Case 39 (2009)

So, I haven't stumbled upon a thread for this movie yet.
It follows Emily, a social worker who crosses paths with a ten-year-old girl named Lilith Sullivan. Emily's basically trying everything in her power to pull the kid away from her abusive parents. Until she can find a solid foster home, Emily decides to take Lilith in for a bit. Little does she know, that kid isn't nearly as innocent as she looks at first glance.

director: Christian Alvart
screenwriter: Ray Wright
cast:
Renée Zellweger (Emily Jenkins)
Jodelle Ferland (Lilith Sullivan)
Ian McShane (Detective Mike Barron)
Kerry O'Malley (Margaret Sheridan)
Callum Keith Rennie (Edward Sullivan)
Bradley Cooper (Douglas J. Ames)

trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9wtgVerQuso

I just finished watching the trailer, and I was wondering if anyone else here has had a chance to see the full thing yet? If you have, please let me know if it’s actually worth my time—I’d really love to avoid downloading it if it's going to be a total letdown 😉

Chloe Allen said:I just finished watching the trailer, and I was wondering if anyone else here has had a chance to see the full thing yet? If you have, please let me know if it’s actually worth my time—I’d really love to avoid downloading it if it's going to be a total letdown 😉

Just download it... it's a total classic... I won't spoil anything else for you! 👍

I actually thought the movie was surprisingly good, despite all the hate it's been getting. So many films tackle this exact theme, but they constantly force these cheap jump scares just to try and be creepy. This one doesn't rely on those gimmicks; the plot just flows naturally through those moments without breaking character. me like 🙂

I honestly don't have the stomach for movies featuring any kind of abuse.😳

That’s when you might actually want to sit through this movie.

So, let me get this straight—is there actually any abuse at the end or what? 😕
Is there even a shred of humor in this?
What on earth is that little girl even doing?

Brenda Cooper3 said:So, let me get this straight—is there actually any abuse at the end or what? 😕
Is there even a shred of humor in this?
What on earth is that little girl even doing?

1. Abuse at the end? No. Not in the way it seems if you just watched the trailer...
2. None.
3. If I describe everything she does, I might as well spoil the whole movie right here, and that wouldn't be very fair, would it? 🙂

The movie isn't bad, so if anyone is on the fence, go ahead and give it a watch. It’s not exactly a masterpiece, but it holds its own. It reminds me a bit of Orphan, so if you liked that one... start downloading!

So, I took a look. It’s definitely not some absolute masterpiece—I think > already made that point quite clearly—but it isn't bad at all, and I’d honestly still say it's worth a watch. If you’re looking for similarities to Orphan, I suppose it’s that whole trope of a young girl who isn't quite what she appears to be at first glance. However, whereas I felt Orphan leaned much more heavily into being a straight thriller, this one seems to weave in those supernatural elements as well. Anyway, give it a shot; you won't regret 👍

Watched it last night and it wasn't half bad. Pretty interesting... definitely worth a look if you have the time.

2/10

Honestly, it totally met my expectations, which were pretty low to begin with since I figured it wouldn’t be anything groundbreaking and would probably just feel like a cheap knockoff of classics like Ring, Ground, or The Exorcist... you know? And let's be real, those movies are absolute masterpieces, whereas Case 39 is just a mediocre attempt at trying to copy their vibe.

It’s definitely one of those lower-tier flicks that I’d only suggest to hardcore horror junkies who feel like they absolutely have to watch every single new release, or maybe to people like me who just want to kill some time and don't mind a mediocre movie night. That's why I ended up clicking play on this a few days ago.
As for the acting, it was okay, I guess? Starting with the lead, Renée Zellweger, she didn't really have much to work with here—it wasn't a demanding role by any means—so there isn't much to say other than she did a fine job, but again, the material just wasn't that deep. As for the little girl, she was decent at times, but mostly just hit-or-miss, much like the rest of the movie, which oscillates between being briefly entertaining and mostly just plain bad.

An interesting watch. 7/10.

This movie was a complete waste of time. It reminds me of that one episode of The Simpsons where Bart starts reading everyone's minds and manipulating them to suit his own whims, leaving the entire city terrified. This follows that exact same tired premise: a little girl with terrifying supernatural abilities...🤷

The logical solution would be to just shoot her and be done with it, rather than watching that idiot character set her own house on fire just to kill her...😵

Solid movie—I'd give it an 8/10!!!

I’m really digging this movie.
The lead actress is just... wow. She’s incredible. Honestly, I think that’s why I’m vibing with it so much. It feels a little bit like Case 39, you know? But it still manages to feel unique 😁 which is awesome!
Even though the trailer totally threw me off, after just a few minutes I realized the girl was actually evil—I basically guessed she was the devil almost immediately. But hey, regardless, I loved it. The story is solid, even if it isn't reinventing the wheel or anything. The acting is top-tier, and there are some pretty cool lines in there. Most importantly, the movie kept me totally locked in. I was glued to the screen, watching every little detail, and honestly, that’s exactly what a good movie should do. Not a single boring moment.
So, yeah. Easy 8/10 for me.

- Don't apologize.
- Why not?
- You're a grown-up... it's embarrassing.
😍

I can’t remember the last time I actually sat through a decent horror movie before this one, and horror is pretty much my entire genre. I’d highly recommend 👍 That little girl is terrifying!

I won't go so far as to call it a masterpiece, but it was actually a decent enough movie.

It's okay enough to watch, I guess, but nothing special.
Just another thousand times we've seen this tired trope about a haunted kid...

Andrew Watson59 said:I can’t remember the last time I actually sat through a decent horror movie before this one, and horror is pretty much my entire genre. I’d highly recommend 👍 That little girl is terrifying!

Look, first off, that isn't even a horror movie, and it isn't scary at all.

The whole movie just relies on jump scares... and what's worse is they use those sounds when nothing is actually happening. It's a bad film... maybe try watching Death Silence instead. It doesn't rely on those cheap effects...

Dennis White2 said:Look, first off, that isn't even a horror movie, and it isn't scary at all.

The whole movie just relies on jump scares... and what's worse is they use those sounds when nothing is actually happening. It's a bad film... maybe try watching Death Silence instead. It doesn't rely on those cheap effects...

Look, first of all, it is a horror movie and I found it terrifying. The kid is creepy, the plot is unsettling, and the film is packed with disturbing scenes. It's good. You go watch RE/MAX, The Martyrs, Eden Lake, Silent Hill, The Others, Omen, Frontiers, Hostel, TCM, or House of 1000 Corpses... I could go on forever like this, so please, don't try to lecture me on horror.