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 (as David 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 Conquest.

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Plot Keywords:

bible quote | death | murder | forensic dentist | homosexual | 

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Taglines:

Four victims. Four painful secrets.

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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:

The Horseman

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

References A Clockwork Orange (1971)

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Soundtracks

Big Bopper
Performed by Stephen O'Neill
Published by NorthStar Music Publishing Ltd. (PRS)
By arrangement through pigFACTORY USA LLC. /Platinum Music Publishing

User Reviews

Strong First Half And Then It Drops

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

The film starts out strong, with a great atmosphere and some nice gore effects with things like extracted teeth and whatnot. And the film seems to be inspired by "Seven", which is a good thing... and in many ways I feel they captured that film's vibe.

But then, they just started copying it outright (the landlord with the "good tenant", "he pays the rent") and the suspension rig custom-made compared to the strap-on dagger... and the religious themes (four here rather than seven).

And later on still... it turns into a story about a brother's inability to accept his sibling's homosexuality. Why? That is a completely different movie entirely.

I will let viewers fin out on their own what happens in the second half... but be warned that this film has a problem keeping up the intensity, and it is no surprise it went straight to video after major re-shoots and extensive editing.