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The Messenger
The Messenger Image
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Metascore
77 out of 100

Generally favorable reviews - based on 32 Critics What's this?

User Score
7.8 out of 10

Generally favorable reviews- based on 36 Ratings

Your Score
10 out of 10
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  • Starring: Ben Foster, Samantha Morton, Woody Harrelson
  • Summary: In his first leading role, Foster stars as Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army officer who has just returned home from a tour in Iraq and is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Partnered with fellow officer Tony Stone to bear the bad news to the loved ones of fallen soldiers, Will faces the challenge of completing his mission while seeking to find comfort and healing back on the home front. When he finds himself drawn to Olivia, to whom he has just delivered the news of her husband's death, Will’s emotional detachment begins to dissolve and the film reveals itself as a surprising, humorous, moving and very human portrait of grief, friendship and survival. (Oscillscope Laboratories)… Expand

Critic Reviews

Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 27 out of 32
  2. Mixed: 4 out of 32
  3. Negative: 1 out of 32
  1. The Globe and Mail (Toronto)
    Reviewed by: Rick Groen
    100
    "The Hurt Locker" may be getting all the attention and awards but The Messenger is at least as good and perhaps, given its delicate handling of a sensitive subject, even better.
  2. Empire
    Reviewed by: Andrew Male
    Jun 13, 2011
    60
    A worthy addition to the canon of Iraq war films, The Messenger has a gentle humanity that creeps under your skin. Look out for a terrific Harrelson turn, too.
  3. New York Post
    Reviewed by: Kyle Smith
    25
    The similar Kevin Bacon HBO movie "Taking Chance" got there first. Worse news: The earlier movie was sober, meticulous and quietly convincing, not a shouty, shoddy bore like this piece of flummery.

See all 32 Critic Reviews

User Reviews

Write a Review
Score distribution:
  1. Positive: 12 out of 14
  2. Mixed: 1 out of 14
  3. Negative: 1 out of 14
  1. AndrewW.
    10
    A must see.
    • 0 of 0 users said yes
  2. KP
    4
    As boring as a war movie could possibly be...I turned it off half way through and won't watch the rest. If you like soap operas you';ll love this. Part of me kept hoping that Woody and partner would bust out the 50 cal and at least make it a little interesting. … Expand
    • 0 of 1 users said yes
  3. Nazgulero
    1
    The movie started out pretty good, but about 15 minutes into it, descended straight into Absurdia. I am not a military man, but it is hard for me to imagine that notification officers would act like that. In addition, what is the appeal of yet another movie showing two guys who basically cannot handle life, and opt for the bottle ? It's old, it's boring, and nature itself selects these individuals for extinction, because no woman in her right mind would stay with them. The movie got that part right. I am in no way saying that war is not horrible, and that soldiers get traumatized, But as soon as you pop that beer, you are just one of the countless losers...… Expand
    • 0 of 2 users said yes

See all 14 User Reviews

Trailers

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