Haley Bennett, Jake Weber, Chace Crawford

Molly (Haley Bennett) is a seventeen-year-old girl who recently moved to a new town for a fresh start after her mother's terrifying psychotic break. While struggling to find her place amongst the cliq...( read more  read more... )ues at her new private school, she becomes haunted by disturbing visions and voices that expose a dark secret from her past. Can she separate fact from fiction before it's too late?

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24% liked it

56,326 ratings

Critics

3% liked it

35 critics

PG-13, 1 hr. 26 min.

Directed by: Mickey Liddell

Release Date: October 31, 2008

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DVD Release Date: February 24, 2009

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Flixster Reviews (1,591)


  • March 19, 2009
    New face at a private school, Molly Hartley (Haley Bennett) is having trouble fitting in, battling headaches, nosebleeds, and mysterious voices on a daily basis. With her father (Jake Weber) pushing medicinal solutions, Molly is more concerned with her psychotic mother, who rots ...( read more)away inside a local mental hospital and haunts the frightened girl's every step. Trying to adapt to her environment, Molly finds comfort with friends both born-again (Shanna Collins) and Juno-like (Shannon Marie Woodward), the school counselor (Nina Siemaszko), and flirty dreamboat Joseph (Chace Crawford). Just finding her stride, Molly's life is swept away by madness when she learns the horrifying truth behind her upcoming 18th birthday. Liddell continually promises Biblical terror and then intentionally refuses to deliver even the slightest payoff, right through a colossally anticlimactic and speciously pessimistic dénouement whose incompetence is almost as pronounced as is its success at making Satan and his demonic minions seem tame.
  • March 4, 2009
    This one had a lot of potential. Could have been a really good one if the story wasn't so dang slow and confusing and the overall execution would have been a little more interesting. The Cast was ok. I Like Jake Weber but I'm not so sure about the young cast and their "talents"....( read more) This should have been a little better...
  • January 30, 2009
    The Haunting of Molly Hartley is not very scary or innovative, but it does manage to be interesting enough to watch at least once. It has its share of cheesy jump moments and loud noises that are meant to startle the viewer, but it doesn't follow the PG-13 horror mold as closely ...( read more)as you might think.

    The title is a bit misleading, because this isn't really a ghost story. No one gets haunted by any kind of spectre, it's more similar to a movie about possession. Well, more like pre-possession. After you've seen this, that phrase will make more sense. The Haunting of Molly Hartley seems more like a orgin story for another movie, so don't expect a firm resolution or a nice and tidy ending for this. That was ok for me, because the typical horror movie ending has been done quite enough, in my opinion.

    Anyway, a lot of the expected genre cliches are here, but quite a few are not. Rent or download Molly Hartley for something a little different, but don't expect anything more than a mild diversion.
  • January 29, 2009
    Sometimes, a normal review just doesn't do it justice. So here's a fake script I wrote - warning, spoilers are everywhere. Which would mean something, if I had anything really important to spoil.
    -------------------------
    EXT. FOREST - DAY

    A RANDOM GIRL THAT'S NOT MOLLY ...( read more)HARTLEY walks through a forest, leading her to a creepy abandoned cabin. BIRDS FLY OUT at the screen, making us jump but not scaring us at all.

    She goes inside and a HAND WHIPS OUT TO CHOKE HER, but it is also not scary because it winds up just being her boyfriend.

    BOYFRIEND
    Happy birthday! Wasn't this a sexy surprise?

    NOT MOLLY
    You're saying that leading me out to an abandoned cabin in the middle of nowhere and pretending to murder me was sexy?

    BOYFRIEND
    Yes.

    NOT MOLLY
    Your right, lets get married.

    Then, her FATHER enters and decides to kill her, blabbering on about scary shadows coming to get her, or something retarded like that. THE CREDITS COME ON, AND WE REALIZE THE FUCKING MOVIE HASN'T EVEN STARTED YET AND IT'S ALREADY WORSE THAN HOUSE BUNNY.

    INT. MOLLY HARTLEY'S HOME - DAY

    MOLLY, a funny-looking yet kinda cute girl from the O.C, sits and talks to her dad from Medium.

    MOLLY
    I'm a teenager, therefore I'm angsty and have problems.

    DAD
    Whatever we do, lets not talk or think about how your crazy Christian mother tried to stab you with scissors.

    MOLLY
    Dammit, I just thought about it. Now my day is ruined. Fuck you.

    EXT. SCHOOL - DAY

    Molly goes to a new school and is introduced around by a FRUSTRATINGLY CLICHE AND DAMN NEAR OFFENSIVE EVANGELICAL CHRISTIAN.

    CHRISTIAN
    Hi, I'm here to prove that the only Christians in any Hollywood movies are either Jesus Christ or completely insane.

    MOLLY
    My nose bleeds when you're around me. Is that ominous?

    CHRISTIAN
    I don't know. Do noses get menstrual cycles? I'm not sure, because I'm a Christian in a horror movie and therefore dumber than Britney Spears post-baby. Excuse me while I go polish my Bible for some thumping.

    Molly then runs into STEREOTYPICAL BITCH GIRL.

    BITCH GIRL
    I hate you because my studly boyfriend loves you after saying two words to you at lunch. Even though he's clearly a popular, 30 year old jock, and you're weird and kinda creepy.

    Bitch Girl walks away, only for yet another retarded and painfully cliche character to enter.

    PUNK GIRL
    Hey. I'm a badass. I smoke in the bathroom and like to go to parties and have a crappy homelife.

    MOLLY
    Wow, you have absolutely no place in this movie whatsoever. Why don't you go back to the remake of Breakfast Club?

    PUNK GIRL
    I will, once the screenplay no longer needs my completely useless character.
    (pause)
    Ok, it doesn't need me now. Bye.

    Punk Girl leaves forever. The audience all collectively looks at their watches, stunned that 30 minutes have passed and there's almost been no hauntings of any kind.

    The filmmakers, upset that everyone's bored, THROWS RANDOM SCARY IMAGES AT THE SCREEN TO MAKE US JUMP. No one does.

    EXT. GUIDANCE COUNSELLOR'S OFFICE - DAY

    MOLLY
    Wow, something is clearly wrong with me. Maybe I'm possessed.

    COUNSELLOR
    Yeah, that's weird. Hey, you know what's a fun thing to do? Worship Satan.

    MOLLY
    You seem oddly threatening, considering you're a minor character with no ulterior motives at all.

    COUNSELLOR
    WORSHIP THE DEVIL!!!

    MOLLY
    What???

    COUNSELLOR
    Our session is up, thanks for coming.

    INT. SCHOOL

    More endless scenes of NOTHING HAPPENING is shown. The audience starts throwing things at the screen. STUDLY BOY pops up.

    STUDLY BOY
    Hey, I like the way you move, little lady. That's why I keep popping up in the screen in a frightening way, accompanied with musical stingers to make the audience jump.

    MOLLY
    But if the audience didn't want to know you were up to no good, shouldn't they just have you behave like a normal teenager and not creepy to an unhealthy level?

    STUDLY BOY
    ...come to my party and I'll insert my penis in your vagina.

    MOLLY
    Sounds good.

    EXT. PARTY - NIGHT

    Molly goes to a typical, every day high school party - no, wait, except this one is in a fucking mansion filled with fucking supermodels and they're all clearly over the fucking age of 35.

    MOLLY
    I feel so rebellious and not-haunted or possessed by anything evil! LETS GET HAMMERED!

    BITCH GIRL
    I know what you are.

    MOLLY
    What a strange thing to say to me, considering the movie never gives the audience any reason for why you should suspect my evil-ness. Time to get bitch slapped!

    The two fight in a manner which would make Joel Schumacher shit his pants. Molly then leaves and runs into her PSYCHO MOM, who tries to stab her again.

    PSYCHO MOM
    I must kill you before your 18th birthday! Forgive me Jesus!

    MOLLY
    Hey, look, another crazy Christian. Did Bill Maher write this fucking garbage?

    INT. HOME - DAY

    The Psycho Mom disappears, cause she's only a dream. She then reappears as NOT A DREAM.

    PSYCHO MOM
    No, but seriously, this time I really am gonna stab you.

    MOLLY
    Well, then, I'll throw you down a flight of fucking stairs. I'm so angsty. Green Day is awesome.

    Molly hucks her mom down the stairs, who is DEAD, then NOT DEAD, then DEAD AGAIN. The audience now starts throwing up in the aisles, begging the Lord to kill them now and end the suffering of such a shitty movie.

    Molly runs away and decides to KILL CHRISTIAN GIRL, who was going to drown her in a baptism tub because, y'know...all Christians are VERY FUCKED UP.

    EXT. STREET

    Molly continues running frantically and is randomly picked up by Studly Boy.

    STUDLY BOY
    Let's go fuck each other with our genitals.

    MOLLY
    Is that all you ever think about?

    STUDLY BOY
    Isn't that what everyone in the audience is thinking about, considering nothing scary has happened and you've been in a Catholic school girl outfit the whole time?

    MOLLY
    ...Ok, lets do it.

    Studly Boy goes into his house. Molly follows. CREEPY MUSIC PLAYS, TO MAKE US BELIEVE SOMETHING IS FINALLY HAPPENING THAT MIGHT BE MORE SCARY THAN POWERPUFF GIRLS.

    INT. CREEPY ROOM - NIGHT

    Molly enters and sees Studly Boy and Guidance Counsellor.

    COUNSELLOR
    We've been waiting for you. I'm Satan, by the way.

    MOLLY
    What the fuck is this?

    COUNSELLOR
    Your parents made a deal with me when you were born, so that on your 18th birthday, your soul will be mine.

    MOLLY
    Oh. Wow. Did M. Night Shamalyan help you guys with your twist? Cause seriously, this is lamer then the plants killing off humans.

    COUNSELLOR
    You must kill your father and become one of us. It is your destiny.

    MOLLY
    (to the filmmakers)
    You really could not have picked a more pathetic villian if you tried. Was Crispin Glover unavailable, or something?

    Molly is about to stab her dad, when she STABS HERSELF INSTEAD. WHAT AN INCREDIBLE SURPRISE THAT NO ONE SAW COMING AT ALL.

    Nope, wait, movie's not over - it's past midnight, so now she is invincible and apparently evil. Like Cinderella, only instead of becoming a peasant at midnight, she becomes PARIS HILTON.

    EXT. SCHOOL - GRADUATION DAY

    Molly stands on stage, making a speech to her class, while funky emo-rock music plays. The remaining three people in the audience now wonder when the sad attempt at a horror movie suddenly became the next American Pie flick.

    MOLLY
    Thank you all for making me your valedictorian! I know I killed a hundred people and enslaved the human race with my evil...
    (gets a message from the director)
    No, wait, scratch that. Apparently all I did with my newfound devilish powers was really just become the class valedictorian. Honestly, I'd rather watch The Hills than this shit.

    So would the audience.

    THE END
  • January 25, 2009
    There's a scene from the past in the beginning that I swear I heard the guy call the girl Mollyu & that it was Molly back in 1997.
    Well watching the movie going from the 'past' scene to the now.. something just does not connect. Kinda Stigmata/Excorsist. You may as well call i...( read more)t Satan's covenant! (pun intended being Chace Crawford is in it.. that's the ONLY plus to this movie!)
  • November 22, 2009
    Predictable, lacks suspense and shocking moments, and an overall poor film.
  • November 20, 2009
    this movie could have had potential. but really it made no sense and it wasn't scary. i was waiting throughout the movie for something interesting... i was disapointed. the ending really sucked 2. the only good thing bout this movie was Chace Crawford
  • November 15, 2009
    The movie was not scary and it was very confusing....the ending made no sense at all...
  • November 14, 2009
    Just saw this (AS of nov.14 2009) and it sucked so freakin' bad........but chace crawford was believable i guess,hahahaha..
  • November 11, 2009
    It was made why? Really confusing, a disaster really. Chace Crawford, how could you?

Critic Reviews


November 4, 2008
Pete Hammond, Boxoffice Magazine

The acting in Haunting is cardboard as can be, and although Bennett tries hard to engage us, sheâe(TM)s seemingly interchangeable with any number of teen actresses currently roaming the airwaves at th... full review

October 31, 2008
Nick Schager, Slant Magazine

For those who find bloody noses and whispered voices bone-chilling, heeeeeeere's The Haunting of Molly Hartley. full review

View more The Haunting of Molly Hartley reviews at RottenTomatoes.com

Comments


  • Joako10
    May 6, 2009
    One question... Is this movie related tho something supernatural or with devil??? I've heard that poeple has compared this to rosemary's baby or emily rose... so i want to know if is some devil- sort related????
  • JJsalt
    December 15, 2008
    I would love to see this movie because it looks like a good movie. It would be kind of fun to get scard a little, but i think it would be cool to watch. I'm hoping it is a good movie to see, because i would not want to watch it and find out it sucked. NEVERMIND!!!! I might as well see it an find out myself.
  • jaxroxsox
    November 2, 2008
    i know this may spoil the movie but please tell me if chace crawford is bad in this cuz in the pictures he looks evil!

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