Frailty [DVD] [2002]

The film revolves around the happy and loving Meeks family, which consists of a Texas widower (Bill Paxton) and his two boys, Fenton and Adam. All is well until late one night, when this pleasant, mild-mannered father claims to have received a visitation from an angel with a very special message for him from God. It seems that demons are among us, disguised as human beings. It appears that Dad, as well as his boys, are being given a very special mission. They are to destroy these demons. God will supply the weapons and the names of those who are to be destroyed. Dad will be able to ensure that he is destroying a demon simply by laying his hands upon the purported demon. Therein lies the tale, and it is a positively chilling one.

This living nightmare is recalled in flashback by one of the now grown boys (Mathew McConaughey) to FBI Agent Wesley Doyle (Powers Boothe), who is investigating a series of killings referred to as the "God's Hand" murders. He recounts what life was like for the Meeks family after dear old Dad got his divine calling and woke them up one night from a sound sleep to tell them of his new found mission. The boys are sworn to secrecy and are called upon to assist with this divine calling. While the younger boy, Adam, gets with the program, the older son, Fenton, is clearly disturbed by what he sees as the psychotic transformation of his formerly benign father. He is only hoping that things will blow over, and Dad will return to normal. Unfortunately, things will never again be the same.

Bill Paxton's directorial debut may best be described as stunningly self-assured. His direction is deft, yet restrained, as he is obviously someone who knows that less is more. He certainly realizes that what passes through the viewer's imagination can often be far more terrifying than any garish special effects. Consequently, this is not a film for those who look for mindless blood splatter and gore, as there is virtually none of that in this film. The camera rightly turns away at the crucial moment, leaving the viewer's imagination to work overtime.

The performances that are exacted from the cast are uniformly terrific, but there are two that merit special note. Bill Paxton is simply astounding, giving a bravura performance that is complex and compelling. The viewer believes all along that he is truly a loving father, even when he is seemingly at his most psychotic and on his divine mission destroying demons. Matt O'Leary also gives a singular performance as young Fenton, the son who has difficulty accepting the tune that his beloved father is now singing. His is an angst filled performance that will tear at the viewer's heart.

This is truly a terrific tale of gothic horror and one that deserves to become a classic. It boasts an intelligent and clever screenplay by Brent Hanley with enough twists and turns to keep the viewer guessing until the very end. It is a screenplay that has many layers of complexity. The question for the viewer is whether or not Dad was simply a delusional psychotic killer or truly acting upon a divine mission. This may not be as easy to answer as one may think.

All in all, this is a superlative film that is worthy of being in one's personal collection. Bravo!

Frailty is one those gems that can be easily missed but when you do watch it - you'll always wonder how it got away!