Angela Bettis, Christina Ricci, Dan Warry-Smith

When Maggie (Kim Basinger of L.A. Confidential and Batman) comes home to her apartment building one night, she discovers her estranged, drug-addict sister Jenna huddling in the doorway. ...( read more  read more... )Jenna promptly abandons her newborn baby with Maggie, who proceeds to raise the child as her own, despite evidence of autism. But as the little girl, Cody, gets older, what seemed to be autism starts to manifest itself in more startling ways. At the same time, a series of child murders are sweeping the city--murders conducted by a mysterious cult with supernatural matters on their mind. Bless the Child starts promisingly, with subdued, creepy scenes contrasted with more outrageous moments like swarms of computer-generated rats. Fans of religious horror movies will enjoy its twist on The Omen, with an angelic child instead of a demonic one--only the child is still pretty eerie. The special effects go a little overboard towards the end. Jimmy Smits (Price of Glory) costars as an FBI cult chaser, and Rufus Sewell (Dark City, Cold Comfort Farm) gives a pleasantly restrained performance as the charismatic cult leader. Also featuring Christina Ricci as a cult escapee and Ian Holm as a Jesuit priest. --Bret Fetzer

Flixster Users

48% liked it

7,984 ratings

Critics

3% liked it

95 critics

R, 107 min.

Directed by: Chuck Russell

Release Date: August 11, 2000

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DVD Release Date: February 13, 2001

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Flixster Reviews (541)


  • July 15, 2007
    I was pleasantly surprised at how engaging this movie was. I normally don't like Kim Basinger of Rufus Sewell, but they were both pretty good in this really rather chilling movie. I really like movies that deal with the human aspect in the occult. Christina Ricci's character real...( read more)ly added to it as well. I might have liked a little less simpering from miss Kim, but the child actress mkore than made up for her.
  • April 26, 2007
    Unfortunately, I can only rate the first half of this film because I fell asleep before it finished but I felt that it was going in exactly the right direction. Comments I have read here about it being too religious..... well if we're talking about God and the devil then I guess...( read more) we are talking religion aren't we.
    Fascinating storyline and great acting. Will get more stars no doubt as soon as I have seen how it ends.
  • January 1, 2007
    I know I've SEEN it, but I can't remember anything about it. Can the movie be so bad, I've completely expunged it from my memory?
  • November 7, 2006
    Well done movie, very intriguing.
  • April 21, 2006
    I can't picture anybody but Kim Basinger in this role. Guess L.A. Confidential wasn't a fluke. Creepy, tense, and perfectly watcheable.
  • October 26, 2009
    I found this movie absolutley horrifying as a child! Perhaps it was the human horror involved in it... I can handle zombies, and vampires, and werewolves, and ghosts, but show me a human being burned alive, and I'll more than likely cringe at the sight.
  • October 5, 2009
    Give me my 2 hours back.
  • October 4, 2009
    It was ok. Strange... but ok.
  • September 30, 2009
    I honestly don't know where to start with this movie. This movie was so complex, yet so special and meaningful.
    As a Christian, I must say that this movie was very powerful to watch and extremely gripping at times.
    I know that critics hated this movie when ...( read more)it came out and that really confuses me. Why do they hate this movie so much? I just don't get it. It really makes me upset, because this is now a favorite for me and it just makes me angry (not usually I don't get angry as much).
    This film had its 'scary moments', but besides that; its not a horror film.
    I really liked this movie, because of its messages and, I know I already said this, but this is very powerful and if you can't see that, then you must be blind.

    This is a must-see for everybody. It makes you think and it has a very good ending to it. I really liked it and I don't have anything bad to say about it.

    SEE-IT!
  • July 7, 2009
    Rufus Sewell is so hot when he's evil. Overall okay

Critic Reviews


January 1, 2000
Colin Covert, The Minneapolis Star Tribune

For my money, Bless the Child is a much funnier parody of a thriller than Scary Movie -- it just doesn't realize it. full review

View more Bless the Child reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

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Bless the Child Trivia


  • what was the name of the gifted girl in bless the child  Answer »
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