Stigmata (1999)

Featured Audience Ratings

• Jeff "

  
  Interesting concept for a horror film, Stigmata is quite underrated. Although definitely not perfect, the film manages to be good enough entertainment. The big problem with Stigmata is that it relies too much on its special effects to create its horror. Stigmata plays out like a… More
  Interesting concept for a horror film, Stigmata is quite underrated. Although definitely not perfect, the film manages to be good enough entertainment. The big problem with Stigmata is that it relies too much on its special effects to create its horror. Stigmata plays out like a special effects feast. I think it's a shame because the film had so much potential in being a strong horror film. This is a decent film at best with an interesting story; however director Rupert Wainwright is very strong on visuals and peppers the film with far too many effects. If the film would have used fewer effects, then maybe this would have been a much more memorable horror flick. Stigmata isn't a bad flick by any means, but there's definitely room for improvement. The high points of the film is it's a very atmospheric film, and if director Rupert Wainwright would have toned down the effects, and focused more on the dark, brooding atmosphere, then Stigmata would have been a much better film. I enjoyed the film, and I don't believe the film is as bad as what everyone has said it would be. This could have been a great film, and a hint of its brilliance is apparent, but is over done with too many effects. On the other hand, the plot is interesting and really original. If the special effects would have been toned down, and director Rupert Wainwright would have focused more on the tone and atmosphere of the film, I think Stigmata would have been a much better film. Overall this isn't a bad film, but it's not a good either. It's a decent popcorn horror flick from a director who clearly goes for visuals rather than substance.

• Tim S

  
  Stigmata is mediocre at best. The overall pace and style are a bit on the dull side, as is the repeated voice-overs layered on to scenes from previous scenes. The score and soundtrack aren't all that great either, even with the partcipation of Billy Corgan. The whole piece just… More
  Stigmata is mediocre at best. The overall pace and style are a bit on the dull side, as is the repeated voice-overs layered on to scenes from previous scenes. The score and soundtrack aren't all that great either, even with the partcipation of Billy Corgan. The whole piece just feels tired and unenergetic. The only time it gets interesting is during the possession scenes, and eveything surround them and leading up to them is dull. It isn't boring, per se, just lacking the confidence and energy needed to drive it. The biblical aspects are interesting, and it's also nice to see people like Gabriel Byrne and Jonathan Pryce, but it needed more. Perhaps Rupert Wainwright wasn't the right director for the material. Patricia Arquette was, however, the right actress for the lead role. She's always had a haunted quality about her that filters through in her roles whether she means it to or not, but it works here. The entire film can't be saved by those things alone though, and it winds up lacking the parts to make it a whole.

• MisterYoda ?

  
  Patricia Arquette plays Frankie Paige, a woman who is a self-proclaimed athiest. One day, after receiving a package from her mother in Brazil, she starts to get the marks of the Stigmata. When a person gets the marks, they receive the same wounds that Jesus did on the cross, namely… More
  Patricia Arquette plays Frankie Paige, a woman who is a self-proclaimed athiest. One day, after receiving a package from her mother in Brazil, she starts to get the marks of the Stigmata. When a person gets the marks, they receive the same wounds that Jesus did on the cross, namely the 5 wounds of the hands, the feet, the head, the back and the side. But only the most religious people usually receive the marks, and Frankie is far from religious. Her marks are unexplainable. The Vatican has a department that goes out to explore and investigate people who report seeing signs from God. Father Andrew (Gabriel Byrne) is assigned to meet with Frankie. He too can not explain the Stigmata but knows that unless he can figure out why this is happening to her, she will die. Stigmata had the look of a futuristic sci-fi film. It was always raining, strange lighting, and lots of quick cuts. There were a lot of double exposure shots, voices and hallucinations and people screaming. It was too much. Frankie gets this haunted rosary and immediately stats getting the marks of the Stigmata. That's fine. But then the movie gets bogged down. There are too many starts and stops. Things start to happen, Frankie gets possessed by a strange spirit, and then out of nowhere it stops. This happens way too much. You start to feel like they're finally getting to the point, and then... nothing. It was only within the last 15 minutes that things started to pick up. Once the reasoning is explained and we see the true nature of the Vatican, things get interesting, leading to an explosive ending. But before that I kept thinking, just get to the damn point. With a movie like The Sixth Sense, I felt somewhat the same way. But with that surprise ending, I understood why it was made the way it was. With Stigmata, there was no need to keep building up suspense only to let you down. Things could have been explained as the movie went along, rather than waiting to the end to throw everything at you. And how that rosary ended up playing a part in the Stigmata happening to Frankie was never really talked about. I wish that they had cut down on the quick edits and actually told a story. I wish that they had decided that this story was able to carry the movie, and not felt the need to throw in a lot of effects that took away from the film. I think the story was a good one, especially, once again, when everything was finally explained. But in this day and age it seems that MTV-style editing and special effects carry the day. Overall I found Stigmata to be a tease. It would bring you to the edge and then all of a sudden stop. It was only the last 15 minutes or so that made it worthwhile at all.

• Sophie B

  
  I thought the story was really interesting and it seemed to flow quite well however it just didn't grip me as much as I would have liked it to. Some parts went really fast and it was difficult to understand certain points as explaination was bad. I liked to look of this film and… More
  I thought the story was really interesting and it seemed to flow quite well however it just didn't grip me as much as I would have liked it to. Some parts went really fast and it was difficult to understand certain points as explaination was bad. I liked to look of this film and the mise en scene.

• Conner R

  
  I actually really liked the concept and the acting, the movie just fell apart when it tried to become the next exorcist. It seemed like it didn't know whether it was a horror or a drama. It can always come off as tacky when you bring in religion and don't deliver, which is… More
  I actually really liked the concept and the acting, the movie just fell apart when it tried to become the next exorcist. It seemed like it didn't know whether it was a horror or a drama. It can always come off as tacky when you bring in religion and don't deliver, which is what happened here. I kind've liked the crazy colorization and look of the film, but it's so obvious that it's a gimmick when only New York looks that way.

• Robert C

  
  At the "heart" of this film is a beautiful message. Unfortunatly the "body" that contains that "heart" is not all that well put together. But any film that makes people question organized religion is ok in my book. Not a horrible film...but it… More
  At the "heart" of this film is a beautiful message. Unfortunatly the "body" that contains that "heart" is not all that well put together. But any film that makes people question organized religion is ok in my book. Not a horrible film...but it could have been much more powerful.

• Curtis L

  
  Stigmatas are gross and dumb, but like all unreal things, movies can make them fun! TERRIBLE soundtrack...it was trying to hard to appeal to early 2000 high/middle school students.

• Sanjaya &

  
  Pretty scary movie about the mystery behind the death of Jesus... I even confused which is wrong or which is true... Pretty scary one...

• Bannan i

  
  Hold up! Gabriel Byrne's NOT the devil? ;]

• Tsubaki S

  
  More religious nonesense, ocasionally funny.

• Lady D

  
  A very deep and powerful story with controversial content. Wonderful performances from Patricia Arquette and Gabriel Byrne. A story unlike any other, with music throughout that sets the mood of the tale. Not a film for the easily distracted, but one I definitely recommend.

• Al S

  
  A great movie. A blistering, thrilling and mind-blowing supernatural thriller. Gabriel Byrne and Patricia arquette give exceptional and brilliant performances.

• Nani V

  
  This creeped me the hell out!

• Candy R

  
  Movie about people who develop stigmatas, Quite graphic.

• Lafe F

  
  It has good concepts for scenes, but is quite boring as a woman (Patricia Arquette) keeps having stigmata and other strange experiences. Based on the trailers, I was expecting The Exorcist for shock scenes, but nothing really entertaining occurs, short of her talking in a Latin… More
  It has good concepts for scenes, but is quite boring as a woman (Patricia Arquette) keeps having stigmata and other strange experiences. Based on the trailers, I was expecting The Exorcist for shock scenes, but nothing really entertaining occurs, short of her talking in a Latin man's voice. It had an awesome opening sequence and song "Mary Mary" by Chumbawumba.

• Dean M

  
  A major case of style swamping substance and that is a bit familiar to <i>The Exorcist</i>.

• danny d

  
  creepy and stupid

• Leigh R

  
  Fantastic film.

• Nate Z

  
  [font=Arial][color=darkred]From the compelling director of 'Blank Check' comes the latest religous up-in-arms controversial picture billed to your local theater. While being wrongly labled a horror flick, this movie is nothing to get excited over if you take your religion… More
  [font=Arial][color=darkred]From the compelling director of 'Blank Check' comes the latest religous up-in-arms controversial picture billed to your local theater. While being wrongly labled a horror flick, this movie is nothing to get excited over if you take your religion seriously. Because this movie sure doesn't, and the only ones that will be influenced by this hour and fourty minute music video of blood would simply be the gullible.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Patricia Arquette plays Pittsburgh's young and nubile athiest hero. And the damn finest hairdresser in town, when she isn't bleeding over her customers that is. Well the party girl gets in touch with some roseries and has violent seizures and fits, as well as experiencing strange wounds and lashes akin to the wounds of Christ. Faster than you can say "Mulder and Scully where are you?" the Vatican dispatches priest Gabriel Byrne to investigate the bizarre goings on. What he soon discovers turns him into a believer and turns the Catholic church scared that Christ is coming back and brandishing some mean hickory. Paddlin' line starts west of Rome.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]It's not that the idea is totally repellent or half-baked, but the movie is turned into an MTV video with legs. With all the hyper-editting and pounding electro music from Pumpkinite Billy Corgan you'll be thrashing in your seat having a violent seizure yourself. The overstuffing of cuts and more blood than a Red Cross drive can't cover up a head scratcher of a storyline.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]The script has so many glarlingly logistical problems stacked up everywhere trying to present themselves as pious dogma. Stigmata is merely the recreation of Christ's wounds, not soul posession. How in the world Arquette becomes the working girl version of Linda Blair is beyond logical thought. The movie also perceives that stigmata can be transmitted by touch. It's not an STD people, we don't need phamplets trumpeting safe religious reenactments in schools do we? But the biggest hole that nearly swallows the movie entirely with idiocy is not the notion there's a Catholic conspiracy hiding valuable works or Jesus that may be a threat to their job security, but what they actually are. After all the fuss and the build up the hidden passages and books are nothing more than a basic Sunday School lesson. Is this what everyone's shaking in their gowns over? I've seen more religious danger in a Denny's breakfast menu.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]'Stigmata' is a glitzy and loud poisen pen letter to religion. It's got an incomprehensible storyline and wastes the great actor Jonathon Pryce for the role of a villanous Catholic Cardinal always within reach of his cell phone. 'Stigmata' is an example of what the movie industry is serving out these days: all style, no substance if any, and without any semblence of common sense. So of course it's destined to make a killing at the box-office.[/color][/font] [font=Arial][color=darkred]Nate's Grade: C-[/color][/font]

• Jacob P

  
  A very good thriller with fast pacing and an interesting story.

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