Social worker Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) fosters a strange young girl named Lilith (Jodelle Ferland) whose parents have been locked up for trying to cook their daughter alive in their oven. Of course, it turns out that they had good reason to want to roast Lilith, as Emily discovers when those around her start to die in mysterious circumstances.
While the threat to Emily is still uncertain, Case 39 works very well: it is suspenseful, engaging, and competently directed, with solid performances from both Zellweger and Ferland, the younger girl achieving an impressive air of menace despite her less than imposing stature. Unfortunately, as the story progresses and the exact nature of Lilith becomes clear, the film becomes increasingly more preposterous, leading up to an extremely daft finale that involves Zellweger failing to find help via official channels and instead opting to torch her home with the girl still inside.
Bizarre events that lead up to Emily taking such drastic measures include orphan Diego (Alexander Conti) bashing his parents heads in with a tyre iron after receiving a phone call from Lilith, Emily's platonic boyfriend Doug (Bradley Cooper) carking it when he imagines hornets emerging from every orifice, and Lilith flying into a rage and breaking down a heavily barricaded door to confront her terrified ward.
Shelved for several years, but dusted off and given a release after the success of the similarly themed Orphan, Case 39 is well paced and entertaining enough for the duration, but I suspect it won't find a permanent home in many people's movie collection.
While the threat to Emily is still uncertain, Case 39 works very well: it is suspenseful, engaging, and competently directed, with solid performances from both Zellweger and Ferland, the younger girl achieving an impressive air of menace despite her less than imposing stature. Unfortunately, as the story progresses and the exact nature of Lilith becomes clear, the film becomes increasingly more preposterous, leading up to an extremely daft finale that involves Zellweger failing to find help via official channels and instead opting to torch her home with the girl still inside.
Bizarre events that lead up to Emily taking such drastic measures include orphan Diego (Alexander Conti) bashing his parents heads in with a tyre iron after receiving a phone call from Lilith, Emily's platonic boyfriend Doug (Bradley Cooper) carking it when he imagines hornets emerging from every orifice, and Lilith flying into a rage and breaking down a heavily barricaded door to confront her terrified ward.
Shelved for several years, but dusted off and given a release after the success of the similarly themed Orphan, Case 39 is well paced and entertaining enough for the duration, but I suspect it won't find a permanent home in many people's movie collection.