Case 39

R

Released Oct 1, 2010

1h 49m

Horror

Mystery & Thriller

List

21%

77 Reviews

Tomatometer

39%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

In her many years as a social worker, Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) thinks she has seen it all -- until she meets 10-year-old Lilith (Jodelle Ferland) and the girl's cruel parents. When the parents try to harm the child, Emily assumes custody of Lilith while looking for a foster family. However, she soon finds that dark forces surround the seemingly innocent child, and the more she tries to protect Lilith, the more horrors she encounters.

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Critics Consensus

Director Christian Alvert has a certain stylish flair, but it's wasted on Case 39's frightless, unoriginal plot.

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Justin T

This starts with a dull and unengaging setup. Then it becomes a pretty slow and typical evil child film. It’s not bad as such, just pretty dull. When the girl starts showing signs of evil it gets much more interesting but this is like half-way through the movie. One of the most off-putting parts is the casting of the adults. Renée Zellweger and Bradley Cooper don't seem right for their roles at all and were probably only cast because their attachment will bring viewers. The evil girl though is very good in the film and almost certainly is the only reason to watch this movie. Jodelle Ferland really did carry the movie. Overall it does the horror badly and the psychological thriller aspect badly. It’s not a bad film, it’s just below average. The special effects were weaker than they should have been even for the time it was made.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

04/27/24

Full Review

Eduarda O

As pessoas dizem que quando um filme enquadra-se como "suspense" ele deve ser visto apenas uma vez pois, quando você já sabe o plot twist, perde a graça. Sou obrigada a dizer que sim, mas há excessões. Não existe regras sem excessões. Assistir "Caso 39" já sabendo de seu final trouxe uma nova perspectiva para o filme: na primeira vez, fiquei boquiaberta por ter sido enganada; na segunda, fiquei boquiaberta pela maneira na qual a equipe de produção fez com que eu ficasse imersa na história mesmo já sabendo seu paradeiro e, assim, notar coisas que jamais notaria da primeira vez. Eu amo a relação de Emily com seus dois parceiros mais próximos: Ian e Doug. Fez-me querer ser próximas desses dois queridos! Senti o alívio na pele de Emily quando Ian acreditou em seus dizeres e aceitou ajudar a assassinar a criatura! Digo… isso é extremamente significativo vindo de um policial. Emi não poderia estar melhor acompanhada. Pensei que a cena final não me chocaria mas me enganei, haha. Com certeza tem um significado por trás do óbvio retratado pela obra, que é toda a questão de fazer-nos acreditar que estamos do lado certo mas por fim os personagens nos enganam e blá-blá-blá. Tem correlação com "Eu só quero que você me ame" mas não sei dizer, talvez a negligência afetiva presenciada por muitas crianças o que as leva cometer atos irresponsáveis? Não sei dizer, mas foi uma ótima experiência.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/13/24

Full Review

Michael V

Some cases should never be opened. Case 39 is a 2009 American supernatural horror film directed by Christian Alvart 😟 It's ok, but I feel mixed about this one 😉 I'd recommend it if you like this genre, but if not then probably give it a miss 👍🏼👎🏼 S In her many years as a social worker, Emily Jenkins believes she has seen it all, until she meets 10-year-old Lilith and the girl's cruel parents. Emily's worst fears are confirmed when the parents try to harm the child, and so Emily assumes custody of Lilith while she looks for a foster family. However, Emily soon finds that dark forces surround the seemingly innocent girl, and the more she tries to protect Lilith, the more horrors she encounters.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

03/31/24

Full Review

Mark B

1st two acts keep your interest, building a sinister mood, but the last act falls apart.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

02/23/24

Full Review

KB B

Considering the mediocre ratings It was better than expected. I've always liked Renee Zellweger but she was superb in this. The young lady that played Lily was very good too. It's worth the watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/09/24

Full Review

Regina P

The problem with this film is that it is too forgettable. I had to remind myself that I saw this film. It just fades from memory instantaneously.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

01/01/24

Full Review

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Christian Alvart

Director

Renée Zellweger

Emily Jenkins

Jodelle Ferland

Lillith Sullivan

Ian McShane

Detective Mike Barron

Bradley Cooper

Doug Ames

Kerry O'Malley

Margaret Sullivan

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Case 39: Official Clip - You Silly Pumpkin Head

2:13

Case 39: Official Clip - Let Me In!

2:13

Case 39: Official Clip - Hornet Problem

2:13

Case 39: Official Clip - What Scares You?

2:01

Case 39: Official Clip - I Killed My Mom and Dad

2:03

Case 39: Official Clip - Just Die!

2:13

Case 39: Official Clip - In The Oven

2:13

Case 39: Official Clip - Why Emily?

1:25

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Candice Frederick

Reel Talk Online

Almost identical to 2009's Orphan, Case 39 does little keep your attention as its riddled with cliches--menacing music, domino casualties, and predictable horror plotline.

Rated: C

Sep 9, 2017

Full Review

Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Neither so awful as to be enjoyable nor eerily artful enough to be anything other than a snoozy also-ran.

Rated: 1/5

Oct 9, 2010

Full Review

Ethan Gilsdorf

Boston Globe

It's a bummer when the audience is smarter than the protagonist.

Rated: 1.5/4

Oct 7, 2010

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

In the realm of evil child movies such as, most recently, Orphan, the dull supernatural thriller Case 39 does a disservice to the sometimes entertaining horror subgenre.

Rated: 1.5/4

Aug 3, 2023

Full Review

James Croot

Stuff.co.nz

[Zellweger] looks downright miserable throughout.

Rated: 1/5

Oct 4, 2021

Full Review

Richard Propes

TheIndependentCritic.com

Not even hardcore Zellweger fans should worry about catching this flick on the big screen.

Rated: 1.5/4.0

Sep 5, 2020

Full Review

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Synopsis

In her many years as a social worker, Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) thinks she has seen it all -- until she meets 10-year-old Lilith (Jodelle Ferland) and the girl's cruel parents. When the parents try to harm the child, Emily assumes custody of Lilith while looking for a foster family. However, she soon finds that dark forces surround the seemingly innocent child, and the more she tries to protect Lilith, the more horrors she encounters.

Director: Christian Alvart
Screenwriter: Ray Wright
Distributor: Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Misher Films, Anonymous Content
Rating: R (Violence and Terror|Disturbing Images)
Genre: Horror, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 1, 2010, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 6, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.2M
Runtime: 1h 49m
Sound Mix: SDDS, Dolby Digital, DTS

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