The Case is closed

What do you get if you cross terrible acting with a substandard plot and a predictable and clichŽd ending ... This movie, of course!

Thrillers are thoroughly entertaining and exciting if you manage to get them right. This film was so far off the mark it actually makes me angry that the producers spent millions of dollars on making it, when the money could have been better spent on charity projects in Africa.

This a psychological horror/thriller about a family services officer called Emily who spends most of her time dealing with disturbing domestic cases. Yet when she takes on Case 39, that of a young girl named Lillith, she gets more than she ever bargained for.

Most social workers tend to not get emotionally or personally involved with their work, and for good reason too.

Yet, Emily goes against her better judgement and does just that. She intervenes when she sees Lillith's parents trying to harm their daughter ... does she try to find the child a suitable foster home or try to find out why the parents were trying to harm her? No, she offers the seemingly piteous child the chance to live with her instead!

As luck would have it, for some reason everyone who comes into contact with Lillith seems to end up getting 'hurt' and as the film progresses (very slowly, I must add) Emily begins to discover that she has bitten off far more than she can chew.

She eventually learns that Lillith's parents weren't as crazy as she originally thought. Gradually we discover that the young girl isn't as innocent as she seems but is it too late for Emily to do anything about it?

The troublesome child's mysterious powers invariably lead to one of Emily's friends being murdered and more general nastiness along the way ... and that's all I can say about the movie without giving absolutely everything away.

There are flashes of tension during the last half hour of the movie, but I'd be surprised if viewers are still paying attention at that point. Like I said, this is a pretty predicable film and it offers nothing that the audience hasn't seen before.

If you're looking for a film featuring creepy children, save yourself a little time and a lot of disappointment and just rent The Omen, or the latest Hannah Montana movie instead ... case closed.