I can't think of a more fitting title for this movie than The Messengers. It is absolutely perfect for this dull and highly unoriginal PG-13 horror flick. Not because of its relevancy but for its lack of relevancy, much like the majority of the events that take place within the movie. Things come and go, events take place, and weird things happen yet barely any of it ever gets explained and more shockingly doesn't significantly help the story in any conceivable way.

Roy Solomon (Dylan McDermott) and his wife Denise (Penelope Ann Miller) decide to move their family to an old, isolated farmhouse in rural North Dakota after an incident involving their daughter Jess (Kristen Stewart) and their young son Ben (Evan Turner) who hasn't spoken a word since. Roy sees this as an opportunity for the family to get a fresh start on life but Jess doesn't see it that way. With the entire family savings at risk, Roy decides to hire a wandering farmhand John (John Corbett) to help plant sunflower seeds.

At first only Ben sees the ghosts that haunt the house. These early scenes allow us small glimpses at the evil spirits that roam the house and like Ben the audience isn't frightened by the lackluster scares. Soon afterwards, Jess starts seeing ghosts. One night Jess and Ben are alone in the house and all hell breaks loose. Furniture is thrown, glass is shattered, and a hand railing is destroyed. Jess and Ben escape through a window where they are met by John, who rushed toward the house after hearing Jess scream. When Jess tries to explain the events that transpired she sees there is absolutely nothing wrong with the house. This provides the most thrilling sequence in the movie but remains only semi-satisfying. The parents believe it was simply her imagination and they contribute it to new surroundings.

If the mediocre ghost story wasn't enough, the movie drastically shifts gears into a serial killer plot with half an hour left. While the connection between the two plots can easily be made, the ending feels like a complete afterthought which was tacked on solely as a surprise ending or because the writer thought it was cool. Either way, it fails to cohesively sum up the story and provide a satisfying conclusion.

This shouldn't have come as a surprise; there are numerous events that lead nowhere. A man from the local bank stops by offering to buy the house back for 125% what they paid. We don't exactly know why the bank wants the house back so badly or if they even know the house is haunted. Then there are the dozens of crows that are perched on top of the house. One can only guess how these crows are connected to the ghosts or serial killer. Finally there is a scene where a children's drawing (something similar to that in the movie Hide and Seek) is found in the house depicting the family outside the house with a crow. No other pictures are found and it is never mentioned again.

The script not only suffers from weak storytelling but its as derivative as they come; from the distinctively Asian horror influenced atmosphere, to the ghost ripped straight out of The Grudge, and the Amityville Horror serial killer. It fails to deliver a compelling story or frightening moments.

1 ½ stars / 4