Frailty (2002)

Starring: Bill Paxton, Matthew McConaughey
Director: Bill Paxton

Rating: R

Studio: Lions Gate Films

Review Posted: 4.10.02

Spoilers: Minor

Rating: 3.5/4

By Angelo.

There comes a point in a boy’s life when he begins to question and challenge what his parents tell him. Reaching a certain level of maturity, he does not blindly accept what he is told to be the absolute truth, but rather he makes up his own mind and decides which to accept and which to consider fable.

So when young Fenton Meiks (played by Matthew O’Leary) is told that his father (Bill Paxton) has been visited by an angel and has been chosen by God to kill the demons roaming the world, Fenton does not believe it. Maybe his father is not right in the head. On the other hand, his younger brother Adam is unabashedly taken by his father’s vision and believes every word of it. This is the catalyst that breaks up the tranquil life of this Texan family in “Frailty”, an effective and robust suspense thriller that takes a peak into zealous religious fervor and the supernatural.

The film opens with a man showing up at the Dallas FBI headquarters, claiming to know who the “God’s Hands” serial killer is. The man introduces himself as Fenton Meiks (Matthew McConaughey), and the FBI agent is of course suspicious of what Fenton has to say. With several persons missing and no suspect in custody, the “God’s Hands” murders has been frustratingly unsolvable. The agent then asks Fenton what he knows about the murders. In a series of flashbacks, “Frailty” then uncovers Fenton’s eerie story, which begins on that one fateful night when his father tells a younger Fenton that they have been chosen to do God’s will; a mission to act as “God’s Hands”, set to destroy the demons that live amongst us.

“Frailty” then embarks on a strange journey that has twists and turns that will make you guess until the end. On one level, it works as a thriller, with its unsettling theme of murder and the paranormal. The film is also a great mystery piece, a slowly revealed puzzle that tantalizes ones curiosity. Then there is the family drama between the three guys. A once content home is ravaged by doubt, denial and a blood-drenched ax.

As I mentioned earlier, “Frailty” has several twists, some predictable while some are not easily discerned. However, there is one particular revelation near the end that just makes you look at the movie in a different light. It’s an unexpected turn of events that worked really well.

This film marks the directorial debut of Bill Paxton. An underrated actor with great performances in movies such as “One False Move” and “A Simple Plan”, Paxton does even more in “Frailty” both in front and behind the camera. His subdued characterization of the father saves it from losing its believability, bordering between lunacy and fanaticism, but never overly done. He also turns in an impressive run as director. “Frailty” is well shot, well paced and well organized. Also gracing “Frailty” is a talented cast, but the main find in this one is Matthew O’Leary, who gives a memorable performance of a young man unsure of what to believe.

“Frailty” is easily one of the better films so far this year. Frailty has nothing on this one.

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