The Gathering (2002)

Director:

Brian Gilbert

Writer:

Anthony Horowitz (written by)

Release Date:

15 May 2003 (Singapore)

Genre:

Horror | Mystery | Thriller

Tagline:

Evil Souls Rule.

Plot:

While going to the town of Ashby Wake, the drifter Cassie is hit by a car driven by Marion Kirkman and loses her memory...

Plot Keywords:

Church | Archeologist | Amnesia | Supernatural

Awards:

1 win & 2 nominations

Cast

Christina Ricci	...	Cassie Grant
Ioan Gruffudd	...	Dan Blakeley
Stephen Dillane	...	Simon Kirkman
Kerry Fox	...	Marion Kirkman
Simon Russell Beale	...	Luke Fraser
Robert Hardy	...	The Bishop
Harry Forrester	...	Michael Kirkman
Jessica Mann	...	Emma Kirkman
Peter McNamara	...	Frederick Michael Argyle
Mark Bagnall	...	The Gathering
Clare Bloomer	...	The Gathering
Mackenzie Crook	...	The Gathering
Richard Evans	...	The Gathering
Roy Evans	...	The Gathering
Paul Hamilton	...	The Gathering

MPAA:

Rated R for violence and language.

Runtime:

Austria:92 min | Argentina:92 min | France:96 min | Brazil:83 min | USA:92 min

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Certification:

Iceland:16 | Spain:13 | USA:R (certificate #38945) | Netherlands:12 | Canada:13+ (Quebec) | Australia:MA (2009) | Argentina:13 | Brazil:16 | Chile:14 | Finland:K-15 | Germany:16 | Peru:14 | Philippines:R-13 | Singapore:PG

Filming Locations:

Isle of Man

Company:

Granada Film Productions

Goofs:

Anachronisms: The buried Christian church with its elaborate bas relief - the premise upon which the story is built - belongs at least a millennium later than the archeologist's asserted "1st century" date. Christianity at that time was a tiny, obscure, Jewish sect that met in people's homes in and around Palestine (a long way from England.) The gospels weren't even written until the last third of the 1st century, let alone cathedrals with renaissance statuary built on the other side of the known world.

Quotes:

Dan: In England this is called "breaking and entering".
Cassie Grant: I'm not going to break anything.

Must-see for suspense-thriller fans

I have to say, I've seen some very contradicting reviews of this film, so even though I have to give it "two thumbs up", obviously there are others with exactly the opposite opinion.

I've heard comparisons to "The Sixth Sense" and "The Exorcist", and my first comment is that I believe this film stands alone. I didn't see those other movies because I had no desire to, and although I've seen bits and pieces of them since, doing so changed nothing for me. Neither their trailers nor pieces of them impressed me, or intrigued my need for a real mystery.

Ever since the first time I saw a "making of" for "The Gathering", however, it sparked my interest.

And I believe, without comparing it to any other film, this movie comes through.

In the opening, it begins like a "classic horror", because there is "tragedy" (read that: blood). When Christina Ricci's character, Cassie, comes on the scene, there is the mystery of Who She Is - she doesn't know, no one knows. Although the character didn't really seem to have much depth, at least in the beginning, I didn't see that as as major drawback. How can someone with amnesia be deep?

Then the rest of the story unfolds: the uncovering of a major historical find with religious connections and sinister spiritual overtones. The appearance of people that Cassie believes may be following her or are at least Up To No Good, the visions that she has - all gruesome or violent, the child who won't speak but who seems to share her visions and growing panic, the church's establishment of what seems to be verifiable supernatural occurences throughout history related to the historical find and the people that Cassie sees. And the always-nagging question - Who Is She? and What Is About To Happen?

Maybe I am more naive than those cynical folks who didn't enjoy this movie. I don't go to classic horrors where blood is spilled everywhere, but I have seen almost every "devil" or "church" or "witch" movie I can get my hands on (without mass murdering, that is), as well as quite a few in the "thriller" genre.

And I would say that the suspense I felt while watching this movie was well-established. I tried to guess Who She Was, and I tried to guess What Would Happen Next, but for at least 2/3 of the movie this just wasn't possible for me.

For me, the "surprise" ending really was a surprise, although it unfortunately wasn't really the ending. I think the only drawback for me was that after the "surprise" was revealed, the movie went on to become more obvious, and the last scene seemed by then rather superfluous. Having said that, this didn't negate my overall enjoyment.

So I say, if you like "psycho-thrillers" (or whatever this genre is actually called), this is a movie for you. If you want rich character development and everything discussed and examined about the profoundness of being human and dealing with life-altering decisions, you need to pick a different movie.