Metacritic Film

Last Sin Eater, The

Starring Louise Fletcher, Henry Thomas, Liana Liberato, Soren Fulton, A.J. Buckley, Stewart Finlay-McLennan, Peter Wingfield, and Elizabeth Lackey

MPAA RATING: PG-13 for thematic elements, and some intense sequences of violence

Fox Faith / The Bigger Picture
Drama
141 minutes | Color
USA
Released In Theaters February 9, 2007

In 1850's Appalachia, 10-year-old Cadi feels responsible for her little sister's death, so she searches out the one man she feels can take away her sin -- The Sin Eater. But in her quest for redemption, Cadi uncovers a dark secret that threatens to divide her family and community. Ultimately, Cadi shows them the truth in Jesus, reminding us that the human condition is beyond human remedy: only Christ provides for the absolution of sin. (Fox Faith Movies)

WRITTEN BY
Brian Bird
Michael Landon Jr.
Francine Rivers (novel)

DIRECTED BY
Michael Landon Jr.

Overall Metascore

This is a weighted, normalized average of all individual scores given by critics, on a scale of 0 (worst) to 100 (best).

37 / 100

Critic Reviews

60	The New York Times Matt Zoller Seitz Handsomely produced, earnestly performed and 100 percent irony-free, The Last Sin Eater is religious art for mainstream consumption.
58	Seattle Post-Intelligencer Manny Lewis The Last Sin Eater has a specific audience in its sights, one that doesn't mind the film's characters having their problems solved by the healing power of truth and faith.
50	Chicago Tribune Louis R. Carlozo The lovely shots of Appalachian vistas are spoiled by cheesy special effects straight from the 1960s Chroma-Key era.
50	Washington Post Clearly targeted at Christians looking to reaffirm their faith. Its chances of crossover success with the secular crowd seem remote, given the dramatic shortcomings.
50	Variety Michael Landon Jr.'s respectfully sincere but only fitfully involving film.
50	TV Guide The voice-over narration is obvious, but overall the message is integrated into an unusual story that's enhanced by Liberato's and Fulton's appealing performances as the youngsters who see through their elders' lies and help right a terrible wrong.
50	Charlotte Observer Folks wanting to hear the usual New Testament message will be pleased; others may feel that the tension dissolves in homilies and wish the main character weren't led around by a blonde-haired little angel in a white dress.
42	Baltimore Sun Louis R. Carlozo The transgression that dogs much faith-based art - and leaves its stain on The Last Sin Eater - is the inability to divorce art from agenda; that is, you can feel the filmmaker forcing the round peg of evangelism into the square hole of creative excellence.
40	Village Voice Jessica Grose The miscasting of Fletcher--still a forbidding screen presence--as a kindly grandmother is only one of many missteps that director Michael Landon Jr. (yes, it's his son) makes in The Last Sin Eater.
38	New York Post The cast includes Oscar winner Louise Fletcher (Nurse Ratched herself) and Henry Thomas of "E.T.," and the special effects look like they were executed on somebody's laptop.
0	Austin Chronicle Whether their goal is to nourish the faithful or lure the heathens is not always clear. The only thing that's clear is that The Last Sin Eater serves neither of these higher purposes.

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