Frailty

R

Released Apr 12, 2002

1 hr. 39 min.

Mystery & Thriller

Horror

List

75%

156 Reviews

Tomatometer

78%

50,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

Set in present day Texas, "Frailty" centers on the FBI's search for a serial killer who calls himself "God's Hands." McConaughey plays Fenton Meeks, a young man who approaches the lead investigator, one night, claiming he knows the identity of the killer. The FBI agent is curious, but unimpressed until Fenton reveals that the killer is his younger brother Adam. This is a film about faith, family and the end of innocence.

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Critics Consensus

Creepy and disturbing, Frailty is well-crafted, low-key horror.

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mark g

One of the best twists in movie history

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/26/24

Full Review

Logan D

A mysterious man (McConaughey) goes to the FBI to tell them a serial killer is his younger brother. But he refuses to reveal his location until he recounts their childhood with their religiously abuses father. Paxton does a decent job directing but I found it difficult to believe him in portraying the dad whom God give directions. One is sympathetic to the plight of the boys and their relationship to each other an their father. The ending is predictable but I did enjoy contemplating the morality of most of the characters.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/13/24

Full Review

Giselle F

It was fine but then the ending? My God what an atrocity of an ending. I feel like slapping the writers.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

03/17/24

Full Review

Eilian N

What's a purpose of that?

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

02/15/24

Full Review

Max A

Frailty is a psychological thriller released in 2001 but definitively one escaped from the 90s, the pacing, narrative and visual style undeniably make it feel like so. The film follows two little boys, the brothers Adam and Fenton Meiks, and their dad (Bill Paxton), a typical family in a small town in Texas, that is until an angel reveals a mission to the father, a holly one, one sent by god himself and that mission is to destroy the evil on Earth, to destroy demons. The greatness of this film rests on the narration style and the multiple plot twists along the way. It's not visually impressive, and the score is nothing to remember; besides a jump scare here and there you will not be frightened while watching this film. However one thing Frailty gets right is storytelling, keeping you on the edge of your seat basically for its entirety. The central theme of Frailty is religion. I find the film to be a beautiful exploration of what having blind faith means and how god works in mysterious ways. Directed by Bill Paxton (his first work as a director), Frailty is, and will continue to be my favorite horror film of all time, and watching it multiple times just make me appreciate it time and time again, but in a different way every time. If you have not watched it, you are missing out big time!

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

12/01/23

Full Review

delonte g

Fantastic movie. The score was haunting, the performances were compelling, and the plot was engaging. All while creating and maintaining an eerie atmospher throughout the entire film.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

10/29/23

Full Review

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Bill Paxton

Director

Bill Paxton

Dad

Matthew McConaughey

Adam Meiks

Powers Boothe

Agent Wesley Doyle

Matt O'Leary

Young Fenton Meiks

Luke Askew

Sheriff Smalls

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Christy Lemire

Associated Press

Paxton steals the show. And O'Leary more than holds his own again here. Too bad it's in a movie that fails to live up to its potential.

Jul 30, 2013

Full Review

Nell Minow

Common Sense Media

Violent and ultimately uneven and unsatisfying.

Rated: 2/5

Dec 24, 2010

Full Review

Robert Koehler

Variety

A resoundingly old-fashioned and well crafted study of evil infecting an American family, "Frailty" moves from strength to strength on its deceptive narrative course.

Nov 21, 2008

Full Review

Cody Leach

Cody Leach (YouTube)

Frailty is a perfect exploration of childhood fear as it collides with religion. Bill Paxton's deliberately reserved direction makes the horror more effective in it's reliance on reactions and suggestion. Every twist delivers and sticks the landing!

Rated: 5/5

Mar 26, 2024

Full Review

M.N. Miller

Ready Steady Cut

[Frailty] still packs a chilling punch to the gut that stands the test of time today.

Rated: 4/5

Aug 17, 2022

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

Paxton creates a memorable story that, while supplying too many answers about its own ambiguities, offers the chance to find multiple readings.

Rated: 3/4

Feb 12, 2022

Full Review

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Synopsis

Set in present day Texas, "Frailty" centers on the FBI's search for a serial killer who calls himself "God's Hands." McConaughey plays Fenton Meeks, a young man who approaches the lead investigator, one night, claiming he knows the identity of the killer. The FBI agent is curious, but unimpressed until Fenton reveals that the killer is his younger brother Adam. This is a film about faith, family and the end of innocence.

Director: Bill Paxton
Executive Producer: Tom Huckabee, Karen Loop, Tom Ortenberg, Michael Paseornek
Screenwriter: Brent Hanley
Distributor: Lionsgate Films
Production Co: David Kirschner Productions, American Entertainment
Rating: R (Violence|Some Language)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 12, 2002, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 14, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $13.1M
Sound Mix: Dolby SR, DTS, Dolby Stereo, Surround, SDDS, Dolby A, Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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