I missed the special sneak on this one. Pity. I think it would have been even better had it been seen by me at night. The Messengers is a PG-13 horror film, virtually destroyed by the MPAA, that was released February 2nd.

The thing is, you already know a PG-13 horror film is not going to have most of what today's horror fan is seeking. Probably no nudity, so no boobies guys. The gore will be kept to a minimum, and even the language will be held to a much stricter standard then something like Devils Rejects or Texas Chainsaw Massacre.
This means a lot of you have already made up your mind about this film. Your loss, my friend.

The story is common to the genre - the family moving to a spooky new house way out in the country after a series of troubles in the big city, in this case Chicago. Trouble stems from dad (Dylan McDermott) not being able to find work to the oldest child, Jess (Kristen Stewart) being busted for a DUI and involved in a car wreck that almost kills the infant child.

For this, Jess is forced to face the fact that she caused a trauma in the boy resulting in his not speaking since the accident and a wall being built up between herself and her mother, Denise (Penelope Ann Miller). Now, out in the middle of nowhere, in a strange town and with only one real friend, Jess must confront not only her past, but her trouble present with her own family.

Dad has moved to North Dakota with the intent of being a farmer and growing sunflowers. He hires a drifter named Burwell (John Corbett) to help around the farm and with the harvest. Meanwhile, Jess and her little brother have begun to see horrible things in the house. This results in even more distrust and anger, since not only does no one else see the events, there is no evidence of the things that have happened.
Even when Jess is injured, her family thinks the wounds are self-inflicted.

The questions, however, are many. Why are these things happening? Who or what is the reason behind them? Why is the banker so interested in the house and trying to buy it back? Does he know what has happened? Does he just feel guilty? More importantly, how long has this been happening?

Penelope Ann Miller, who I think still looks great, did a very good job with her character, the sometimes put-upon wife and often misunderstanding mother. As the handyman, John Corbett pulled his role together in a way that did shock me. I have to admit, I expected a different outcome for both Denise and Burwell. It's nice to be shocked sometimes.

Dylan McDermott does a very nice job as the dad who is trying to keep his family together through all the tough times. He has a few moments that really drive home his need to keep going, and he changes a possible dead end role into a dramatic one. William B. Davis, who is used as an almost ominous character, is always turning up when least expected and is unfortunately not used more in the film.