Frailty

Starring: Matthew McConaughey, Bill Paxton, Matthew O'Leary, Luke Askew, Powers Boothe

Directed by: Bill Paxton

RS: 3of 4 Stars

2002 Thriller

Resist the temptation to pick up the usual crap (yes, I mean The Scorpion King) and take a risk with the potently creepy, criminally underrated Frailty.

Bill Paxton stars as a Texas widower on a mission from God who recruits his two young sons (Matthew O'Leary and Jeremy Sumpter) to kill demons. So what if the demons look like the people next door. Paxton also scores impressively as a director -- the cast includes Matthew McConaughey as one of his older sons -- and uses the disc's plentiful extras (deleted scenes, "making of" documentary) to shed light on the film's roots in old-time religion. Young Sumpter's review of the movie boasts a kid's honesty: "I didn't get none of it." If you're older than eight, Frailty will haunt you hard.

PETER TRAVERS
(October 17, 2002)