The Order or Did You Want Water to Wash Down Those Sins?

"The term sin-eater refers to a person who, through ritual means, would take on by means of food and drink the sins of a household, often because of a recent death, thus absolving the soul and allowing that person to rest in peace. In the study of folklore sin-eating is considered a form of religious magic." This is the underlying premise of "The Order", a 2003 lesser known film of Heath Ledger's. Made about 2 years after "A Knight's Tale", this reunited most of the cast. Ledger plays Alex Bernier, a Catholic priest belonging to an obscure order focusing of destroying demons, ghosties and things that go bump in the night. Now add in evil prophecies, the "anti-pope" and an arcane tradition from outside the ancient Catholic church, and you get the gist of his story.

Mixing your genres of religious horror and mystery, this is a film that received little acclaim in the box office but has slowly built renown as a cult film. I have really enjoyed this film, and it has made it into my regular rotation. Heath Ledger and Benno Furmann truly offer up great performances, and the supporting cast including Peter Weller really are a joy to behold. So if you are looking for a good horror flick without the blood and gore, but still with a story to keep you on the edge of seat, then go pick this up. I doubt you will be disappointed.

The Order
Written by: Brian Helgeland
Directed by: Brian Helgeland
Starring: Heath Ledger, Benno Furmann, Shannyn Sossamon, Mark Addy, and Peter Weller
Rated: R
Runtime: 102 minutes