Horsemen (2009)

A recently widowed detective still grieving over his wife's death discovers a shocking connection between a serial killing spree and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Director:

Jonas Åkerlund

Writer:

Dave Callaham

Stars:

Dennis Quaid, Ziyi Zhang, Lou Taylor Pucci

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Dennis Quaid	...	Aidan Breslin
Ziyi Zhang	...	Kristin
Lou Taylor Pucci	...	Alex Breslin
Clifton Collins Jr.	...	Stingray
Barry Shabaka Henley	...	Tuck
Patrick Fugit	...	Corey
Eric Balfour	...	Taylor
Paul Dooley	...	Father Whiteleather
Thomas Mitchell	...	Thug
Liam James	...	Sean Breslin
Chelcie Ross	...	Police Chief Krupa
Manfred Maretzki	...	Bob
Arne MacPherson	...	Navratil
David Dastmalchian	...	Terrence
Peter Stormare	...	David Spitz

Storyline

Aidan Breslin is a bitter detective emotionally distanced from his two young sons following the untimely death of his devoted wife. While investigating a series of murders of rare violence, he discovers a terrifying link between a chain of murders and the Biblical prophecies concerning the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: War, Famine, Pestilence, and Death.

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Plot Keywords:

death | murder | forensic dentist | homosexual | one word title | 

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Taglines:

Come and See

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Genres:

Crime | Drama | Mystery | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated R for grisly and disturbing content, some sexual images and language

Details

Official Sites:

Lionsgate [United States] Metropolitan Films [France]

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

6 February 2009 (Italy)

Also Known As:

Horsemen of the Apocalypse

Filming Locations:

Bell Hotel, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada

Box Office

Budget:

$20,000,000 (estimated)

Company Credits

Production Co:

Mandate Pictures, Platinum Dunes, Radar Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

90 min

Sound Mix:

SDDS Dolby Digital DTS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Jonas Åkerlund was sufficiently intrigued by the cult of suspension that he even considered doing it himself, after meeting several devotees of the practice.

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Goofs

When we see the security footage of the elevator and hallway, the time/date stamp says that it's February 14th, yet only a few weeks goes by before it's January 21st (as indicated by the website).

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Quotes

[first lines]
Det. Aidan J. Breslin: Hi there.

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Connections

Referenced in The Rotten Tomatoes Show: Echelon Conspiracy/Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun Li/Crossing Over (2009)

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Soundtracks

Maiden, Mother & Crone
Performed by The Sword
Written by John D. Cronise and Kyle Shutt
Published by Blood of Kings Music/Stop Moping Music (ASCAP)
Courtesy of Kemado Records, Inc.

User Reviews

Idiotic, dull, unoriginal and predictable

A cheap rip-off of 'Se7en', 'Horsemen' (because '4our' would be too obvious) is about a widowed detective (Dennis Quaid) dealing with a serial killing that apparently has to do with the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

It is all in there. The macabre killings in order to make a point, the religious modus operandi, even the 'society is evil, we live in a world of crap' underlying message, are just some of the 'similarities'. The revelation of the killer is different, true, but it is such an obvious and idiotic plot twist that it would be better just to copy 'Se7en' again.

However, unlike its 'source of inspiration', 'Horsemen' is devoid of thrills and boring to no end. Its message is also terrible and poorly thought, like everything in the film. Full of plot holes too:

The killings are done through suspension rigs which nobody saw coming and going between the murder scenes? And the 'explanation' the vendor gives for not caring who it was sold to!? How did Quaid not notice the white room for so long? And how the **** can the killer's plot change anything at all!?

One scene scene stood out to me. About a medical savant, apparently very intelligent 'but' gay boy killing himself in front of his non-supportive, prejudiced brother (after TORTURING him) to prove some kind of point. That was such an stupid thing, it was maybe the very lowest the movie got.

The cast is as terrible as everything else. Dennis Quaid is unbelievable as the grieving detective, and the way he acts (if you call that acting) when with his sons or anyone else is absurd. Ziyi Zhang, a 30 year old who plays an 18 year old girl, is not only unbelievable as a teenage girl (and that was before I found out her real age) but also as a psychopath who tries to come off as a mix between John Doe and Hannibal Lecter; she is laughable. Quaid's son is as bad, and only Clifton Collins Jr. manages to do a decent job but his character is so irrelevant it makes no difference at all.

I was not too surprised when I saw Michael Bay's name as a producer. Anything he touches tend turn into crap; he is almost magical in that sense.