FRAILTY (2001) d. Bill Paxton (USA)
For those who only know beloved actor Bill Paxton from his outrageous comic supporting turns or solid leading man roles, watching him bring Brent Hanley's high concept story to exquisitely shaded light is a bit of a revelation.
A mysterious young man, Fenton Meiks (played by Matthew McConaughey) walks into a Texas FBI building and reveals to Agent Doyle (played by Powers Boothe) that he knows the identity of a local serial killer known as "God's Hand." Fenton tells of his father (played by Paxton himself), a loving man of deep faith who awakens his sons one night with the news that he has had a vision: God has called on them to serve as slayers of demons. Of course, upon hearing that these demons are "disguised" as human beings, Fenton understandably begins to question his father's sanity.
Hanley's powerful screenplay was inspired by both Catholic school teachings and a love of Stephen King. A modern take on the Old Testament stories of fealty and faith, Paxton and his creative team endow such banal objects as a pair of gloves, a lead pipe, and an axe named "Otis" with mythical status, as well as an abiding uncertainty and mistrust of what we see around us and/or how events are interpreted. Is this a tale of religious enlightenment or mental psychosis? You'll have to ride along with Fenton and Agent Doyle to find the answers… which only end up leading to more questions.
In the quarter-century since its release, Frailty has lost none of its power, delivering psychological tension and shocks without gratuitous splatter and gore, anchored by incredible performances, Bill Butler's gorgeous cinematography, and Arnold Glassman's sharp editing. Paxton's feature debut is subtle and ambiguous, giving its audience the freedom to arrive at their own terrifying conclusions.
Join AC and his fanatical, er, fantastic panel of guests (Cati Glidewell, Jay Kay, Gert Verbeeck, Freddie Young) as we celebrate 25 years of FRAILTY!!
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CATI GLIDEWELL (aka The Blonde in Front) is a Chicago-based film critic, lifelong cinephile, film festival jury member, and a member of Chicago Indie Critics since 2020. You can find her on all social media platforms, as well as Post Mortem radio and Radio of Horror on YouTube.
JAY KAY is the creator of the 7-time Rondo-nominated horror podcast, Horror Happens, where he has conducted hundreds upon hundreds of interviews with genre celebrities. A staff writer with HorrorHound Magazine, he is also a budding filmmaker, with numerous credits to his name, including No Good Deed, Within the Frame, and Swing 46: The Last Swinging Supper Club. https://astrangemaninflpro.wixsite.com/jkolucki
GERT VERBEECK is a filmmaker, writer and musician from Brussels, Belgium. His independent production floor Amoeba Pictures offers non-exclusive creative contributions to local projects and international co-productions. He likes his literature, motion pictures and musical experiences diverse, nuanced, and intense.
FREDDIE YOUNG is a NYC horror reviewer and frequent podcaster. He has been running the website Full Moon Reviews (www.fullmoonreviews.net) since 2006, telling it like it is and enjoys spreading the word on good and bad films, mainly in the horror genre. He's planning on a full-time return to podcasting soon, hoping to put some attention on some "misunderstood films."
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