I'm more inclined to believe what I read in The National Enquirer than in The Bible, and yet I am strangely drawn to biblical horrors, particularly enjoying the potentially cataclysmic nature of the stories, the fate of the whole of mankind often being at stake. While The Reaping is far from perfect, it's ten plagues not quite as devastating as I had hoped and director Stephen Hopkins' storytelling rather muddled at times, there is still plenty to enjoy about the film as a whole.
Oscar-winner Hilary Swank is The Reaping's strongest suit, the actress putting in an excellent central performance as Katherine, a one-time missionary turned miracle debunker called in to investigate strange occurrences in the rural bible-belt town of Haven; her strong turn definitely helps to make what might have easily have appeared completely absurd seem much more plausible (it also doesn't hurt that she's also rather sexy in this—I've never been a fan until now, but she rocks the sweaty vest look!). Meanwhile, a young AnnaSophia Robb displays plenty of star potential as the swamp girl who cops the blame for the strange events, and David Morrisey amuses as concerned Haven resident Doug (I'm not sure how authentic his American accent is, but it made me laugh).
Horror wise, this is all relatively tame stuff, with very little to turn the stomach (the most 'disturbing' image being that of a mouldy but slightly rubbery looking corpse), but there are some effective jump scares along the way and a few neat visual effects, with a sudden attack on a car by a bull and a swarm of deadly locusts being the film's most memorable moments. Throw in some spectacular pyrotechnics, and a not-entirely-unexpected 'twist' ending reminiscent of The Wicker Man, and what you have is a rather fun little time-waster, not the disaster of biblical proportions that many would have you believe.
Oscar-winner Hilary Swank is The Reaping's strongest suit, the actress putting in an excellent central performance as Katherine, a one-time missionary turned miracle debunker called in to investigate strange occurrences in the rural bible-belt town of Haven; her strong turn definitely helps to make what might have easily have appeared completely absurd seem much more plausible (it also doesn't hurt that she's also rather sexy in this—I've never been a fan until now, but she rocks the sweaty vest look!). Meanwhile, a young AnnaSophia Robb displays plenty of star potential as the swamp girl who cops the blame for the strange events, and David Morrisey amuses as concerned Haven resident Doug (I'm not sure how authentic his American accent is, but it made me laugh).
Horror wise, this is all relatively tame stuff, with very little to turn the stomach (the most 'disturbing' image being that of a mouldy but slightly rubbery looking corpse), but there are some effective jump scares along the way and a few neat visual effects, with a sudden attack on a car by a bull and a swarm of deadly locusts being the film's most memorable moments. Throw in some spectacular pyrotechnics, and a not-entirely-unexpected 'twist' ending reminiscent of The Wicker Man, and what you have is a rather fun little time-waster, not the disaster of biblical proportions that many would have you believe.