Frailty Movie Review (2001)

A slow-burning psychological thriller about two brothers raised by a father who believes he’s doing God’s work, Frailty is a morally ambiguous film that cleverly reels you in and never lets go.

I love a good psychological thriller, especially when I know nothing about it. I watched Like Minds, The Assessment, and Blink Twice fully blind, and they were all hugely pleasant surprises. I don’t enjoy being scared, so I do a little investigating to make sure it’s not “horror with jump scares,” but once that’s determined, it’s time to have some fun.

Frailty is about Fenton Meiks, a man who goes to FBI Agent Wesley Doyle to tell him that he knows that the serial killer in the “God’s Hands” killings that have been taking place is his little brother, Adam. Doyle doesn’t believe him, so Meiks begins to tell the story of their childhood with their father, who believed that he had been visited by an angel and given the ability to help save the world from demons by becoming a demon hunter.

While you may Google this movie and see it described as “horror/thriller,” it is only horror in terms of theme and some eerie music, but it is not a “scary movie.” If you have watched any other film having to do with serial killings (Zodiac Killer, Copycat), this is the same. In fact, I would say Se7en is much creepier than this.

This is a great film that gets better the longer you watch. Directed by and starring Bill Paxton as the father and Matthew McConaughey as adult Fenton, the story keeps you on your toes with a low-level sense of dread as you watch young Fenton comprehend that the father he’s always known as kind and caring is now doing “God’s work.”

But while we all know that killing is wrong, the film becomes morally complex when Fenton’s father believes, with all his being, that he is helping the world. He is being instructed by a higher power, whether his kids understand that or not, and young Fenton has to contend with his father’s mental illness.

This dynamic leads to an introspective note that you never quite let go of. What if this happened in your family? You and your brother have allegiances to your father, particularly as children being raised by him – it’s a very tricky scenario.

Frailty is a deliberately paced, unpredictable movie, resulting in a highly captivating story that unfolds in an intimate fashion. The twists and turns can be surprising, and, just like the other great psychological thrillers, I now wish I could erase my memory and watch it again. That is the hallmark of an exciting film.

Runtime: 99 minutes

Motion Picture Rating: R

Languages Spoken In The Film: English

Should You Watch It? Yes

Did I Cry? Nope

My Rating: 4/5 Stars

Available: Free on Amazon Prime, Tubi, and Roku or may be available for free on other streaming platforms