The Reaping

“How do I know? How do I know what's real?”

The Reaping was a fairly decent thriller. The concept sounded fairly intriguing, so I gave it a viewing. It wasn’t half bad, but it’s not going to make any of my top 10, 20, or even 30 lists.

In The Reaping, Hilary Swank plays Katherine Winter, a former missionary who has lost her faith. She now travels the world, debunking supposed miracles using scientific tests. She is soon called to Haven, Louisiana to investigate a series of so-called biblical plagues. Katherine uses her science to try and debunk these happenings, but as time goes on, she wonders what she should believe. Is this real? Is the creepy young girl the cause? Should she be destroyed? Who can Katherine really trust?

The Reaping does a fairly good job of throwing some realistic looking plagues at the audience, and the atmosphere of Haven is heavy with fear and deception. I don’t think any of the actors really outshined the material, but the script holds up with some creepiness, good atmosphere, and tension. The first little twist at the end wasn’t all that much of a twist, but you know, I don’t really care too much for twist endings anyway. Most of the time it’s not a twist to me; I figure it out way before the end.

I wouldn’t say this is one to buy, but it’s good for a rental, a big tub of popcorn, and a few empty hours to fill.

Rating: 3 1/5 Purrs for a decent biblical thriller, some serious looking plagues, and a creepy kid.