Fallen Movie
Storyline
TAGLINES
Don't trust a soul.
Detective John Hobbes is searching for a criminal he's already met... already caught... and already killed.
Time is on my side....
Det. John Hobbes is convinced that when killer Edgar Reese is executed, all of his troubles are over. But when people he knows and people on the street start to sing the same tune that Reese sang in the gas chamber, and those same people taunt him, he is told that maybe the cursed fallen angel Azazel is behind it all. Azazel is cursed to roam the Earth without a form, and he can switch bodies by any contact, making him hard to track. When Hobbes is forced to kill a man possessed by Azazel, he must clear his name while protecting his family and others from the evil, vengeful Azazel.
| Denzel Washington | John Hobbes |
| John Goodman | Jonesy |
| Donald Sutherland | Lt. Stanton |
| Embeth Davidtz | Gretta Milano |
| James Gandolfini | Lou |
| Elias Koteas | Edgar Reese |
| Gabriel Casseus | Art |
| Michael J. Pagan | Sam |
| Robert Joy | Charles |
| Frank Medrano | Charles' Killer |
| Ronn Munro | Mini-Golf owner |
| Cynthia Hayden | Society woman |
| Ray Xifo | Society man |
| Tony Michael Donnelly | Toby |
| Tara Carnes | Teenage girl |
| Gregory Hoblit |
6.70 out of 10 (14345 votes)
Visitor Reviews
A creepy obscure thriller.
posted on 09 Aug 2009Probably one of the best thrillers of the 90's. Though it has a lot to compete with, with films like The Usual Suspect or Momento. Like those, Fallen has a great plot, and an ending that will keep you asking questions until you've watched the movie over and over again. Not only does it have a great ending and plot, but it's also psychologically scary. Could their be a being as powerful as the one featured in this story? We should hope to god that their isn't.
Aside from it's magnificent plot, this movie also has a great cast, Denzel Washington (who is always good), John Goodman playing a different type of role than usual, and Donald Southerland. Worthy of mention is James Gandolfini who we know as Tony Soprano. These actors worked very well together, to creat in my opinion the best thriller of 1998.
I also very much enjoyed the narration in this film, it's important to the story, and is slightly creepy. It also has some interesting quotes that you'll find yourself repeating.
Deffinately worth a look, you'll love the ending, the acting, and the all around great plot.
FALLEN (Gregory Hoblit, 1998) ***
posted on 06 Aug 2009Intriguing cop thriller on SEVEN (1995) lines but with supernatural overtones; this element, however, makes for a far-fetched and, ultimately, unconvincing plot - with the demon passing from one body to another merely through touch, which somehow renders him less threatening than he should be...and, in any case, he's seemingly bent solely on discrediting the hero (which makes his belated 'possession' of him all the more baffling)!; with this in mind, the film misleads one into thinking that the hero turns out to be an 'angel'! Still, Nicholas Kazan's script features enough twists to ensure an above-average show - and, for all its lack of the expected special effects (and for which one is actually grateful), the battle-of-wills between hero and villain (or, if you like, Man and The Devil) is certainly engaging and results in a few undeniably effective moments. The cast (Denzel Washington, John Goodman, Donald Sutherland, Embeth Davidtz, James Gandolfini) is pretty good, even if the performances are somewhat mannered i.e. you know you're watching actors rather than 'real' people. The climax is well done and also quite clever in its surprising identification of the narrator figure - even if the final, albeit amusing, twist feels like one too many trips to the well! All things considered, well worth watching.
Good, not great
posted on 28 Jun 2009Really minor spoiler near the end.Picture this: Take John Carpenter's "The Thing", set it in the big city, change the alien to a demon and turn MacReedy into a cop. Now make the characters less interesting and remove all the gore and most of the suspense. If you can picture all that, you'd be picturing Fallen. Denzel Washington plays his typical cop role, which by this point he has completely mastered and does a great job at it. The plot was pretty interesting, though derivative of more than just The Thing. Kept my attention though, despite moving very slowly in the middle. Aside from Washington's character, nobody has any depth to them. Though well acted, I wish they would have got more into Donald Sutherland's character, in my opinion that was a waste of a good performance. The ending is great, I like how it made you think there wouldn't be a twist right up until it was revealed. All in all this film has it's flaws, but was definitely worth the $7 I paid for it.6.5/10
More Than Your Average Supernatural Suspense Thriller!
posted on 11 May 2009After my initial viewing of the movie, Fallen, I knew that I had just seen a brilliant film. However, I did have a few questions, mostly concerning plot holes and things of that nature, so I immediately watched the parts in question again and found that everything ties in nicely with very few, if any, plot holes. If there are, I can not find them.John Hobbes (Denzel Washington) is a homicide detective who apprehended a killer named Reese, who is put to death for his crimes. Upon witnessing his execution, Hobbes continues on with his life until similar murders happen to catch his attention. It turns out that Reese was possessed by the demon, Azazel. Azazel is able to transfer himself from human to human simply by touching them, in most cases. So Azazel eventually finds himself a human host and begins another murder trail, confusing detectives by killing someone and leaving his hosts fingerprints and other evidence, then switching bodies and killing his previous host. As you can see, this can wreak havoc on a detective trying to solve these murders. Luckily, Azazel is more interested in exacting revenge on Hobbes than keeping his game a secret and lets Hobbes in on it, which is where the movie really takes off.The directing and camera work in this movie was superb. It was done in such a way where you can see Azazel's spirit go from person to person simply by following the camera up and down the crowd and watching the subtle touches one makes in a normal walk about town.Although this movie does require your full attention, it does not go unrewarded and you are not left at the end scratching your head wondering what had happened for the past 2 hours. All the answers to your questions are in there and that is why I think this movie is way above average. Why I have not heard of this movie before is beyond me. I think maybe the title came across as a bit generic, which the film is anything but. It comes highly recommended by me. 9.5/10
Very well-done little thriller
posted on 29 Apr 2009I could refer to this film as a "supernatural" thriller, and yet the beauty of it is precisely that it does not recur to grand visual effects to set and maintain its atmosphere of mystery, suspense, even horror. It tells the story of a police detective and an elusive serial killer, subtly but firmly injecting doses of Christian demonology and eschatology in the process. In the end, the filmmakers do allow themselves a bit of fantasy... I was irked by their selection of a cat as demon familiar, bypassing the top choice of a serpent. But then, a serpent is not very likely to come slithering by on a snowy winter evening in the deep woods of Canada, right? That would have ruined the casual, everyday tone of the film.
Horrible
posted on 08 Apr 2009This movie, in my opinion.......is horrible. The way it was represented was very typical (I think) and the ending was one of the things that might have did just for the fact of doing it. There was no suspense and the "commonality" of these movies.Sowwry, just dissapointed (i'm really confused why it is that directors would make movies for just money....i'm just hoping this is where it is not leading)
Routine thriller with an unusual premise
posted on 12 Mar 2009FALLEN Aspect ratio: 2.39:1 (Panavision)Sound formats: Dolby Digital / DTS / SDDSGregory Hoblit's FALLEN is a routine thriller with an unusual premise. Denzel Washington plays a workaday cop who's pursued by a fallen angel which takes possession of its victim's bodies simply by touching them. The potential for greatness is realised only fleetingly: The multiple possession which takes place in front of Washington at police HQ; the moment he's forced to kill an innocent man to save his own life; and the deeply cynical final twist which may leave some viewers with a rotten taste in the mouth. Otherwise, the film isn't terribly engaging. The villain is depicted as an ethereal presence which fails to generate any sense of real menace at all. In fact, Washington is the whole show here, and he's suitably earnest, but he seems to be cruising on autopilot, and John Goodman is largely wasted as his detective-partner. The emphasis on characterisation yields some interesting results (Washington's caring relationship with his mentally-handicapped brother is a particular highlight), but the film doesn't have the guts to RUN with its outrageous premise. A little less pandering to Washington's star status and a little more outright horror could have made all the difference.
Immensley entertaining supernatural thriller with a good central performance.
posted on 22 Feb 2009Fallen may look like your average thriller, but it's not. Especially for people who like demon flicks, however it's entertaining even for men who like seeing things blowing up and bullets blazing away at every corner. Denzel Washington gives a provoking show, definitely not your average cop performance. He easily mix and matches with one-liners and soothing sleekness, which makes you hope he will be in the next shot. The plot is beautifully transmitted into the movie, giving the audience time to think with John Hobbes, the unlucky cop who ends up dealing with a sly demon named Azazel. The unusual situation never drifts away too much from reality, and the showdown is the most satisfying ever, especially with its surprising climax. Overall an excellent movie and extremely entertaining.Contains moderate violence/gore and profanity and mild sex/nudity.
Very good and original
posted on 17 Jan 2009This is a really good mix-up of horror and thriller with a lot of surprises and a very good staging up until the bitter end.The movie also contains one of the best chase scenes that I have ever seen.I will not say more because that I am afraid to spoil something for you except that Denzel Washington is great in this film and that I think you should see it-If you dare. (WARNING! PEOPLE WHO ARE PARANOID AND THINK THAT THEIR FRIENDS ARE SOMEONE THAT THEY DIDN'T THINK THEY WERE THEN DON'T SEE THIS FILM)
Excellent...
posted on 18 Dec 2008I first saw this movie in the theater when it was released several years ago and have recently seen it again, for only the second time, after I purchased it on VHS...it is definitely the kind of film that you will want to own and watch multiple times.The story line is original and unique, something that cannot be said very often about major films with big name stars. The biblical/supernatural angle was interesting and done with respect and accuracy to those who may have some knowledge of Scripture and the basis for demos and fallen angels. Having said that, the thing I liked most about this movie was the way it played on ultimate, eternal questions in such a way as those of us in modern times would realistically deal with them. In other words, this isn't some kind of epic cartoon movie.Denzel Washington, as always, is solid and unbeleivably liekable in this film. I feel it is one of his more powerful performances, which is saying something. James Gandolfini, while not the megastar he is today (this was pre-Sopranos), gives an excellent performance as Denzel's love 'em/hate'em polie companion and John goodman is fantastic as the loyal partner. As if these performances werem't enough, we are treated to a strong supporting role by Donald Sutherland, who seems to buoy any movie that he is in as well as a phenomenal performance by Ms. Davidtz, who essentially becomes her character. To me, the greatest compliment that can be paid an actor is to feel, when watching the performance, that you are watching the true character/person who is bering portrayed. Davidtz's character is played to perfection, with an understatement of th eimplied romance with Denzel Washington's character while never losing sight/beleivability as a person who knows some things most humans don't know about what is around us...and maybe we aren't supposed to know.Recommend highly!!
So-so creepy thriller
posted on 15 Dec 2008For some reason, the more I watch this film, the more I like it. Therefore, if were to write about it again in a years time, the above one line summary would probably be promoted to 'Fine creepy thriller'. Therefore, here follows as balanced a review as I can make it.
The reasons I like it consist of a combination of elements- Washington's sturdy (as always) performance; the two darkly appropriate Rolling Stones songs which bookend the film; the final twist(without wanting to spoil it, I'll just say I don't like happy endings so this pleased me..); an original idea for a serial killer movie; the (unfortunately short) appearance of the underrated Elias Koteas; and some good claustrophobic scenes, notably where Gretta Milano is running down the street, or where Hobbes is standing outside the police station.However, there are also a multitude of reasons why, for me, it fell short of the mark. There were too many unnecessary supporting characters (Gandolfini, Sutherland); it seemed to go in one direction with Hobbes investigating the murders of previous 'hosts', then veered off in another direction entirely, alienating the audience; the
villain(s) failed to generate real menace; as I said before, an original idea- but not handled very well; the film went on for too long; and personally, I just can't accept any ex-cast member of Roseanne in 'serious' roles(sorry Mr.Goodman, but stick with the Coen Brothers), which is also probably why I hated Scream 2 and Poison Ivy (although Johnny Galecki actually was good in I know what you did last Summer;sorry I seem to have gone off in a tangent)....So there you go, you either like it or you loathe it- worth a look if you're a fan of the genre. But beware, on the video cover, it promises a 'Se7en style' chiller- this is nowhere as good as Se7en.
Fallen, BAH!
posted on 12 Dec 2008We actually found the widescreen version of Fallen (1998) and hoping for a decent horror offering from the 90's we bought the tape and ran home to watch it. This movie stars Denzel Washington and John Goodman trying to stop a serial killer (who may be a fallen angel) from continuing his reign of terror. Very interesting. We do have a few complaints though. Firstly, why do most current films run too long? This film ran at a painful 125 minutes and could have been done in 80. Secondly, who writes this cheese? Granted, Fallen had a few clever moments but overall had no gore, no suspense and a boring storyline. Lastly, why does Denzel come off on screen as being a self-serving idiot? Who knows. Either way, this movie is good to watch but you'll find yourself wishing for the days of Jason or Freddy and real horror movies. Good ending however!
Horrible direction (some spoilers)
posted on 09 Nov 2008When there is a movie with an excellent cast of very famous actors that you've somehow never heard of, it's usually a good bet that the movie is terrible. Unfortunately, I disregarded this time-honored rule and watched this movie starring Denzel Washington, John Goodman, and Donald Sutherland. I usually have faith in Denzel to guide me to a decent movie, but he let me down with this one. I haven't yet posted here to completely pan a movie, but I felt a responsibility to warn you about this one.The movie has a relatively intriguing premise and not terrible writing, but it is totally ruined by pretentious, obnoxious direction. I was surprised to see that this director was the same guy who did Primal Fear, but then it all kind of made sense. This movie, like Primal Fear, is very full of its own importance, with "edgy" camera angles, melodramatic music and over-the-top acting. UNLIKE Primal Fear, the story is not entertaining enough to legitimize this melodrama. Instead you get a plot that is garbled and unintelligible and really doesn't have much to say. It's pretty much the fault of the director, in my opinion.The basic story is that some spirit named "Azazil" is able to transfer from body to body (we're not really ever told convincingly HOW this happens, or why - sometimes it appears to be at will and then sometimes not). "Azazil" has no real apparent motivation for wanting to wipe out the human race, except that he is ancient and pretty angry. This can still be entertaining in a scary movie that is directed well. Unfortunately, this is not such a movie. The director spends so much time trying to make the hokey plot seem "smart" that the story trips all over itself. Large parts of the plot that would be better left in to explain things seem to have been cut out, and events get laughably confusing and stupid. Yet the movie continues with a tone that would make you think the director and all its participants believe they are delivering the most meaningful movie since Citizen Kane. The end result of all the hokeyness is that Denzel Washington gets framed for various crimes. He then spends most of the last half of the movie yelling at "Azazil" (who we, and Denzel, of course cannot see most of the time, and who jumps rapidly from body to body). The camera angles and styles used to demonstrate "Azazil's" movement give the viewer a major headache. I stuck through it to see if there would be an interesting ending. There was not. Suffice it to say that John Goodman, when possessed by Azazil, is NOT scary. And the VERY end of the movie is GROANINGLY dumb - to the point that both my husband and I (who rarely agree on movies) both *actually* groaned.The only reason I gave this movie 2 stars instead of 1 is because Denzel tried so hard.
A much better terror movie than I expected.
posted on 07 Oct 2008Excellent concept, fine script, and super, underplayed acting all add up to one of the truly scary movies of the decade. Doesn't rely on special effects or gimmicks, but the plausibly presented concept that consummate evil can occupy any body it chooses.
Not what I expected
posted on 10 Sep 2008The first time I saw this movie, I had major problems figuring out what was going on. It was especially difficult in the first part of the movie, with several scenes that didn't make any sense at all. Because of this, I thought the movie sucked big time. Then, I decided to give this film a second chance. Some of the scenes that didn't make any sense before now did, but it's too bad that you have to watch a movie twice to get the whole picture. Anyway, I really didn't like the direction the movie took. At first, it could be an OK thriller, but with all this supernatural stuff it just got dumb. And about the ending: I can understand why some people think it's so great, but in my opinion it's not very good. In fact, I got really disappointed. Sorry.
Damn good!
posted on 29 Aug 2008Although it received mixed reactions from critics and audiences alike when released in 1998, this supernatural thriller benefits from a sustained atmosphere of anticipation and dread, and its combination of detective mystery and demonic mischief is handled with ample style and intelligence. Under the direction of Gregory Hoblit (who fared better with Primal Fear), Denzel Washington plays detective John Hobbes, who witnesses the gas-chamber execution of a serial killer (Elias Koteas). But when another series of murders begins, Hobbes suspects that the killer's evil spirit has survived and is possessing the bodies of others to do its evil bidding. Even Hobbes's trusted partner (John Goodman) thinks the detective is losing his grip on reality, but the dire warnings of a noted linguist (Embeth Davidtz) confirm Hobbes's far-out theory, and his case intensifies toward a fateful showdown. Although its idea is better than its execution, and the story's film noir ambitions are never fully accomplished, this slickly directed thriller has some genuinely effective moments in which evil forces are entwined into the fabric of everyday reality. Among the highlights is a memorable scene in which Detective Hobbes must track the killer as the evil spirit is transferred between many people via physical contact. Even if the film is ultimately less than the sum of its parts, it's an intriguing hybrid that resides in the same cinematic neighborhood as Seven and The Silence of the Lambs with a cast that also includes Donald Sutherland and James Gandolfini. Included on the DVD is a full-length audio commentary by director Hoblit, screenwriter Nicholas Kazan, and producer Charles Roven.
Supernatural Thriller
posted on 23 Aug 2008Fallen is a 1998 offering from Greggory Hoblit and Nicholas Kazan. The plot is loosely based on an amalgamation of Chrstian mysticism. It sees Denzel Washington locked in what appears to be a hopeless battle with a sadistic fallen Angel, Azazel. The film starts with some promise. It has a reasonable cast with a charismatic big name star. The rest of the film does not live up to the opening. The plot seems thin and ill thought out. It drags needlessly, lacking depth or imagination. Even with a weak plot one feels that the film could have been better. The execution was poor. A poor script eroded the films believability. The characters lacked charm and failed to interact like human beings. The dialogue was stiff and stilted. Character reactions were frequently risable. It was difficult to tell if much of the dialogue was intended to be tounge in cheek. Whether they were or they were not, they did not arouse mirth in the audience. Likewise the direction was not strong. Whilst not as bad as the scripting it was frequently annoying. The blurred demon-cam shots were both cliche and just a pain. They were over used and therefore added little to the suspense. Likewise the audience did not really need it sign posted whenever Washington was about to be attacked. The execution of the ending was smug. The ending was also predictable.
What's more is that the audience simply do not care by the end anyway.
Their seems little left to fight fore. The demon seemed undefeatable and remained so throughout the film.This film will appeal to you if you like pseudo-religious fantasy ala Stigmata or Prophecy. It may also appeal to you if you like ghost plots.
For the neutral viewer you'd probably be best to look elsewhere for an entertaining film.
In 5 Lines or Less - "Fallen" (Movie Review)
posted on 30 Jul 2008I finally got around to watching this "off the beaten track" gem.Denzel Washington was in fine form years ago as the confused yet strong black man, who finally figures it out - a role he has reprised so many times (Pelican Brief, Out of Time, Manchurian Candidate, and most recently in Deja Vu).What impressed me was the boldness of the story/writers to colour outside the lines with the narrative.This boldness was further demonstrated by the director in the decision to allow the strength of the concept to dominate the presentation, instead of some flashy gimmicky special effects (although in fairness, this may have been a default position due to lack of budget - discretion, it seems, remains the better part of valour.) Heartily recommended for anyone looking to engage a slightly alternative story for a couple of hours - you'll find that "time is on (your) side"!
Rare combination
posted on 30 Jul 2008This movie is a rare combination of outstanding acting and compelling writing. As always Denzel Washington is amazing and John Goodman turns out to be the perfect foil for Denzel's intensity. The story is very intriguing and well paced and there are a number of interesting recurring motifs strewn throughout the movie. The writer managed to avoid the common pitfalls of the genre by nicely balancing foreshadowing and suspense to create a story that is worthy of multiple viewings. Any fan of Denzel or supernatural thrillers should definitely take a look at this movie. One thing I really appreciated about the movie is it minimized the love story aspect which plagues most movies. There is what appears to a fledgling love story but it is undeveloped and plays almost no role in the movie.
A very good movie that nobody saw.
posted on 12 Aug 2009This is my 2nd viewing of The Fallen. I saw it 2001 & where I really enjoyed it I must have been preoccupied because I didn't remember much more than the basics. I remembered it as a Sci-Fi movie & forgot many of the scenes etc. But that was to my advantage on the second viewing as it was a lot of fun to see again. I wouldn't want to spoil the movie by explaining my favorite scenes & who would care anyway, but it was just creepy & supernatural enough to please & make watching fun. I'm surprised it didn't make a bigger splash than it did as the acting was first rate ( no Hamlet, but WTF!? ) & there were some big names in this movie. As far as the ending, I was happy with it! I get so tired of happy endings where everything gets sewn up into a neat package. Good guys win over evil, blah, blah, boring! Not everything is what you think it is right to the end. Very subtle & very well done. If they could do a sequel, which I normally hate, & do it well, Id like to see it.