Movie · 2009 · Drama, Romance · 1h 53m · R · English
Curator score: 6.0/10 (51.8K ratings)
The Scars of War Will Last Forever.
Overview
Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who has returned home from Iraq, is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Montgomery is partnered with Captain Tony Stone, to give notice to the families of fallen soldiers. The Sergeant is drawn to Olivia Pitterson, to whom he has delivered news of her husband’s death.
Ratings
Curator score: 6.0/10
IMDb: 7.1/10
Letterboxd: 3.52/5
Rotten Tomatoes: 90%
Metacritic: 77
TMDB: 6.8/10
Director
Oren Moverman
Production
Oscilloscope
Cast
Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Jena Malone, Eamonn Walker, Samantha Morton, Steve Buscemi, Dale Soules, Stevie Ray Dallimore, Michael Chernus, Yaya DaCosta, Marceline Hugot, Lindsay Michelle Nader, Gaius Charles, Brendan Sexton III, Peter Francis James, Halley Feiffer, Peter Friedman, Jeremy Strong, Fiona Dourif, Kevin Hagan
Where to watch
fuboTV, Philo, OVID, Cineverse
Curator Review
Verdict
A raw, understated war drama built around the emotional labor of casualty notification, with standout performances from Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson. It’s more compelling as a character study than as a conventional romance, and its restraint will appeal to viewers who like grief-driven, morally complicated dramas.
Best for
fans of intimate postwar dramas
viewers interested in military life and grief
people who appreciate strong two-hander performances
audiences drawn to restrained, emotionally heavy storytelling
Skip if
you want a plot-heavy war movie
you dislike dry, minimalist drama
you need a strong romance subplot
you prefer films with a more overt political stance
Overview
The Messenger is at its best when it stays close to the ritual and emotional toll of notifying families of battlefield deaths. Those scenes are devastating, and the film understands that the real drama is not combat but the aftermath: the numb repetition, the awkward professionalism, and the private damage carried by the messengers themselves.
Worth noting
Ben Foster gives one of his most quietly wounded performances, while Woody Harrelson brings rough-edged humanity and unexpected warmth. Their chemistry gives the film its pulse, even when the surrounding material feels a little uneven or underdeveloped.
Bottom line
Oren Moverman’s approach is restrained, sometimes to a fault, but that restraint also keeps the film from becoming sentimental or preachy. It’s a serious, humane movie about grief, duty, and the strange intimacy of delivering terrible news, with enough emotional force to linger after the credits.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Ben Kelly (3★) · 100 likes
All the casualty notification scenes are very impactful, but it’s the rest of the movie around that is struggling to remain interesting
Christina Reynolds (4★) · 65 likes
𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆. 𝑳𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒎𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒆 𝒂𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒏.
The Messenger is a 2009 war drama film starring Ben Foster, Woody Harrelson, Samantha Morton, Steve Buscemi, and Jena Malone. It is the directorial debut of Oren Moverman, who also wrote the screenplay with Alessandro Camon.After being injured in Iraq, soldier Will Montgomery (Ben Foster) returns home to finish the rest of his tour of duty in the Army's Casualty Notification service. Teamed with… more
Mike S (3.5★) · 60 likes
Informing people that their children have died in a war is an unfortunate reality and The Messenger tackles this subject. The premise of the film and the plot is quite fascinating, but I can't help the feeling more could've been done with it. There are moments of brilliance in this film that highligh the talents of Ben Foster (this guy is so underused in Hollywood) and Woody Harrelson. Both turn in great performances, but it does not totally make up for the somewhat lacklustre or underwhelming narrative of The Messenger.
Ryan Bingham (3.5★) · 33 likes
Why isn't this film talked about more? Foster and Harrelson are terrific together. The gambit of emotions they both have to act through is incredible. Their chemistry is amazing. I wish the entire film was just the two of them. The romances that permeate through this just feel unneeded. I don't understand why films feel the need to do this. If they have something that works, why throw in romance for no real reason? It happens too often. Besides that this film has so many great aspects. Many of the scenes are extremely heartbreaking while at the same time heartwarming. Great film.
Sean Cordy (4.5★) · 32 likes
"Sometimes people leave nice things behind."
Two is the number, the number of times I legitimately cried. It’s so raw, so emotional and captivating that the director leaves you no choice but to wear his wonderful movie on your sleeves. The performances, screenplay, storyline, direction are all top notch and eloquently done – without a political agenda! It’s all about the people here, not about America, or an attack on the military. It’s not jingoistic in the slightest.
Oren Moverman… more