Every week, Shelf Life sees Tom White select and talk about a movie that lives on his DVD shelf, one he thinks we should all see.
Long before the McConaissance, Matthew McConaughey existed in a wasteland of romantic comedy fluff, his considerable talents wasted by the actor being typecast as the romantic lead of choice. But in 2002, just before the is new career path could take hold, came Frailty, a dark psychological thriller that marked a very impressive directorial debut from Bill Paxton, and, is in fact, a true forgotten gem in both mens back catalogue.
Even though his name and face being all over the promotional material for Frailty, McConaughey's role, as Fenton Meiks, in this is quite small for the most part, acting more as a framing device as he tells the story of his childhood in a small Texas town with his younger brother and deeply religious father (Paxton), and how this all relates to the 'God's hand' serial killer wreaking havoc in present day. This is where the meat of the story lies, with Paxton's Dad Meiks (we're never given a first name) believing God has chosen him to rid the world of demons, brandishing him with an axe called Otis, a lead pipe, a pair of insulated gloves, and a list of people to complete the task. For all intents and purposes, he has gone mad, but Paxton plays the role with such an intensity and fevered belief in his task (to him he doesn't murder his victims, he destroys the demon they've become) that you are left guessing that the visions he receives when putting his victims, all unseen by us of course, are real or not. The movie moves forward with this fantastic premise, built on a sturdy foundation of unrelenting tension, as the young Fenton (Matt O'Leary) and younger brother Adam (Jeremy Sumpter) look on, horrified and enamoured respectively. Even though he is brutally 'destroying' people with an axe, Dad Meiks' devotion to his children is undeniably sweet, his reaction to Adam's own list, full of classmates who bully him, showing him in full on Dad Mode, and being one of the movies best scene. As Fenton's attempts to reveal his fathers madness to the public become bolder and bolder, Paxton's performance becomes increasingly more tortured, making you really feel for the character, who, despite what he does to complete strangers in the basement, is a good man and father.
Frailty's a dysfunctional family drama of the highest order, and the script from Brent Hanley really explores the extent of religious fanaticism in a realistic way, one that stays with you long after the credits roll. The story thunders forward, dropping a number of twists and turns along the way, towards a fantastically tense finale where all the story treads, both seen and unseen, are tied together beautifully. Despite limited screen time, McConaughey is incredibly important to the story, and he puts in a wonderful performance as the broken older Fenton, conveying the toll years of keeping his family's secret has had on him.
Despite been forgotten by almost everybody, Frailty was released to not only mainly positive reviews, but high praise from Stephen King, James Cameron, and Sam Raimi, who called it the "most frightening horror picture I've seen since The Shining". High praise indeed, and proof that Frailty deserves to be one underrated gem that deserves to be on your your shelf.
