Case 39
Paramount Pictures | Release Date: October 1, 2010
6.6
USER SCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 113 Ratings
USER RATING DISTRIBUTION
Positive:
66
Mixed:
28
Negative:
19
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User Reviews

User scoreBy dateMost helpful
7
dgg207Jan 21, 2014
Needs little critical thinking. Just a thriller with horrifying undertones. Watch this movie when you want a pure and interesting distraction. Recommended.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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7
horcrux2007Jun 6, 2015
A surprisingly fun and entertaining supernatural thriller. While it's not scary in the slightest, Case 39 does put a unique twist on the killer child trope.
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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8
roaldkaspersNov 18, 2015
Case 39 is not scary but has a great Story which will definitely keep you hooked. The acting is great, especially Renee Zellweger has done a great Job but Case 39 isn't better then other Horror Movies out there. If you are looking for a goodCase 39 is not scary but has a great Story which will definitely keep you hooked. The acting is great, especially Renee Zellweger has done a great Job but Case 39 isn't better then other Horror Movies out there. If you are looking for a good Horror Movie you should pass but otherwise... I really recommend this one.… Expand
1 of 1 users found this helpful10
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10
giniscanlanJan 26, 2011
We've watched a few stinkers lately but this one is a great movie. The plot had enough twists and turns to keep you guessing and I think we all know a kid with the potential...
3 of 5 users found this helpful32
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10
AmberJoeOct 20, 2010
I loved this movie.. the first movie I've actually gotten into in a long while! Even though it was a little predictable, It was still wonderful.. Definitely one of the best movies in a while. There was one part that looked cheesy... But..I loved this movie.. the first movie I've actually gotten into in a long while! Even though it was a little predictable, It was still wonderful.. Definitely one of the best movies in a while. There was one part that looked cheesy... But.. Overall it was a GREAT movie!… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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8
AgentJohnsonJan 16, 2011
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I found Case 39 to be a very interesting and compelling movie. Pardon me if I don't spend half of my review hyper-focusing on the pea eating scene and aggressively trying to fabricate a series of sexual metaphors from it. It was simply a marker, a fastidiousness that might, normally, seem perfectly natural for a child but was conveyed, through the use of careful camera work, as yet another manifestation of control by the child, of the tempo of even an ordinary dinner.
The most remarkable scene was when the child/demon, after battering down the blocked door and slamming a screwdriver hilt-deep into the floor, slowly crawled to within a few feet of where Emily was hiding and entreated in a silky voice charged with menace: "You don't want me to crawl in there and pull you out, do you?"
I find the negative reviews of this movie to be short on detail and vague. Fails on all levels? We've seen it all before? I disagree. In a genre stuffed with prior efforts, there will be similar elements. What I expect from a movie such as this is to keep me along for the ride and make it interesting and compelling. Case 39 certainly manages it and doesn't set up the kind of glaring contradictions and indecipherable twists of, say, After Life.… Expand
0 of 1 users found this helpful01
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9
MrRizzleSmithFeb 10, 2011
Horror movies all seem kinda lame lately these days. But, this one had me pretty freaked out. I give it a solid 9. There's not much more scary than a young girl possessed by demons, doing freaky **** I liked this movie and not sure whyHorror movies all seem kinda lame lately these days. But, this one had me pretty freaked out. I give it a solid 9. There's not much more scary than a young girl possessed by demons, doing freaky **** I liked this movie and not sure why it's gotten such negative reviews. If you're in my same boat that horror movies don't cut it anymore, I would strongly recommend this one. Give it a try, it freaked me out.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
TBDOPEY22Feb 22, 2011
Wasn't anything like I thought it was going to be. The story line was ok,but could have been more thought out. It doesn't really keep you on edge unless your someone who really doesn't like scary movies. It was ok, not the worst or the bestWasn't anything like I thought it was going to be. The story line was ok,but could have been more thought out. It doesn't really keep you on edge unless your someone who really doesn't like scary movies. It was ok, not the worst or the best I've seen.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
bottafffMar 15, 2011
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. I thought the movie was good and pretty suspenseful. I think the writer and director did a good job of letting the audience think the little girls' parents where evil but then suddenly it hits you that she is one who is really evil/possessed. The only negative thing I have to say is that when nobody believes that the girl is evil and everyone thinks she is the crazy one is quite cliche.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
LeZeeNov 4, 2016
Just do your job! Don't think above that like you can be a saviour!

It looked like some kind of thriller, that's what anybody would say if they read the title correctly. The story was suspense, well developed to keep that for a very longJust do your job! Don't think above that like you can be a saviour!

It looked like some kind of thriller, that's what anybody would say if they read the title correctly. The story was suspense, well developed to keep that for a very long time. Though it had no major twist, just a revelation like clarifying our doubts. Because most of the storyline seems alike 'Orphan', the film that came just months before this one. But this is a horror theme, I mean real horror, not a terror-horror like 'Orphan'. The overall story relied on one big secret that revealed at some time in the final act.

I have seen many films about the child abuse, and this one set in as a same kind of theme, but takes a turn during the end of the first act. So when a social worker, Emily, finds a ten year old Lilith was abused by her own parents, she takes her away from them, followed by theirs arrest. Later, Emily adopts Lilith, but soon finds some strange events around her circle. That leads to suspect Lilith, but could not prove anything. Finding the truth becomes her first priority, but how she's going to solve it is what leads us to the conclusion part.

I haven't seen Renee Zellweger in any recent films, she looked so good in this. Jodelle Ferland too was good as a little girl, the most important role in the film. But Bradley Cooper was in a small part. I think it was a decent film, but not a fresh theme, except developed differently with a new cast. If you are a big horror film fan, you might disappoint with it. Because those parts were minimised and the suspense was maximised. Yet surely most of us can easily predict many scenes, event the ending. So I conclude my review saying it is a decent watch.

6.5/10… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
Meth-dudeJun 18, 2016
The acting was good enough to seem realistic even though the plot and the CGI effects were pretty unbelievable and the movie was interesting enough to keep the viewer watching the movie entertained.It wasn't a bad movie but, it wasn't aThe acting was good enough to seem realistic even though the plot and the CGI effects were pretty unbelievable and the movie was interesting enough to keep the viewer watching the movie entertained.It wasn't a bad movie but, it wasn't a masterpiece either.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
redactJan 13, 2018
Reviews vary widely on horror movies. I really liked this movie. All the key elements of horror are contained in 'Case 39.'
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
FilipeNetoMay 3, 2021
In this film, a dedicated social worker who works to protect minors will come across a case that initially appears to be violence and domestic abuse. She is not sure what is really going on in that family, but her instinct and experience tellIn this film, a dedicated social worker who works to protect minors will come across a case that initially appears to be violence and domestic abuse. She is not sure what is really going on in that family, but her instinct and experience tell her that there is something very wrong with those parents. And the suspicions are confirmed when, alerted by the girl, she finds her parents ready to kill her in the oven. Months later, she obtains the girl's provisional custody, but just a few weeks of living together will be enough for her to begin to see that this girl may not be as innocent as she looks, and that something truly sinister is going on with her.

Horror films in which children are the central element of the plot are nothing new. We had classics like "Village of the Damned", "The Omen" and the entire "Children of the Corn" franchise, not to mention the more recent films like "The Orphan". However, they are still delicious and appealing, when they are really well done. The film has an interesting story, which unfolds at a good pace, without twists, subterfuges or stratagems to amplify the suspense, and everything suffers from a certain degree of predictability. However, the film benefits from the good construction of the characters, especially the protagonist, a social worker who soon conquers us with her dedication and good intentions, and holds our attention until the end.

In fact, the excellent performances of Renee Zellweger and young Jodelle Ferland are essential for the quality and strength of the final product. Zellweger had already shown us, in several previous works, to be an actress of great talent and versatility, but she manages to take the film on her back, while Ferland was able to overcome her inexperience and youth to give us a colossal job. For a child actress, she even looks like an adult, as threatening and calculating as she can be. The film also features the work of Ian McShane and Bradley Cooper, safe bets on the supporting characters.

The film is not particularly remarkable in terms of production values and technical issues. Cinematography is standard, but it works quite well and is effective, adapting well and helping to build the light tension felt during the film. Some scenes in particular (such as the sinking car scene or the fire) were brilliantly shot, but there is a greater sense of danger. The sets and costumes are everything we could hope for, without surprises or major problems. The editing and the soundtrack do their job discreetly.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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7
JLauNov 1, 2020
This review contains spoilers, click expand to view. Parents try to cook their daughter in an oven, social worker takes her into her home, girl turns out to be a demon so, social worker drives her into a lake.… Expand
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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8
RaffaixOct 23, 2022
Great plot, the movie itself is is a good thriller, i don't understand why the press rated it so bad, the only thing i have to say about it is that it's not really scary, besides that the plot twists are awesome, better than most horror movies today.
0 of 0 users found this helpful00
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