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Mystery tinged with occult horror surrounds the members of an arcane, rapidly dwindling order of Catholic priests in this fanciful, edge-of-the-seat thriller written and directed by Brian Helgeland. It provides an offbeat lead for hunky star Heath Ledger, cast as one of the last members of the Carolinians, a nearly moribund sect that uses controversial methods to investigate satanic phenomena. When the head of his order is found murdered, the young priest is called back to Rome. He soon learns that the killing is tied to the activities of "sin eaters" -- renegades who offer a bizarre form of absolution outside the Church's jurisdiction. Ledger is surprisingly good in the difficult role of a young clergyman struggling to maintain his faith and live within his vows. He faces considerable temptation in the shapely form of Shannyn Sossamon, who's suitably dour as a troubled artist who fancies the handsome priest. Mark Addy, normally seen in comedic roles, is surprisingly effective as Ledger's comrade-in-collar, and an almost unrecognizable Peter Weller is deliciously sinister as an acidly cynical prelate. Given its wildly improbable plot, The Order frequently veers toward the ridiculous, but Helgeland always seizes control of the narrative and drags it back on course before it goes too far astray. He also invests the story with an atmosphere of foreboding that's likely to affect even those viewers comfortably ensconced in the safety of their own living rooms. In an era when many supernatural thrillers subvert themselves with campy excess, this movie stands out by virtue of its commitment to continual creepiness -- and that alone makes it worth watching more than once. Ed Hulse

All Movie Guide

Oscar-winning screenwriter Brian Helgeland writes and directs the religious thriller The Order. Heath Ledger portrays a priest from a secret religious order called The Carolingians. He's sent to Rome to investigate the mysterious death of the head of the Carolingians, whose body was found with strange marks on its chest. While in Rome, he asks for help from an old friend (Mark Addy) and an elusive artist Shannyn Sossamon to help solve the murder. The priest ends up at the Vatican, where he learns of a sect that may be responsible for many mysterious deaths. Peter Weller and Benno Fürmann round out the cast. ~ Perry Seibert, All Movie Guide

Product Details

• UPC: 024543102069
• Source: 20TH CENTURY FOX
• Region Code: 1
• Aspect Ratio: Pre-1954 Standard (1.33.1), Theatre Wide-Screen (1.85.1)
• Presentation: Pan & Scan, Wide Screen
• Sound: Dolby Digital Surround, Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround
• Language: English, Français
• Subtitles: English, Español
• Time: 1:42:00
• Sales Rank: 4,874

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