fairlesssam I found nothing enjoyable in this movie. You are basically witnessing the pain of a young man who is a clairvoyant. He sees and hears the dead. He is desperately trying to escape from them and people think he is mentally ill as he stands shouting at nothing. People treat him badly, even his family. It's not a horror movie, it's a drama really.

Tom Dooley Jack is something of a psychic or medium who sees the dead. Or rather they seek him out to send messages to the loved ones they have left behind and did not get the chance to say goodbye to. Now the idea is far from new but the film tries to see it from Jack's perspective.We get the back story in flashbacks and also the constant analysis of his psychiatrist. There is also his estranged sister and the attempts to reconnect. The film itself struggles to find the moments that are essential for a thriller, so has to rely instead on the story. That is where it comes unstuck in that it tends to plod and despite the inspirational landscapes, that are a recurring theme, it still remains essentially bleak.The cinematography is excellent and the acting is all top rate. Robert Sheehan as Jack is very good as the troubled – but essentially well meaning – young man who has been branded because of his 'powers'. Tamazin Merchant is his 'worried' sister and is also fine. It is though a pretty grim watch with no denouements that will lighten the load. However, it is still a more than watchable affair for all that and it kept my attention for the duration – so can't be too bad.

raygunjones I have been a fan of Robert Sheehan ever since I first saw him on Misfits almost 6 years ago, so when I saw that he was in another movie more recently, of course I went out of my way to find it online as it had not been promoted anywhere in the United States. Upon reading the summary, I did not know what to expect as it seemed to be just another "I can talk to ghosts but no one else can see them" type of movie. But the more you get into it, you begin to realize that it is not just that.I will admit that there were parts that I did not fully understand at first. As a whole this movie is a lot to take in and even having watched it in full with no distractions I felt as if I missed something, or maybe that there was something in the plot that was missing. I find myself having so many questions, but no proper way to word them. The plot is very scattered, which may lead to confusion, and I thought that it was going to tie together in the end but come to find out that the ending just left me with even more confusion. It is shown earlier in the movie that Emma's son has this "sight" as well, but with her finding the article about the swimming pool at the very end and then cutting to a shot of Ben standing with the drowned boy, it left me wondering what exactly it meant. She had no knowledge of her son seeing the dead boy, and Jack had never mentioned it either, so how did this ending tie into the movie plot whatsoever?This was not the only time where I was left confused at why certain things were written into the script. As a whole it was difficult to understand what exactly point that the writer was trying to make and why this story was being told. Nothing was resolved in the end, and no one (except maybe Emma) believed the Jack was telling the truth. He was left in the hospital despite having proved (by saving Sarah's life) that he had some type of ability, whether they understood it to be him speaking to the dead or not.I would not say that this is a awful movie as it did have its strong points; great acting, well put together scenes, beautiful shots and camera work for the most part, but as I stated above it left something to be desired and a feeling that something was missed.

quincytheodore The Messenger is a strange one, it may disappoint audience who want horror or thriller flick since this is exclusively a psychological drama. The entirety of the movie revolves around Jack, a psychic, as he tries to live his daily life being haunted by spirits of the dead. While the concept is not novel and the ride can be exhausting, it does present a few good perspectives on the mental agony he must go through.There's a lot of wandering involved as Jack (Robert Sheehan) either runs away from his plague or searching for odd ways to find peace, both of which usually end up poorly. The cinematography works well to set the mood, often using dark palette almost like a cloud hovering around the main character. It gives plenty of fine landscape or urban shots, although these might get old towards latter half.Robert Sheehan is good on the lead character, he may not warm up quickly since his depression can be discouraging. Often misunderstood, his good will doesn't always reward him with accolade, after all people hearing voices and talking randomly is utterly bizarre. His character can be sympathetic yet it's the nagging feeling that he's not all there which gives depth to his performance.The movie cleverly portrays him as a man with supernatural gift or simply a mental trouble. Other characters such as his sister or the psychiatrist enhance the relationship even more by showcasing Jack's gradually deteriorating life. This is certainly not a movie that relies on scare or shock, it's a long psychological trudge, The problem with this set-up is the arduous atmosphere surrounding Jack. There's barely any five minutes where he's not yelling or nearly breaking down. This can get tiresome, the constant conflict can produce drama, and it does for a couple of instances, but it's also very heavy and might just deter some audience.While the drama aspect can be peculiarly engaging at times, The Messenger's overly solemn tone might not relate well to viewer expecting more thrill or excitement.