PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Directed by Christian Alvart, Case 39 emerged from the horror depths in 2009. In many respects, it stands as another testament to film critics getting it all wrong. In fact, the critic’s response to this movie may discourage star Renee Zellweger from appearing in horror again. That’s probably a shame, because she’s not a bad actress, and she’s been in worse non-horror films than Case 39 (way too many rom-coms!). Despite starring in the iffy Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation (AKA Texas Chainsaw Massacre 4 1990), Renée isn’t exactly known for appearing in horror.
In Case 39, Zellweger plays Emily Jenkins, a social worker who believes some foster parents are mistreating a girl named Lilith (Jodelle Ferland). It’s already a potentially interesting movie, right? Who hasn’t known kids who don’t have it easy at home? In fact, many of us were those kids! However, these foster parents take it a step further… let’s just say they begin getting creative with an oven. Gradually, the story gets complicated even beyond that, and neither Emily nor Detective Mike Barron (Ian McShane) have an easy time piecing everything together. Instead of spilling all the details, I’ll leave you to watch it. However, I’ll try to convince you that this movie’s of an acceptable quality, despite being a bomb with critics.
Why Give it a Chance?
First and foremost, a lot of critics just flat-out suck. Always take their words with a grain of salt. Sometimes their critiques are valid, of course, but sometimes they’re just a bunch whiners who (a) either expect too much of a movie or (b) just have a hate boner for it. In the case of Case 39, I won’t exactly say what the critics hated about it, but they make a lot of the standard critiques for horror. Chief among them is that “it isn’t scary,” or that it’s “ridiculous,” or “silly.” Obviously, most of those critiques could apply to just about any horror film. For example, some people say they merely laugh at The Exorcist.
So, despite what they say, I will defend this movie as somewhat unique. You may have an idea of where it’s going, but the solid performances lend it some additional weight. I should also mention the original abusive foster parents, the Sullivans, played by Jigsaw’s (2017) Callum Keith Rennie and Kerry O’Malley. They come off as pretty intense and crazy, and provide the films initial scares. When Emily takes on the role of adoptive mother, we are then taken down an interesting road, and many might actually appreciate its destination. Basically, there are far worse films than Case 39, so the critics are worth ignoring.
What are your thoughts on Case 39? Let us know in the comments!
