I thought that it was highly entertaining evil child flick full of jump scares and spooks that’s perfect for the halloween season, this is old school with a modern style. Renee Zellweger is good as always in what I think is her second horror movie in more than a decade and I don’t blame her for waiting so long after she was in the turd Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation, thank god that this was not a stinker as well. This is one of those rare horror films that really didn’t deserve to be sitting on the shelf, collecting dust, while bad remakes like A Nightmare On Elm Street get released right away, I don’t get it. Overall even though it got a tad predictable and ridiculous towards the end it was still a good watch and is what most horror movies should be spooky and entertaining and without being too serious and loaded with twists and gore and I’m glad it took the old fashioned route yet still have it modern in style, good job! I didn’t think I was going to say this about this film but I kind of want a sequel! Recommended especially if you like movies like The Omen, Orphan ect. More of a 3.5 out of 5 stars.
This film started off not too shabby, but, it quickly down spiraled into a stink fest. i do not like the over use of cgi at all. it is hard to give a review for a movie like this without spoiling anything so i will just leave it as this, if you want to see it then see it. although, if you want to see a good film, then ignore this movie.
Its a one time watcher, nothing great but not terrible! I would say wait and get it on netflix or wherever u rent your dvd’s, instead spend money on Let Me In, Chain Letter, or Hatchet 2! To me though, the film got better as the little girl became more evil.Renee did good, she should do more horror/thrillers.
Case 39 the latest Horror film to kick off the October Movie season , and needless to say , its kicked off with a BOMB!. I had thought i had seen it all , But Case 39 has made me realize when you think all the bad movies are over, your wrong!. This lame , corny , and cheesy setup , Tho some of the minor material we are given works on a reasonable scale. But this film we have seen it all before , do you remember last year? Orphan anyone , same concept just not with the whole screwed up ending. The build up in this film is terrible , i mean terrible your left with so many unanswered questions after the film , you just want to know why you wasted your money , the film has a talented cast , that is pretty much put to nothing , With Renee Zellweger and Bradley Cooper , this movie really does not put a modern day twist on this tale about a possessed child. I mean really?… lets be honest here. On the brighter side the movie is kind of short and gets to its point real quick. The film , made me jump a few times , but the creature effects and scale of it all is just wasted , and low budget rated.
Emily Jenkins (Zellwegger) is a child social worker , She has now 38 active cases and when she is crossed with a 39? what does this mean , a poor innocent little girl by the name if Lilith. Is about to be killed by her parents , and is being sent to hell , is this a ploy? or is she actually in trouble. When Emily Rushes so help her , with her police pal. Mike Barron (Ian McShane) and her also friend Douglas J. Amens who is also scared by this little girl. Emily then decides to take the little girl in , and take care of her. But as she deeper investigates the strange occurrences at her old house , she comes to relize everything may not be as it seems , why are the parents locking themselfs in there room at night?. But Emily is about to find out , that this little angel innocent Lilith is not who she seems to be. With time running out and everyone dieing around her. Emily is gonna do whatever it takes to stop her once and for all.
My main problem with this film , is the build-up , i mean its not like the audiences don’t know what is going to happen , i mean the movie is kind of obvious. The actors are more better then the material at which to our expense we have seen all before. There are some nice solid performances here i’m not gonna lie , Ian McShane was really intriguing. But the other BIG problem , the movie tries to be smart and clever and witty and humorous but see like i stated it fails on all those levels. Mainly because its trying to be something its not , the movies audacity to not know what it is , really gets me. But granted there were some instances in the film that will make you jump saying “OOOOOOOOOO!!!!” Which if that is what they are going for? fine , but i was not interested. The movie really lost me about after the firs 20mins , after we already know the story , and whats gonna happen.
Overall i’m not gonna go into extensive detail but this movie was BAD!, The total unoriginal plot really takes away from a movie. The movie had potential to be a great and fun and enjoyable time at the movies , but this was not , it was boring to watch , its more fun to make fun of the movie as it is going on. But really as opposed to that. You should not rush out and waste your money. Mainly because it is not worth it that much. But this movie will be easily forgotton in the near future , mainly because with this Halloween season , filled with way more scary movies to feed your pleasure for horror films , I.e My Soul To Take. So really if you just wait a week or even for DVD your not missing anything. But in general i would just say skip the film entirely. I mean i would think im doing the favor here. Case 39 in the end , i wish i could have gotten more for my $7
D+
ReviewdByNate
RatedR
RunTime107mins
Thanks For Stoppin Buy…
this movie sucks more then any b-movie i have seen what a waste of money
“Case 39″ is not special, but then again not that bad. For those of a certain age, I found myself reminded of an old Twilight Zone episode in which little Billy Mumy could send people to the middle of a hellish corn field. This girl “Lilith” makes Patty McCormack in “The Bad Seed” seem like a girl scout. Renee Zellweger does her usual puffy-mouthed, squinty-eyed best as our besieged heroine, but the knock-out scene involves Bradley Cooper beset by hornets in the bathroom. If you stick with it to the end, there’s a satisfying denouement. I saw it at a theater matinee and I was the only one there, but I will say it’s probably worth checking out on DVD.
I had the misfortune of watching this film at the theater. I say because I wasted good money. This film at times was suspenseful, but not in the way it should have. The premise was good it kept you guessing but came flat during the climax. It felt like a psychological thriller with out the thrills.
From the story alone I was quite interested in this flick. I have seen films time and time again involving children in foster homes that turn out to be not-so-innocent children in the end, but this one came with some pretty original and spooky ideas attached, and I enjoyed that. With Orphan we got an orphaned girl who did some very bad things due to some severe mental anguish, but with this film we have a young girl who commits heinous crimes on a supernatural level, an element I have yet to see in this sub-genre but one I will gladly accept. Writer Ray Wright(The Crazies remake, Pulse remake) did a good job developing the film, having us all believe that Lilith was suffering the mental effects of coming from a terrible home in which she was heavily neglected and possibly abused as well, but boy were we wrong. When the revelation involving the locks inside her parents’ room came to light I was exposed to a few chills that I did not expect to receive, mainly because it proved that her parents were not locking her in her room, but trying to keep her out of theirs, an idea that is giving me chills as I type this, and no I am not kidding. Emily is the usual overworked character that is searching for a sense of love and attachment, which leaves her naïve to the plausibility of what is going on around her, I mean…a child could never hurt anyone right? Well I am wrong about that, and so was she, and it was great to see her response and desperation in fixing the horror she got herself involved in. If you enjoy “that’s what you get” and “I told you so” moments, then those series of events should give you what you like. Sadly, the latter half of the film really loses everything the film attained in the first half, and we get nothing but cheesy and lame clichés from then on out. We witness Lilith take full advantage over the power she has over Emily, with poorly written dialogue and execution on Alvart’s end as well.
So how did Alvart do overall with the film’s direction? In the end this was a so-so effort from him. The film was first completed back in 2007, yet did not receive a release until (technically) October 1st, 2010, a whole THREE YEARS later. Now, in the case of Paranormal Activity it was simply a case of Hollywood opting to put out stupid “entertaining” films instead of a creative and sincere watch, but in regards to Case 39 it seems the film was not release because it really is not a good film. Alvart’s direction and execution during the first half of the film aka the developmental half of the film is top-notch and he hits all the right buttons with the viewer. His pacing is good, his visuals and great, and his execution during the film’s scarier scenes is well-done, as well as the acting performances he gets. When the second half kicks in so does the garbage that writer Ray Wright threw in, and Alvart joined in stride and delivered some mediocre direction and allowed for some lame acting from Jodelle Ferland especially. He still managed to thankfully deliver this mess in a well-shot manner, but in the end it does not save the film from the very demise it created for itself.
Overall, this is a film that carried some good potential to be a good spooky watch but despite some first half genius we get a meltdown to kickoff the second half and the meltdown never ceases. If you have nothing better to do late at night then this may help relieve boredom, or better yet…help you sleep.
It often amazes me how the simple addition of recognized acting talent and a larger, more real, hollywood budget do not necessarily equate to a great movie.
Case 39 is yet another major Hollywood Horror movie flop for 2010. Starring an oddly puffy-looking Renee Zellweger and the always intense Ian McShane, Case 39 tells the story of a little girl in a seemingly broken home and the Social Services Case worker who advocates for her.
Yet again, a simple plot contrivance of misdirection, of setting up a seemingly plausible scenario, only to turn around and try and introduce a swerve is used. Obviously in this film, we are let on as to what is really happening with over an hour of screen time remaining.
While there are a handful of jumps to be had and the acting decent, the pacing is off in this movie and the real terror and tension nearly non-existent. There were multiple opportunities to really play up the horror element or induce dread in the audience and Director Christian Alvart seemed to shy away.
What we are left with is a largely predictable and ultimately unsatisfying horror film which did little to justify the “R” rating. For the sake of those who wish to see it, I will leave the plot alone and let you see for yourself. Just do yourself a favor and wait for this to come to cable. I would hate to think that anybody else spent 20 dollars on this dvd like I did.
Wow… Am I the only one that liked this film? I respect the common (stupid) opinion but this wasn’t that bad. It had a great base story with a fair and long set up of a main story. Then it thrusts into a whiplash of a physiological trip.
Unlike most recent films that have… well… had a all to common story… this was a somewhat expected but had an edge!
I loved the cast and it was nice to see Renee Zellweger again. Also nice to see little Jodelle Ferland from her brilliant role in ‘Silent Hill’…!
This film offers a fair amount of suspense, effects, plot with depth, and cast that is all to comforting. It was good!
Anyone that thinks this was a complete failure needs to have a deep understanding of what a thriller is and also that it doesn’t always need to involve a blood feast of splatter for a movie to be great…
I just seen recently and enjoyed the movie.More of a suspense thriller than hack/slash.I recommend this…….
Definitely worth a watch, I enjoyed it.
Overall not a bad film. I just think the director could of done a better job focusing on what the little girl really was. Too much unanswered plot points lead to this movie being forgotten shortly after you watch it. Much credit to Jodelle Ferland though, for being one of the creepiest little kids in film. As a side note, the alternate ending (although predictable)would have been better then the abrupt ending they went with.
I’m not really a Renée Zellweger fan but, as for this movie it had a good theme to it. At the beginning of the movie when the weird/tragic events begin happening it leaves you going “w.t.f.?” and then the whole story starts to unravel and you begin to realize what’s really causing this events… I don’t want to ruin this movie for anyone by telling what happens or what it is that’s reaking havoc though, I honestly think that this movie is a good movie for you if you like a movie with a good plot and a even a twist that keeps you wondering what’s gonna happen next. ;o)
I don’t think this film should have necessarily been advertised as a horror film, b/c it didn’t really seem like a horror film until like the last 30 minutes (and the last 30 minutes were the best). I did actually enjoy this film, despite this fact. Yes, it could have been better, but so can every film.
Really really bad.
I didn’t think this film was as bad as most people do. I guess I went into it with lower expectations, because I rarely like big release horror films. I pretty much got what I expected with this movie. Renee Zellweger is about the most annoying person alive, but if you ignore that fact you may make it through.
If you like paranormal Suspense/Horror like The Secret Key, Drag me to Hell or Devil (2010), you’ll also like this one. Don’t let the logical flaws or the slow start bother you and I’m sure you’ll enjoy it.
Case 39 is like Omen + Orphan + The Ring all mixed together in a bowl and topping it off with a rather unsatisfying ending. I really enjoyed this movie alot up until the very end! Jodelle Ferland played a great role as the sadistic manipulative little girl! The story also helped in developing her character so we could see who she really was. Overall it was a great film and deserves to be watched. If you like evil child movies, then this is right up your alley.
i thought this was a very good movie, keep you wanting more the entire time.
This movie was okay. I wanted it to be more scary though.
Before I start reviewing I heard this movie was delayed many times because the set got burned down, Anyways I thought the movie was pretty good I liked the horror scenes and the cast did a pretty good job, But the trailer spoiled a lot of it. Geez I hate when that happens otherwise this movie is a must see.
Story is too formulaic and becomes more of a paint by numbers viewing. Horror movies like this generally get a pass on originality because there just isn’t a whole lot that hasn’t been done before, but Case 39 is a thief among thieves as far as borrowing goes. The threat of evil is also minimalized by this same problem as nothing suprising is really presented to make this somehow stand out a little bit–too bad. Not scary, not really suspenseful, and Lillith is definitely single A ball as compared to major leaguers like Damien and Esther. McShane earned his check here (can’t say that about everybody) and deserves better than this. Disappointing.
AWESOME! One of the most intense thrillers I’ve ever seen!
My wife and I just saw Case 39 on VOD. Basically, it’s kind of a poor version of The Omen that leaves the audience really wondering at the end. Renee Zellweger and Bradley Cooper’s acting is fine, but the film is disappointing because it starts out with so much promise. At the end my wife and I were simply asking, “that’s it? That’s the ending?”
Once we find out that the little girl Zellweger’s character agrees to look after is some sort of demon child, it’s all pretty much downhill from there. The writer of the film could have woven together a much more interesting story line. It’s as if the writer said to him/herself, “Okay, so we’ve told the audience that the little girl is actually some kind of demon. Now what? We’ll have all of these jump-out-at-you scenes that don’t really further the plot.” It’s like we never find out anything about the girl. And besides, she’s not that scary. She’s a little girl. All you have to do is kill her or take away her teddy bear. I think the reviewer on this site was being generous in the one and a half skulls.
This movie is like a mixture of past films mainly influenced by The Omen. The result is an ideal that never achieved to reach and stay on the road. On the other hand, does a good job Rennee and surprises in this type of paper, Jordelle also does a good job but whenever I see reminds me of Silent Hill, although the movie has interesting moments of suspense, never manages to really hit the public . Conclusion: a correct movie and nothing else.
In the end, Case 39 is not an unwatchable film, but it feels to familiar and predictable to be worth mentioning. Perhaps with some better writing and casting it could’ve achieved more. For now, it just doesnt do the trick.
Meh, that’s all I can say. Nothing special, nothing spectacular. Was kind of boring, and I didn’t care about any of the characters. It started off kind of interesting, and then it quickly became a snore-fest. I wouldn’t recommend it.
While Case 39 isn’t special or original, I think its still a pretty good thriller. We’ve seen the premise a million times, a creepy demon child, but I think they executed it well. I was also surprised of Renee’s performance, I’m not a fan of hers, but she did very well in this film IMO. Jodelle should definitely stick to the horror genre cause she knows what shes doin. All in all a pretty decent way to spend an hour and some change on. I’d say you have to watch it at least once.
Renee Zellweger’s almost as ugly as this movie.
CAse 39 is pretty generic movie. There’s nothing new or unexpected about the story and performance. So called “twist” was something we all kinda guessed from the beginning of the movie.
If I want to say it in one sentence, it’s a very boring predictable movie.
Nothing worth of attention.
terrible film, bad cgi, typical creepy kid movie
Our two female leads shine. Yeah, that’s about where the good in this film ends. Cliche, dumb, predictable. It’s everything that gives horror a bad reputation. I’m not even gonna bother dissecting this one. A few cheap thrills, cue the Hollywood ending, and you have Case 39. I wasn’t a fan.
This movie could have been better and more scary.
I actually liked this movie more than I thought I would. Renee Zellweger wasn’t that bad in this with the exception of her awful delivery of a cliche horror movie line. Ending wasn’t very good and the script has plot holes that easily could have been fixed. Jodelle Ferland was awesome as always.
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