‘Frailty’
American Entertainment Co., 2001

starring: Bill Paxton, Powers Boothe, Matthew McConaughey and Matt O’Leary
directed by: Bill Paxton

the plot: FBI agent Wesley Doyle (Boothe) gets the surprise of his career when Fenton Meiks (McConaughey) shows up in his office claiming to know the identity of “God’s Hand,” a notorious serial killer Doyle has been tracking. Fenton spins a wild, disturbing tale about his childhood, when his father (Paxton) claimed he was receiving visions from God. These visions instructed him to find the “demons” hidden in society and kill them. Much to Fenton’s horror, his father begins kidnapping people and bringing them back to the Meiks’ home, only to viciously murder them. Fenton tries to convince his younger brother Adam to escape, but Adam is convinced their father is doing the right thing. Doyle suspects Fenton’s story is fishy, but agrees to go along with Fenton to the site where the bodies are buried, anxious to determine the true identity, and final fate, of the “God’s Hand” killer.

why it’s not so good: “Frailty” has an intriguing, disturbing premise and a top-notch cast. Unfortunately, by the end, the film collapses under its own weight and a string of ludicrous plot twists. To see such promise wasted in what could have been a delightfully little grimy movie almost makes “Frailty” painful to watch. The strength of the film is the flashback sequences featuring O’Leary as the young Fenton. O’Leary gives the film’s most solid performance, easily shouldering the anger, fear and desperation his character carries. The flashbacks also provide some of the film’s most frightening moments, including a harrowing series of scenes in which Fenton is locked in a root cellar by his dad for more than a week—after his father identifies him as a demon. However, the trio of plot twists that cap off the film make everything kind of sour, and the theological implications raised by the film are never fully addressed.

why you should own it: Unless you must own every film Matthew McConaughey is in, “Frailty” is strictly a rental. However, Lion’s Gate’s DVD is full of extras, including commentary by Paxton and writer Brent Hanley, deleted scenes, a making-of featurette and an “Anatomy of a Scene” documentary.