CASE 39 (2009)

My score 3.5/5

Usually horror movies are not my cup of tea. I watch them by mistake or after serious recommendation by someone I completely trust in taste of movies. ‘Case 39’ belongs to the category one. Guess I have not done my research properly! Don’t get me wrong here. I don’t mean to say that horror movies are bad or anything. It’s just that I don’t really feel the urge of watching them. ‘Case 39’ was a good one. Have no complaints about it. So here goes the review. 

Emily Jenkins is a social worker. She is true to her profession and always looks up to the brighter side of her life helping the kids in need. She handles many cases of children who are abused and already neck deep on her workload when her boss gives her another new case to investigate. Reluctant at first but taking her profession by heart she steps out to solve this one as well. Creating an instant connection with the little girl Lilith, who seems to be having a hard time with abusive parents in a quite dysfunctional family, Emily goes the extra mile to help her. Not having the heart to say no to Lilith’s charm, Emily ends up adopting her as Lilith’s parents ends up in a mental asylum under tragic circumstances. But it doesn’t take ages for Emily to realize that the little visitor in her house is not quite innocent as she seems to be. And Emily is yet to face the most horrific experiences in her life. 

What I admire about ‘Case 39’ is that it’s not your typical horror movie. It doesn’t scare you from the start or just put you in indescribable situations over and over again. True horror movies don’t real have any scientific meaning to them but some are utterly stupid in my standards. But this one really doesn’t fall there completely. Ultimately you will not be able to describe it as such as any other horror flick but the physiological thrilling parts are quite interesting. 

  It scares you quite well at the second half but in the first half it just flows calm in most of the time with a story which actually makes sense and dramatic. The lead role played by Renee Zellweger is strong and grips the plot well. Her dramatic performances most of the time will make you forget that this is actually a horror movie. 

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery

Director: Christian Alvart

Writer: Ray Wright

Stars: Renée Zellweger, Ian McShane and Jodelle Ferland