Horsemen (2009) User Reviews

Strong First Half And Then It Drops

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 26 March 2013]

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.

Moody, un-nerving tale collapses in the final sprint to the end

[dbborroughs · 6/10 · 21 October 2009]

A recently widowed detective is sucked into the investigation of a series of brutal killings tied to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. As the investigation progresses events seem to be moving things closer to himself.

Graphic murder mystery with a strong supernatural component, is for much of its running time a deeply disturbing film. Its not just that what we witness that is troubling, its that the tone of what we see, the dark pall that hangs over everything is unnerving. Ziyi Zhang's Kristen is an unholy force that will probably bother a good many people. I've seen any number of dark and disturbing films and for a good chunk of this film I was bothered by what I was seeing.

Unfortunately there is a point somewhere in the later part of the film when things stop making sense. For whatever reason its as if the filmmakers didn't know where they were going and instead of trying to work out a suitable ending came up with something that was just sort of there. Honestly I got to the end and had to watch it a couple of times to try and make sense of what I was seeing. I don't think it ever made sense and in the end the spell of the first part of the film was lost.

Worth seeing for the early disturbing part, just be prepared to be disappointed in the end.

A dark horror thriller with great potential that falls somewhat short.

[poolandrews · 5/10 · 7 September 2010]

Horsemen starts as forensic odontoligist detective Aiden Breslin (Dennis Quaid) is called to a crime scene, an old man walking his dog found a bunch of human teeth on a tray & Breslin is called in to identify who they belonged to. Breslin takes note of the message 'Come and See' written around the crime scene, while investigating the teeth the dead body of a woman is found with the same 'Come and See' message written at the scene. Breslin & his partner Stingray (Clifton Collins Jr.) find a dead woman suspended on hooks from a metal frame having been choked on her own blood. Breslin manages to deduct that whoever is committing the crimes are basing themselves on the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse & what they stand for in religion. Breslin is convinced more bodies will turn up & when they do the case gets even more complicated with all sorts of revelations, meanings & possible motives behind the killings...

Known elsewhere as Horsemen of the Apocalypse this dark horror thriller was directed by Jonas Åkerlund & had a troubled production with extensive re-shoots, one character had to be recast because the original actor was unavailable & a running time that ended up twenty minutes less than it originally was was reeks of massive changes but having said that & all things considered I quite liked Horsemen. I suppose the closest film I could compare Horsemen to is Se7en (1995) in that it's a thriller about detectives unravelling the mystery surrounding brutal & ritualistic serial killings, while not in the same league as Se7en (but what is?) I liked the story, I liked where the story went & I particularly like the motives behind the bizarre killings even though Horsemen does have it's share of problems & frustrations. There are obviously a few plot-holes that probably stemmed from those extensive re-shoots & some of the initially cool ideas from the script lose credibility if you think about them for a moment. How did the killers move those giant metal suspension frames abut without being seen? What happened to the surveillance camera at the hotel? What happened to the girl in the closet Breslin found? Are we supposed to believe that a teenager can puncture a lung with accuracy that a trained surgeon couldn't? Are we meant to believe that a father hasn't been inside his son's bedroom for over three years? There are other points which are maybe not as well defined or explained or as clear as perhaps they could have been, some of the how's & why's are missing to certain aspects. Having said that I liked the way Horsemen built up, I liked the story & even if the twist ending is a bit abrupt I liked the idea behind it even if I found it impossible to feel for the killer's plight, just because you are wronged in some way doesn't mean you can torture & brutally kill anyone you feel like, does it? At about 90 odd minutes long Horsemen starts off very well with a rich & suspenseful murder mystery but then it tends to focus on Breslin's family life which in the context of the twist ending is important but it slow's things down & I started to lose a bit of interest as the focus moved further & further from the killing's.

The film tries to have a relevant message about society, abuse & neglect in particular I suppose which does come across reasonably well. I did like the way Horsemen looked, it's a very slick & stylish looking film using snow covered locations to good effect. There's some gore here, people are seen hanging by fish hooks, a guy slices himself open with an electric saw, there are a few autopsy scenes & there's a dead unborn baby in one bit.

With a supposed $20,000,000 budget this had a very limited theatrical release before being dumped on home video, filmed in Canada originally while the significant re-shoots were filmed in Chicago. The acting is solid all round, Dennis Quiad is good although he does look a little like Harrison Ford.

Horsemen isn't a perfect film by any mans although I can live with the flaw's since there's also plenty of good aspects here too, at least it's not boring & at least it tries to be different even if it's not entirely successful. There's certain enough here to warrant a look, it's not the greatest serial killer thriller ever but there are a lot worse films out there.

7even goes emo

[siderite · 6/10 · 5 July 2009]

What is happening to Dennis Quaid? Seriously now, he is playing the role of the distant father more and more and he plays in worse and worse movies. I like the guy! Cast him in something decent!

As for the movie, it kind of sucked. I mean, the mythos behind the killings was shabby, the police-work ridiculous and, worst of all, I could not relate to ANY of the characters except Dennis Quaid's one... part of the time. And the casting just reveals too much.

Bottom line: if you take Seven, you make it a lot less gruesome, you add cardboard policemen and even cardboard villains, you dumb it down considerably, then you get The Horsemen. Gave it a 6 only for Zhang's efforts on speaking English.

Jumpin jeepers its a movie

[alienworlds · 18 December 2009]

This film was something I had high expectations for during the initial half an hour, it had all the requirements of a good movie-good setting-good actors-good originality somehow... At the end of the film (it has a surprise ending) I found myself annoyed with it, like in lieu of creating what I think would be a believable ending, they hired another director to complete it or something, and that person just took the shortest route to achieve exit speed, leaving the film finished but not finished right. I found the ending ridiculous in fact, as in junk, unworthy of the build up of the rest of the film. Maybe just avoid it, go to the bathroom for a few hours or maybe rearrange a bunch of old clothes. That probably would be time better spent.

All the Elements Were There, but...

[spiderfingers86 · 6/10 · 20 May 2011]

This movie had a great trailer, good actors, and a skeleton of a great story idea; however, when thrown together it just doesn't seem to mesh as well, which is unfortunate because the first 40 minutes of this film are top notch. When things start to come together, it becomes less so.

The story revolves around Breslin (Dennis Quaid) brought onto a case due to his forensic dental expertise about a series of murders that eventually involve the four horsemen of the apocalypse in the book of Revelations. Each death being somehow meaningful to each of the horsemen, Breslin slowly but surely puts the pieces together as each one is made known by his or her color and category.

In the film: War is red, Pestilence is black, Death is green, and famine is white (white being the leader). However, if one were to read the scripture, white is supposed to be pestilence and black famine, though there is no reason given nor even necessary why this was switched. What started to bother me was that as each horseman was revealed, they were all relatively the same age (a bunch of 18-20 year old young adults). This made the film implausible, as they were able to assemble together expensive rigs, possess extensive medical knowledge that confounded the forensic coroner with years of training, own several computers and media equipment, and be untraceable to law enforcement. I could have bought it if they had developed it a bit more.

The real flaw for me was that I saw the ending coming. They put way too much time and development into a particular storyline for it not to eventually lead somewhere, and it turns out I was right. That was a bit of a downer. But I loved the acting in the film, kudos to Ziyi Zhang for showing us that she can play a creepy villain, and the rest of the horsemen did their job well. I did feel Quaid was a tad too much and a little goofy with his "bad cop" approach.

The film is enjoyable though not memorable. It has elements of Se7en in it, but it just didn't quite reach it's greatness. Maybe if they had hired the same director.

You're paying attention, now.

[lastliberal-853-253708 · 5/10 · 22 November 2011]

Tell me that the movie is like Se7en and I am interested. Tell me that Ziyi Zhang (Memoirs of a Geisha, House of Flying Daggers, Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon, 2046) is in it, and I am interested. Tell me that Dennis Quaid, the actor starring in one of my favorite films, The Big Easy, is starring this one, and I am definitely interested.

A combination like that should mean that I am in for a treat of some kind.

Barry Shabaka Henley is always a welcome addition, and he was no disappointment here.

However, the rest of the film was a big disappointment. It was devoid of any real emotion, and the struggle with the kids just distracted from the quest for the killers. It never came close to Se7en.

Great film let down by the ending.

[parry_na · 6/10 · 5 March 2021]

Dennis Quaid is excellent as worn-out, recently widowed detective Aidan Breslin. In fact, no-on in the cast puts in less than a terrific performance, especially Ziyi Zhang as Kristin and Breslin's two overlooked children who occasionally threaten to derail the plot (or do they?).

This is a dark, emotionally raw horror chiller, beautifully directed by Jonas Åkerlund. It seems to be building to something apocalyptic, or at least, something more impressive than the overtly saccharine ending we get.

It's a shame the story ends in so anti-climactic a fashion, the journey up to that point is an inventive and interesting one that inspires lots of suspicions about various characters and their motives. A lot of this comes to nothing. My score is 6 out of 10.

Staple horror and thoroughly generic

[Danny_G13 · 5/10 · 1 August 2009]

By-the-numbers gore flick isn't especially bad, but sterile acting and disjointed direction hinder it entirely.

Dennis Quaid (gloriously miscast) is Aidan Breslin, a detective specialising in some teeth identification discipline. He's called to a case whereby teeth alone have been left, and the more the case heats up, he discovers the Horsemen of the Apocalypse are being emulated and murdering victims in 'homage' to them.

The premise is certainly half decent, with a biblical reference always adding spice to horror, such is the visceral underbelly such association can produce. The problem is the production and casting, not to mention plot development.

Horsemen suffers a disjointed structure, with extremely poor characterisation and seam-filled editing causing a stop-start judder to permeate throughout. This isn't helped by the fact that every role is miscast, from the 'doing it for the money' Quaid as troubled Breslin, Ziyi Zhang as troubled Kristen, and Lou Taylor Pucci as troubled Alex.

Every character appears to have personal demons apart from Stingray and Tuck, who both look like actors in the wrong movie.

These foibles aside the horror effects are rather inconsistent - the first body looks plainly like a dummy, and no amount of garish red lighting hides that fact - thereafter they do pick up a bit, but it's a bad start.

And the characterisation, as mentioned, is really poor - the viewer isn't moved to care about anyone, and certain character introductions are clunky and badly handled. The feeble and ineffective acting certainly doesn't aid this.

In summary if you want horror by the numbers with a hint of whodunnit, there are worse than Horsemen. But there are much much better too.

A Nutshell Review: The Horsemen

[DICK STEEL · 6/10 · 1 May 2009]

I was gearing up for a good serial killer movie given the premise of having the four horsemen of the apocalypse, with the trailer piquing my interest from its fair share of unflinching blood and gore. Sad to say though that the distributors preferred to appeal to a wider audience for this, and some scenes were clearly butchered for its language, conversational content as well as snipping off some of the more gory moments of annihilation. I guess even the horsemen themselves are powerless when up against the censors' scissors, which is the more potent weapon here.

Dennis Quaid plays a pained cop Aidan Breslin, who has recently lost his wife and is growing increasingly distant from his kids Alex (Lou Taylor Pucci) and Sean (Liam James), burying himself in and using work as an emotional crutch, never being there for family because work often calls out for his attention. And as the trailers would have pretty much revealed, the serial killer victims are all tortured with meat hooks of sorts, and he's faced with more than 1 killer who model themselves after the biblical Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Sounds like your average detective movie right? I guess a memorable film from the genre like Se7en will only come once in a blue moon. This film by Jonas Akerlund tries to elicit similar moods devoid of humour and is all seriousness in tone, but its plot turned out to be quite flimsy thin, and those who have experienced enough of the genre, would have guessed the culprit for the last act somewhere by the mid-way point. No, it's not Ziyi Zhang (as she is credited), and despite a major billing in the credits, her character Kristen turned out to be spoiled by the trailer already, coupled with the fact that she doesn't have more than 15 minutes worth of screen time in total.

While this is one of her rare villainous outing with dialogue (back in Rush Hour 2 she was struggling with English), I would have supposed that opposition to her character here as a villain was unfounded, given that they should have been more concerned with her sleepwalking through the role, and could have been replaced by any other lesser actresses since at best it's only a supporting role. Dennis Quaid however shows how he ages well into delivering stellar, lead performances, and makes it believable he's a man constantly struggling with a work-life balance.

Ultimately, the message here is how important parents play in nurturing their children, and should be very much involved in their development, rather than thinking that cash would be a sufficient substitute and settle everything. The film does suggest, and probably had a subplot going for it, something like Japan's suicide pact clubs online, something which I thought could have been given an additional focus instead of leaving it open ended at that, just to show the extent of the "apocalypse" as being delivered by its messengers.

Technically, one aspect which irked me, was how low the cropping turned out to be. I have read that there were constant boom mikes spotted in shots, so it could be a bad by-product of having to address that problem, in addition to ensuring that the printed Chinese subtitles are visible for the audience. So there were a lot of heads cut off at the foreheads during shot-reverse-shot conversational pieces, and various other medium to close up shots, that irritated the hell out of me.

Horsemen had an interesting premise working for it, but alas didn't fulfill its potential in having to drop deeper themes for that frantic pace to the finishing line - which comparing to the run time at IMDb.com, we had 20 minutes shorn off here.

Doesn't hold a candle to the movies it copied

[MovieMaddis · 3/10 · 13 May 2009]

The Horsemen touts itself as another serial killer cat and mouse and admirably attempts to mix in several sub-genres including torture, exotic piercing, plot twists, and even a silence of the lambs (more Primal Fear in execution) style prison exchange. What transpires is unfortunately a lot of set pieces that don't add a lot to the whole. Dennis Quaid has always been fun to watch and has had several noteworthy performances (my fav will always be Savior). Here he struggles to play a hardened detective reminiscent of Al Pacino in Insomnia, his lines are forced, he is simply a poor casting choice for this role. He never reaches believability as the detective, and the dramatic subterfuge of a single dad with 2 kids is laid on so thick, he never sloshes out of the muck long enough to fill either role. The plot is OK, fairly standard shake on a playful serial killer vs cop movie, but the dialog is simply horrible. The lines are terribly cliché' and the actors, while capable, are just waiting for there time to speak, never fully absorbed into the movie. This will likely go to video soon where it may attract an easy to please crowd but ultimately does not hold a candle to any of the movies it copied.

Maddis

Bad Parents Make For A Bad World....

[SausagePourVous · 8/10 · 27 May 2009]

Swedish director Jonas Åkerlund debuted some three-four years ago with the movie Spun.It had a great cast(Mickey Rourke,John Leguizamo,Peter Stormare,Brittany Murphy and more),good energy and editing,but it was just posturing.It was completely hollow and lacked any form of real human emotions. The second time around,Åkerlund seems to understand that less is more and with the help of only one big star,the absence of flashy cinematography and a script that might be a bit predictable,but in the end is very unsettling and disturbing,he has created a horror thriller that(though in the serial killer genre its pretty impossible to avoid All cliché's.)chocks,chills and very much stands on its own two feet.The Horsemen is no masterpiece,though.Its just 90 minutes intense,brutal and honest entertaining.

The story evolves around detective Aidan Breslin(For once Dennis Quaid is not on auto-pilot and delivers a solid performance.He also looks 12 years younger than in Vantage Point.Can someone say Plastic Surgery...?),who ever since his wife's death has been consumed by his job and doesn't spend much quality time with his two sons,Alex and Sean.(ALL mentioned happens in the first 25 minutes,really not spoiling so much.)One day he gets called to a crime scene where he sees the words "Come And See" written in white paint on four trees and in the middle there's a plate with human teeth.Teeth thats been pulled out while the victim was still alive and conscious.

Soon enough,Breslin and his partner Stingray(Clifton Collins Jr. from Traffic looking bored out of his mind.And what's with that seventies porn mustache on his lip?You kidding me?)arrive to the scene of what seems to been an unusual sadistic and organized ritual murder.The victim was a mother of two biological children and one adopted daughter named Kristen(cute 30-year old Ziyi Zhang from "Crouching tiger..."who looks 18 tops.And it's disturbing that a girl adopted by American parents talks like Kim Jong-Il from Team America.Herro,Arec Bardwin...).During a walk with Breslin,Kristen reveals a horrible secret that is presented in such a way,that it really gets the hearts pumping,both the audiences and Breslins.Soon,by cheer coincidence,he finds out that the brutal murder just was the first of many.The unidentified suspects have studied the Bible a little too hard and see themselves as The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypse;War,Pestilence,Famin and Death.So it looks like it's one down and three to go.But whom?And from the viewers point of view more intriguing;Why....? When we learn that Kristens father(Peter Stormare,he's unfortunately just in two scenes)have molested her for years,things get really interesting....

In many ways The Horsemen is a standard(Bloodier,better and with a darker tone,yes,but still kinda)serial killer thriller.And please... don't ask yourself how a guy can put meat hooks in his arms and back and string himself up 20 feet high in the air...I don't know man,it's a movie! But its when the movie is over and you take a breather and you think about what you just saw....That's when you realize this film wasn't so much about the physical torment and pain we humans cause each other(in this movie it's a lot!),as much as it tells us what can happen when we get mentally damaged.When we get abandoned.When we get manipulated,get misunderstood,get lost.And no one cares or takes time to see the desperate and obvious cry for help and attention.That's how i interpreted it,I could be wrong(that's a joke,I'm never wrong).

In The end,The Horsemen isn't that complicated.It makes it's point very clear and very effective,much thanks to Åkerlunds uncomplicated and unsettling storytelling.Collins Jr.'s acting however,for some reason brings The Bold And The Beautiful to mind.but the rest of the cast does a really good job(Young"thumb-sucker"Lou Taylor Pucci is going places...)so you almost(only almost)forget his dead,soulless eyes and blank expression. So yeah,I recommend this one strongly.That is if you like...no, I'm not gonna compare it to 7even or anything.Like i said,it stands on it's own two feet just fine. I give it 7.7/10

The Perfect Mood

[JarfGartz · 7/10 · 15 May 2009]

I don't know about you, but when I sit down to watch a horror film, I don't expect to be blown away. My expectation is only to be engaged, kept in suspense, and hopefully scared out of my mind (this last one being of the rarest variety).

This movie lived up to my expectations in all the important ways. My curiosity was jump started in the first scene, and the somber, introspective mood of the story line, spiked with horrific scenarios and sickening plot twists, was exactly what I hoped.

The final twist was too easily guessed, of course, but it didn't take away from the finale - a powerfully emotional scene portrayed very convincingly by Dennis Quaid, who brought his usual energy and charisma to the role.

If you're looking for a quality horror flick or suspense thriller, this one is well worth your while!

Warning: Almost contains a spoiler

[chrisleate · 1/10 · 15 May 2009]

This was one of those "clever" movies that had a twist at the end. The whole point in these films is the twist at the end. The twist in this film was obvious in the extreme but so stupid that you discounted it as being too dumb.

During the second half of this movie the only thought in my head was "please don't let this be the twist, please tell me that writers are more imaginative than that, please don't let me have to watch the second half of this movie only to find it was what I guessed after the first 20 minutes".

The moral message of it all is dumb and a bit tired for anyone who has watched enough American films. You could parody this entire movie and make the moral message play out like an episode of southpark.

You could probably have condensed the whole film into an episode of Steven King's short stories and it would have had a much wider impact.

Awful, just awful

Well, the killings were gory & the children were very good...

[GirishGowda · 6/10 · 30 March 2010]

This is the plot. A recently widowed detective still grieving over his wife's death discovers a shocking connection between himself and the suspects in a serial killing spree linked to the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse.

Aidan Breslin (Dennis Quaid) is the detective who has to find out who the four horsemen are before apocalypse sets in. And he has to stop them before the four sacrifices are made. His first clue comes when the mother of three children is brutally murdered. The adopted daughter Kristin, played excellently by Ziyi Zhang provides a major evidence to Aidan. The killings are very brutal & its very gut-wrenching if the Saw-type films gets you scared. The talk in the prison cell is very disturbing. Aidan's son Alex is pretty good in convincing us that he has a very strained relationship with his father & he is a very good caretaker of his brother. The references to the Bible is also creepy, because some young adults can be easily brainwashed into thinking what the kids in the movie thought. Ultimately this cop vs killer movie tries to go beyond its genre & succeeds somewhat to an extent.

Try to catch this movie on rental at the end of the night & it just might give you the chills. Don't expect anything from this & you'll enjoy it.

6/10

Great movie!! The makers cared about it... It even has a theme!!

[fede_ng · 7/10 · 21 May 2009]

This movie was great. The plot is interesting and original, and it has a message. But most importantly, everything has a purpose. The mood is right. There is gore, but just enough to convey the perversion of the killer. The dialogs are not brilliant, neither the detectives, but that makes everything seem more realistic. In addition, the photography is really good; there are a few very good, artsy shots. I feel all the criticism this movie received actually was for not being an exact copy of some other film. If you want senseless gore, go see Saw XIX. If you want a serial killer story, wait for the next episode of Criminal Minds. But if you’d like to see an engaging, well made film, Horsemen is more than fine.

Broken Souls

[view_and_review · 3/10 · 24 July 2021]

I was behind this movie for a while. Up until the last twenty minutes. I already knew that the "four horsemen" that the movie was about were psychotic. Once I found out that the last two were just whiny teenagers who couldn't cope, then I was done. "Horesemen" tried to create this poetic message about parental neglect and/or abuse, but it came of as sappy, didactic and pathetic.

What started off as some mysterious killers setting up tableaus of death with people hanging from specially made suspension devices with thick fish hooks, ended up being nothing but a sick cry for help by a few weak souls. With the exception of Kristin Spitz (Ziyi Zhang), the girl who'd been sexually abused by her adopted father, the other two members of the apocalypse crew were nothing but crybabies. Corey Kurth (Patrick Fugit) was devastated because his older brother wouldn't accept his sexual preference, and Alex Breslin (Lou Taylor Pucci), son of the main character, was upset because his father worked too much and "wasn't there for him." It was enough to make you cry fake tears.

This could've been a clever murder mystery, but it started falling apart right around the time Kristin turned herself in. Sure, she wanted to be caught so that the world would know why she did what she did, but her character became this annoying, disinterested, tarty teen for no apparent reason. Every interaction she had with the lead detective Aidan Breslin (Dennis Quaid) was an episode of her pretending to be the female Hannibal Lecter playing games to show how intelligent she is and how in control she is. She was presenting the face and attitude of a sociopath when she was truly a broken young lady. It was sad.

Equally sad was when Breslin found the evidence of the sexual misconduct by Mr. Spitz (Peter Stormare). It was none other than photos tucked in a Bible. So exasperating. Who takes photos of such a deed and who keeps those photos in a Bible where they can be easily found?

The movie ended with Alex Breslin being the white horse (green, red, and black were already found). He was distraught ever since his mother died. His father wasn't there for her death and he continued to be absent, lost in his work, after her death. Alex would make him suffer for that by killing himself.

While the sad music played and Aidan Breslin boo-hooed I only thought, "How pathetic." Kids throughout the world are born into bad circumstances and yet they live, and some even thrive being made stronger by their struggle, yet here I am watching two weak-minded teens take their life because the world isn't fair. Do I think such things should happen to kids? No. Is that life? Yes, now get over yourself.

Decent new blood for the thriller genre

[Heislegend · 7/10 · 24 June 2009]

I'll certainly say one thing for this movie...I'm surprised it hasn't received any sort of real theater time (to my knowledge). You'd think that Dennis Quaid's name alone could carry at least a decent box office take. But no matter...that's not really the point of a review now is it? Horsemen represents a fairly decent shot in the arm for the often tired and overdone thriller genre. It's hard to explain exactly why without giving away too much about the movie, but it takes a different angle that keeps it somewhat (but not entirely) exciting. I mean sure, some of the horribly tired themes are there like Quaid playing the cop whose lost his wife and is a serious contender for worst father of the year. He drinks, he ignores his kids, and he ditches them any time work calls him on his cell. As annoying and trite as it seems, it's kind of essential to the story so I guess you have to let it go. Ziyi Zhang does a good job as the antagonist toying with Quaid throughout most of the film, but it's not quite on par with some of her Chinese language offerings. And Peter Stormare...his name is listed in the opening credits, but he's literally in the movie for all of 2 scenes and a total of 3 minutes or so. Why even bother? You could hire any poor schmuck off the street and it would've worked just as well.

All in all the film represents a kind of offering that is better than expected even if you do see the ending from a mile off. It's also a bit of redemption for Michael Bay as far as I'm concerned (assuming it's the same Michael Bay that did Transformers, Pearl Harbor, The 2009 version of Friday The 13th, etc.). Unlike 99% of his projects, there isn't a single computerized special effect in this film. Well...at least one that's noticeable. Definitely worth the watch if you're up for this sort of thing. Then again, if you're not up for this sort of thing, why the hell are you looking it up on IMDb?

Creepy but storyline falls apart very quickly

[zhivago97 · 3/10 · 6 July 2021]

Storyline started out strong and then it turned into a hot mess rather quickly. Things suddenly stopped making sense and every new detail turned into a lose end that just raised more unanswered questions.

The acting was lopsided at best. Who exactly are these characters? Some of them were just filling space and didn't further the plot.

The good news is that the plot wasn't boring at all, it was just totally illogical and incomplete. And then it ended. It just stopped without explanation or resolution like they ran out of money to write an actual ending. It literally just stops at one point and the credits appear.

This movie is a small disaster, full of unrealized potential and scenes that make zero sense.

Goes offtrack in the later half, and the villain pretty much admits it too

[eddax · 6/10 · 27 May 2009]

The Horsemen didn't get a wide release in the US despite having one here. I figured out the reason halfway into the movie: Zhang Ziyi ("Ziyi Zhang" just looks stupid). Despite having second billing, she actually doesn't have all that much screen time. While she does give a good performance, her casting seemed predominantly for wide-releasing the movie in Asia, and I have to admit I was curious enough that she was part of the reason I wanted to watch the movie.

The story's quite engrossing to start. Movies based on Biblical references seem to be all the rage this year. The problem is that the parallel to the Four Horsemen kinda goes offtrack later into the movie, and the villain pretty much admits it too. It then becomes nothing more than an ordinary thriller. The twist isn't all that twisty either, and there are a couple of loopholes to be found.

But I still enjoyed the movie, if only for the performances. Dennis Quaid always provides solid gravitas, and Zhang Ziyi does a good psycho as usual.

Promising beginning, then downhill

[cjstanford-65097 · 5/10 · 18 July 2021]

Ranking of 5 is generous, could easily be a 3. Movie declines with meaningless and and necessary filler scenes, overacting/or bad direction for leads' Quaid and Yang Ziyi, just a bad psychological drama masked as thriller and horror. Nice sound track though, but a little dramatic. Only saving grace (pun intended) was Lou Taylor who's character almost seems authentic playing Quaid's son. Worth every cent I paid for it, 0. Sorry, everything about this had promise, if I knew the production business better maybe I'd understand how this came out of the editing room for major distribution.

Painful, Terrifying, Unhealthy.

[searchanddestroy-1 · 4 April 2009]

What a delight to watch such a movie. Even if it is the usual scheme of a cop nearly in perdition who tracks a serial killer down. Cliché among clichés. But it is worth the detour. No romance in here. No humour. Nothing but awfulness. Expect the unexpected. Some sequences are unbearable. Prepare yourself to vomit, bring up your last meal. If you are subject to nauseas, avoid this picture. Nevertheless, some situations are incomprehensible. Especially near the very end.

Dennis Quaid, as Kurt Russel and Jeff Bridges, seems not to get older. After all these years, more than two decades, he continues to play as lead characters in grade A pictures - but not blockbusters, I admit.

Look for it. Don't miss this film.

The subject of debate.. scores high

[shido-san · 8/10 · 6 February 2010]

What brought me into this picture: Dennis Quaid.

What impressed me: the message.

What surprised me: Paul Dooley.

Who scored big: Pucci.

What bothered everyone: we could all guess the ending, sort of.

I have to say this, and I haven't seen every movie Dennis has made, but I keep hoping to see Dennis back in his "crazy as sh*t" jockey movies like The Right Stuff, and Inner Space. That was too long ago but I'm addicted to that and keep looking for it.

It completely fascinates me that there is this much discussion being blogged on this picture. Apparently, a lot of horror freaks were disappointed at the level of action/gore that wasn't. This really isn't scary, this is an "emo" movie -- but that's not a bad thing. I think it addresses a real issue. Sorry it freaked some of the more queasy among you. Yes, the story is unrealistic -- it couldn't have happened -- but let's be honest, okay, very little that we see on screen can and you didn't pay for reality you paid for something different.

One or two, I didn't read past the 3rd page of reviews, complained of "Christian message". Yeah, the movie-makers were very good at keeping true to the words of the bible and Paul Dooley did a very passable priest. Don't know why I don't give that actor more credit than I do, must be previous movies like Strange Brew.. I DO like how centered Dooley was in his role. I could see where Pucci's character could be focused on that message, and I liked how the priest could drive the nail in about love. This is a movie about love and priorities.. it's a movies for parents, not children, and not single people who are not thinking about being parents. I'm surprised no one by the end of the 3rd page of reviews got that: it's obvious the movie-makers did. And since comparisons with Se7en have been made, the latter being slightly more believable, the premise of that movie was crap. Religious nuts aren't that sophisticated. No, this is not a religious movie. Just a movie with a significant message.

The funny thing, to me (talking about movie-making), was that the first body was real but still managed to look like a mannequin (but, then, pictures of shark attack victims rarely look real to me). One reviewer thought it was fake. The movie was shot twice and still wasn't perfect like, say, Deliverance was. I can't put my finger on it, the movie possibly would have been more visceral on the big screen and with the presence of a large audience around the viewer.

Peter Stormare's character could have been developed more, including interaction with Zhang's character. I really don't understand why the outtakes were taken out. But, other than that, I can't say that there was not enough character development -- I do suspect, however, that a grumpy Dennis Quaid (and there are too many movies like this) tromping endlessly around does have somewhat of a nullifying effect. Needs more light, says this cook.

"Pales" in comparison to Se7en, but still keeps the viewer's attention

[Shattered_Wake · 6/10 · 13 May 2009]

Dennis Quaid stars as a widowed detective facing an investigation the likes of which he has never seen: Four murders modeled after the themes of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. Ziyi Zhang (Memoirs of a Geisha) also stars.

The first thing that comes to mind when hearing about a crime thriller about a detective investigation religious-themed murders will be the comparison to the modern classic 'Se7en' (David Fincher, 1995). And, yes, it's quite obvious that 'The Horsemen' had quite a bit of inspiration from that film, and the film was styled after its predecessor in more ways than the story. But, I must ask. . . is anyone surprised? Keep in mind that this film was produced by Platinum Dunes, Michael Bay's remake machine that has given us the remakes of such classic horrors as 'The Texas Chain Saw Massacre' and 'Friday the 13th.' Maybe Bay wanted to remake 'Se7en' a mere fourteen years after its release, but couldn't get the rights. . . so, they went for a film styled after it.

Regardless, the film itself (separated from 'Se7en' and other similar films) isn't terrible. While it CERTAINLY doesn't live up to the 7.5/10 IMDb currently rates it at (a number clearly inflated by crew and studio employees), it still works as an interesting crime thriller. The story is good, Quaid is his usual dependable self, and the direction captures some darkly attractive scenery. Also, the last 20 or so minutes give quite a few thrills and almost had me on the edge of my seat. However, on the negative side, the script is quite lacking and maintains too steady of a course, feeling more like a collection of scenes than a coherent film; Ziyi Zhang puts forth one of the most annoying performances I've seen in a long time; and the extremely rushed and thoughtless final moments leave a very bitter taste in the audience's collective mind.

Similar to the Al Pacino vehicle '88 Minutes' (2008), 'The Horsemen' simply came along too late for its audience (not to mention had a below-average script) to be as enjoyable as it could've been.

Final Verdict: A low 6/10.

-AP3-

Unpleasant and Predictable

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 13 March 2010]

In a cold Washington, the widower Detective Aidan Breslin (Dennis Quaid) is assigned to investigate a case based on his forensic expertise in teeth. Sooner he finds a series of dreadful murders with the victims in suspension rigs based on the Biblical Revelation 6 – Come and See – and the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Famine, Pestilence, Death and War with the involvement of abused teenagers. Meanwhile Aidan never has time to spend with his two sons that are still grieving the loss of their mother.

"Horsemen" has a promising beginning in the style of "Se7en". However, the unpleasant and predictable story is quite pointless and has a disappointing and lame conclusion. Dennis Quaid is too old to have young sons and Ziyi Zhang is too old to perform the role of a young woman; therefore, both are miscast. Further, with so many maladjusted teenagers in the world, the insane idea of this movie might be quite dangerous for disturbed youths. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "Os Cavaleiros do Apocalipse" ("The Horsemen of the Apocalypse")