The Reaping (R, 2007)

Summoned to the small hurricane-ravaged town of Haven, La., to explain a river of blood, miracle-debunking professor Katherine Winter (Hilary Swank) and her research assistant, Ben (Idris Elba) -- a former street thug turned churchgoer -- take samples of the river, dead fish, and frogs that fall from the sky. Soon, Katherine starts having flashbacks to her time as a missionary in Sudan, where she lost her husband and daughter to locals who believed that the white folks caused their drought and famine. And though Katherine's obviously very bright and rational, she gives way to righteous fearfulness as events in Haven turn increasingly strange, violent, and inexplicable. Her guide to the town's history, schoolteacher Doug (David Morrissey), reveals the locals' theory of who's responsible -- namely, a cute little girl named Loren (AnnaSophia Robb). As Katherine's intrigue with Loren develops, the older woman misses or ignores Ben's suggestions that they leave town now. The more that Katherine tries to figure out the signs, the more distanced she becomes from her best friend/loyal colleague, who is, in fact, the most sensible reader of signs from the start.

Early in this silly biblical thriller, Ben reveals that he was once a street thug, shot by rivals and sent to prison, but now he's found God. Thus Ben embodies the movie's supposed argument between Christian belief and skepticism: Loyal to Katherine's scientific project, he's also a believer who can recognize when they're "witnessing biblical events." Meanwhile, Katherine's personal history intersects too neatly with her current investigation, clouding her judgment and hampering her ability to interpret the signs. As Ben both understands the biblical source material and maintains just enough skepticism, he's not seduced, like Katherine. If only he was the star of this movie.

Studio: Warner Bros.
Director: Stephen Hopkins
Cast: AnnaSophia Robb, Hilary Swank, Idris Elba
Genre: Horror
Run time: 109 minutes
Theatrical release: April 5, 2007
DVD release: October 16, 2007
MPAA Rating: R
MPAA explanation: violence, disturbing images and some sexuality.