c. 2007 Religion News Service
(UNDATED) The scariest thing about director Robby Henson’s Christian horror film “Thr3e” is the spelling of its title.
The movie, distributed by Fox Faith, is an adaptation of the novel by Ted Dekker. I cannot comment on the book, but the movie is neither particularly Christian nor particularly horrific.
While characters in “Thr3e” are fond of discussing the nature of evil, none ever attends a church service or even engages in prayer. Toward the end, one character says, “All that is needed to overcome evil is the power of God.” That’s all well and good, but no one seems to be invoking that power (which tends to undermine the movie’s message).
As for the horror, well, it’s refreshing that Henson resists the current fashion for explicit gore, torture and mayhem. Unfortunately, he fails to substitute such things as tension and dread that once were staples of the genre.
There is a nugget of a good story lurking within this haphazardly edited mess.
Seminary student Kevin Parson (Marc Blucas, “First Daughter”), hard at work on a thesis about the nature of evil, has attracted unwanted attention from a killer with a taste for riddles and explosives.
Police psychologist Jennifer Peters (Justine Waddell, “Dracula 2000”) recognizes the killer’s modus operandi and pegs the madman as the Riddle Killer, who earlier took her brother’s life.
Kevin and Jennifer join forces to uncover the secret in Kevin’s past that has made him a target and to stop the killer. Helping them is Kevin’s childhood friend, Samantha (Laura Jordan, “Pure”).
Elements seem borrowed from urban legend as well as any number of mad-bomber/trickster movies. There’s also a cliched plot twist that attempts to turn the entire story into a spiritual metaphor, but it’s not clear how many moviegoers will make that belated leap. On the other hand, I suppose the film is to be commended for avoiding the pitfall of preachiness.
Most of the film’s performances are adequate, but Priscilla Barnes is grotesquely over-the-top as Kevin’s harridan of an aunt. Barnes appeared in “The Devil’s Rejects” (which might explain her performance here) and, once upon a time, was the replacement blonde on television’s “Three’s Company.”
Henson’s credits include “The Visitation,” a direct-to-DVD title released last year; and “The Badge,” a crime thriller starring Billy Bob Thornton.
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Plot: A seminary student and a police psychologist join forces to stop a killer with a taste for riddles and explosives.
What works: There’s a nugget of a decent story here.
What doesn’t: The haphazardly edited Christian horror film is neither particularly Christian nor particularly horrific.
Starring: Marc Blucas and Justine Waddell.
Director: Robby Henson.
Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes.
Rating: PG-13, for violence, disturbing images and terror.
KRE/LF END KLEINSCHRODT
Editors: To obtain a photo from “Thr3e,” go to the RNS Web site at https://religionnews.com. On the lower right, click on “photos,” then search by subject or slug.
