Case 39

A social worker handles case 39 and fights to save a girl from her abusive parents, only to discover that the situation is more dangerous than she expected.

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Introduction

Don’t let the title fool you, this isn’t just another crime solving thriller flick, its so much more and honestly I was blown away, it was a great watch! Its a bit like Eli (2019) but the twist arrives so much earlier and much worse. Directed by Christian Alvart.

“In her many years as a social worker, Emily Jenkins (Renée Zellweger) thinks she has seen it all — until she meets 10-year-old Lilith (Jodelle Ferland) and the girl’s cruel parents. When the parents try to harm the child, Emily assumes custody of Lilith while looking for a foster family. However, she soon finds that dark forces surround the seemingly innocent child, and the more she tries to protect Lilith, the more horrors she encounters.”

Characters

Renée Zellweger (as Emily Jenkins) was widely known for her performance as Bridget Jones in Bridget Jones’s Diary because she really does fir the character trait perfectly. Unfortunately her voice and how she moves doesn’t fit well with the horror genre. It lacks oomph.

Jodelle Ferland (as Lilith Sullivan) was the focal point of this movie as she should be. Her performance topples everyone else’s. The distinct change in her face and voice, the way it cracks when she’s showing vulnerability and how overpowering it sounds when she’s firm and true. You have no option but to yield. Ferland beats Eli’s Charlie Shotwell in any category.

The Demon in Case 39

Not much have been revealed about the demon’s true identity, but we know that it induces hallucinations using the victim’s worst fears and drive them to their d3aths. It would’ve been nice to know more about the entity, but a little mystery works wonders as well.

Great pacing

It was great how they handled the beginning of the movie, it really got me off track and actually fooled me into thinking otherwise (I never read the synopsis/plot going in).

(Spoiler)
The way that people around them started dy1ng one by one was great, it was slow yet it grabs your attention and know there’s so much more going on. The overall pacing of Case 39 was perfect.

SFX and D3aths

The effects was above average, it was pleasing and never did it look “too much” or tacky. The d3aths they did was awesome as well—one by one they fell victim to Lily’s whispers and the way they went out was well thought out. Reminds me of the recent Smile 2.

What I Didn’t Like

A bit shallow on my part but I really didn’t like the casting of Renée Zellweger, her voice and how she moves doesn’t fit the horror genre. She needs to be firmer with her words, more conviction with what she’s saying, because none of it translated to a fight or flight kind of situation. Though acting-wise, she was great. I think she’s really suited for a Romantic Comedy, or at most a thriller/suspense.

Conclusion

Case 39 is a decent, low-key demon flick, much like Eli (2019). The characters delivered great performances, and it was a pleasure to see Bradley Cooper and Ian McShane. The death scenes were great, I wasn’t expecting it to be that good. Highly recommended.