The Order

A young priest (Heath Ledger) investigates the death of his mentor, which leads him to a “Sin Eater” (Benno Fürmann), a sort of immortal who commits the heresy of offering salvation outside the ministrations of the Catholic Church. Writer and director Brian Helgeland deserves credit for trying to make a serious horror film that deals with matters of faith without descending to camp or sadism, and there are some creepy, atmospheric moments, but the film is a hopeless mess. The story is as murky and incomprehensible as Nicola Pecorini’s stygian cinematography, and the performances are lugubriously solemn: Shannyn Sossamon as a troubled artist in love with the priest, as an Irish priest and Peter Weller as an American cardinal who (in defiance of all real-world logic) is the frontrunner to be the next pope.