THE MESSENGERS **

This horror film has the advantage of a better than average cast for a movie of this genre. The father is Dylan McDermott, the mother is Penelope Ann Miller, the daughter is Kristen Stewart (Zathura and The Panic Room) and the hired hand is John Corbett (Northern Exposure). There's also a little boy but he hardly speaks and is portrayed by twins in any event.

The plot is fairly predictable. A city family moves to an isolated farm to get a fresh start but discovers country life isn't all they thought it would be. The small boy sees ghosts but is too young to appreciate that might not be a good thing. The daughter senses something is wrong but can't convince her parents to listen to her and hit the road. The farm hand is the solid, dependable type who fits right in with the family.

If I go much further I'll give away the entire plot. The production values and directing are fine. There are several scary moments which should make for a good date picture. Plus, any film that has both a raven trainer and a bug wrangler has something going for it. Still, it's a by-the-book horror film so don't get your hopes too high.