The Order (The Sin Eater) poster & wallpaper

Heath Ledger, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy

A young priest is sent to Rome to investigate the troubling death of the head of his order.

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47% liked it

18,446 ratings

R, 102 min.

Directed by: Brian Helgeland

Release Date: September 5, 2003

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DVD Release Date: December 30, 2003

Stats: 798 reviews

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Flixster Reviews (798)

  • briandeguelle
    March 19, 2009
    briandeguelle
    o dear what a mess of a horror movie!!
  • PvtCaboose91
    August 13, 2008
    PvtCaboose91
    "And now it is I. I have been blessed and cursed... for now I possess the keys to the kingdom of heaven. I will forgive those who deserve freedom. I will damn those who have damned themselves. I will learn to live after love has died. I am the sin eater."


    2003's T

    ...( read more)he Order (known in the Australia as The Sin Eater) is an appalling attempt at a religious-themed horror movie. The days of The Exorcist and The Omen have come and vanished. While some consider them horror masterpieces, they have dated and are now unspeakably silly affairs. Considering the batch of religious horror movies that crept out and died in the past decade (like Arnie in End of Days and the mediocre Roman Polanski/Johnny Depp film The Ninth Gate) it's amazing that someone took another stab at the genre. This time it's writer/director Brian Helgeland who tries his luck. Considering his previous work on Mystic River, Blood Work and L.A. Confidential one would assume that he could produce a quality product. But Helgeland was also behind A Knight's Tale, and his dreadful screenwriting skills come out to play with this film as well. It seems the writer/director also brought along the cast for A Knight's Tale and plonked them into random roles...whether they suit their assigned role or not. On that note, virtually every performance is terrible.

    The Order was subsequently greeted with a terrible critical reception upon release, and to me it seems for good reason. The Catholic Church was apparently extremely displeased with the outcome of this production. Perhaps the Catholics should have sued the filmmakers for defamation of religion. Even better, poor cinema-goers that endured this mess should have sued the studio for defamation of personal time or something.

    Father Alex Bernier (Ledger) is a rogue priest. He receives word that the leader of his order has died in Rome under mysterious circumstances. Alex is encouraged to travel to Rome and investigate the death. Naturally, this handsome young priest is accompanied by an attractive young woman. In this case we have former mental patient Mara (Sossamon) who was institutionalised for trying to kill Alex. Now Mara is being sought after by the police...yet she has no problem obtaining a passport and flying to Rome, and of course Alex completely trusts Mara despite her trying to kill him. (Sorry if this explication isn't making any sense...the movie never makes an effort to account for this bullshit either)
    Anyway, the clichéd story begins to unfold once the proceedings commence in Rome. Alex learns of a "Sin Eater" in the form of a man named William Eden (Furmann). Basically, a Sin Eater visits the bedsides of dying folk and absorbs their transgressions. Sin Eaters essentially provide a path to heaven outside religion. In return for his services, a Sin Eater becomes fabulously wealthy and is immortal. (This is never adequately addressed either...I mean how can one all of a sudden become wealthy and immortal? Would dead people just pay him?) After a Sin Eater carries out his duties for a few centuries, he needs to pass on the torch. Eden wants to give the task to Alex.

    For lack of better word, The Order is pure horror tosh: it's excruciating, confusing, convoluted...and after a while it's just plain boring. There is an interesting premise for sure, but the script spoils the potential. Its cardinal sin as a horror movie is never actually scaring the audience, nor intriguing them. It's tagged as a thriller, but nothing is ever thrilling. It provides little exposition as everything seems to be a melodramatic murder mystery, trudging from one senseless half-baked scene to the next. It simply does not work. Even worse is that the film is never entertaining. By the time some "sin eating" actually occurs, we're already bored stiff and cannot feel exhilarated no matter how impressive it looks. The dialogue in particular is boring and contrived. You don't know whether to laugh or shake your head in incredulity.

    The Order is dark, gloomy, absurd, and predictable. People speak in ambiguous riddles, the humour fails, and the sins themselves rise from people's bodies resembling jellyfish. Then finally the ending (which seems to go on forever) takes a completely conventional turn that's more silly than creepy or exciting. Worst of all there's Heath Ledger (R.I.P) mumbling through his tedious lines. He looks incredibly bored to be there, and I don't blame him. Since his career was already far too short, why did he waste his time on this rubbish? He could have developed a far more successful career before his unfortunate death if only he made the correct decisions. Life's too short to be involved in crappy movies. Shannyn Sossamon also falls flat, as does Mark Addy who never develops any charm or reason to like him at all. Peter Weller of the RoboCop fame should stick with the robotic police officer...he's derisorily awful in his role. There are no redeeming performances at all. The Order fails on practically all accounts...it only gets credit for trying.
  • kiriyamakazou
    August 1, 2008
    kiriyamakazou
    It started by reminding me of the classic horrors of the 70's such as Don't Look Now and The Exorcist. The visual style and slow build up was all very nice. The build up continued for another hour before landing flat on its face. There seems to be so much talking and explanation ...( read more)that perhaps this would have worked better as a book. Instead it has some interesting ideas but no horror, thrills or anything vaguely interesting. Performances are good, though it's hard to tell with such dull characters. The film just about makes sense with evil demons, hooded men and...actually I'm not so sure it does all make sense. The most fun I had was spotting the eerie premonitions of Ledger's casting in Dark Knight such as a the light through a stain-glass window giving him green hair, and a scene where he is attacked by bats. OMG!
  • harrycaul
    February 21, 2008
    harrycaul
    As the one half conjures up excruciating boredom and the other breathless excitement, the term 'religious thriller' is an oxymoron. I wasn't expecting much from this and it didn't disappoint, but I'm surprised how quickly it is fading from my memory, considering I only watched it...( read more) last night. It's not awful, just mediocre. The cast is fine but the story stinks. Demonic children pop up for no other reason than to create a bit of cheap atmosphere, and to provide an excuse for some CGI effects.
  • AgentLexi2132
    February 11, 2008
    AgentLexi2132
    New York Detective: Is says here she tried to kill you at an - exercise class?
    Alex Bernier: She tried to kill me at an exorCISM.


    Alex Bernier: And now it is I. I have been blessed and cursed... for now I posse    ...( read more)ss the keys to the kingdom of heaven. I will forgive those who deserve freedom. I will damn those who have damned themselves. I will learn to live after love has died. I am the sin eater.


    A young priest named Alex is sent to Rome to investigate the troubling death of the head of his order...

    Heath Ledger: Alex Bernier

    Shannyn Sossamon: Mara Sinclair

    Benno Fürmann: William Eden

    Mark Addy: Thomas Garrett

    Peter Weller: Driscoll

    Francesco Carnelutti: Dominic

    The Sin Eater" is a extraordinary movie which will come to first time viewers as a hit-piece. Most certainly to people who have been raised with a religion, in particular the Catholic. The Sin Eater actually filled out a couple of important blanks for me.

    The central theme inside the movie is "There is no Salvation outside the Catholic Church of Rome". It means that people, who have been excommunicated, need to find a alternative method to find a eternal resting place for their soul. Enter the Sin Eater, who, with his special powers, delivers salvation at demand for the right price. The Sin Eater is like an extra "God" on earth and as such cannot die and lives an eternal life.

    There's one little problem though. Although people do get salvation, their sins are not undone, but are actually saved up inside the Sin Eater's body and soul. After having done his job for over 500 years, the number and severity of sins have become to much, even for a Sin Eater. A replacement is due.

    Enter the last of the Carolinger Priests, who is carefully recruited throughout the movie, in a CIA secret service styled method. The Carolinger Priests inside the Sin Eater are presented as the Jedi of the Catholic priesthood, who do exorcisms and extermination of evil demons like candy cakes between lunch and supper.

    The old Sin Eater turns out have made a covert deal with a rotten black satanic Cardinal who wants to become the new pope. It is this rotten deal with the Cardinal which becomes one Sin to far for the Sin Eater as his Sin absorbing powers are decreasing rapidly. After the Sin Eater is replaced by the Carolinger Priest, who is not into black occult Satan worship, things turns very bad for the Cardinal as well.

    Although the above scenario reads like a nut-case novel to people with atheistic or pagan beliefs, the movie addresses the fight between the Christian religion and paganism in a straightforward fashion. E.g. the Satanic Cardinal retrieves all of his knowledge by hanging people and listening to their last words while dying.

    The Sin Eater contains some interesting scenes. For instance, when the Carolingian Chief Dominic is coming home for the last time, two orphan children are waiting for him at the door. Dominic suddenly knows his last hour on earth is very near. Such signs have been reported before to actually happen in real life.

    After a Knight's Tale this was my other fave film of Heath's.
  • alice5mith
    November 14, 2009
    alice5mith
    To place a Medieval mystery in modern days would have been a great achievement.
    Too bad the movie doesn't seem to understand the needs of a mystery, its delicate structure. The grotesque of the caricature ridicules the whole story, which otherwise would have been interesting to...( read more) follow.
  • jayowen2
    August 4, 2009
    jayowen2
    Very well done; actors suit the roles, effects well executed. A fitting vehicle for the late Heath Ledger. Benno Fuermann is excellent as The Other.
  • ILoveYouJesse
    June 12, 2009
    ILoveYouJesse
    It was a good movie but the ending disappointed me. I think it's because im more of a happy ending person.
  • xxXarielXxx
    May 29, 2009
    xxXarielXxx
    Looks good think yes
  • Gaabby
    May 7, 2009
    Gaabby
    Not good, sorry Heath

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The Order (The Sin Eater) Trivia

  • Which Brian Helgeland's film is starred by Mark Addy, Heath Ledger, and Shannyn Sossamon, BESIDES A Knight's Tale.  Answer »
  • What is the official American title of the movie known in Australia, Latin America , and Europe as "The Sin Eater"?  Answer »
  • What is a Sin Eater in The Order ?  Answer »
  • When a Sin eater offers absolution and last rites what does this do in the film The Order ?   Answer »
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