Movie Info:
Writer: John Travis, Rebecca Sonnenshine
Director: Mickey Liddell
Cast: Haley Bennett, Jake Weber, Chace Crawford, Shannon Marie Woodward, Shanna Collins, AnnaLynne McCord, Marin Hinkle, Nina Siemaszko, Josh Stewart, Jessica Lowndes, Randy Wayne
Rating: PG-13
Studio: 20th Century Fox

Release Info:
Theatrical Release: October 31, 2008
DVD Release Date: February 24, 2009
Online Availability: Amazon for $19.99

When i hear a title such as The Haunting of Molly Hartley, I think the movie is going to be a horror flick. Well, it wasn’t horror. It was just plain horrible. Initially, The Haunting of Molly Hartley makes a great thriller movie. The plot was set up to be great. This movie could have and should have been brilliant, but due to poor directing and a crappy ending, it ends up being nothing more than a piece of rubbish.

I feel bad for the cast. With the exception of AnnaLynne McCord, who plays the same Naomi-ish character in everything she’s in, the acting is spot on. I recognized much of the cast from past television and movie roles. We have Nate from Gossip Girl, more than one actor from the new 90210, and even someone from License to Drive. The acting isn’t the problem. A lesser cast would have made the movie virtually unwatchable. Unfortunately, the talented cast is left with a movie that ends poorly and isn’t worth watching.

Going into The Haunting of Molly Hartley I was prepared for some jumpiness. I thought this was more of a horror film. It is actually a thriller type of film, with the protagonist, Molly Hartley, being haunted, in a way. Still, even the haunting isn’t all that scary. The real scary part is the religious freak, Alexis (Shanna Collins, Swingtown). Collins is pretty darn ugly to begin with, and she plays a Jesus freak that goes beyond being religious. Her personal relationship with Jesus bordered on obsession. Now that scared me!

Still, The Haunting of Molly Hartley has so VERY much potential. This could have been very creepy, based on the plotline. The movie never gets there and then it has a 90210-esque ending, which ruins the entire film. It’d be like ending a Friday the 13th film with a Disney-style ending. The climax of the movie just sort of ebbs over into this nothingness that should be resolution, but that never happens. I felt like I was watching a commercial for Laguna Beach or some equally as uninteresting television series. Had I seen scenes from the ending in the trailer, I wouldn’t have bothered with this film.

The Haunting of Molly Hartley Plot
The Haunting of Molly Hartley starts with a scene that happens in 1997. Laurel Miller (Jessica Lowndes, 90210) is following a rope with sticky notes attached to it. The notes urge her to go just a bit further into the woods. She ends up in an abandoned shack where she is startled by her boyfriend, Michael (Randy Wayne). At first, she is mad he scared her, but then he gives her a present. It’s a silver necklace with a heart on it. The heart is made up of diamonds. It’s for her birthday, which is just a few days away.

When Laurel’s dad shows up, she leaves with him. He’s mad she’s talking to Michael, someone he told her not to hang around. Laurel’s dad is acting weird. He starts driving faster and begins speaking cryptically. He knows what Laurel is and he can’t let her turn 18. After getting them in a car accident, he stabs Laurel with a shard of glass from the review mirror, killing her instead of allowing her to turn the dreaded 18.

The movie fast forwards to present day. Molly Hartley (Haley Bennett) is having bad dreams. That day is her first day at a new, private prep school. Molly gets excellent grades, but it is obvious she’s been through a traumatic experience. She’s expected to go see the school counselor during her sixth period. Molly is shown around the school and to her classes by Alexis. Alexis is only at the school because she received a scholarship. She’s also made fun of because she’s a Jesus freak who isn’t afraid to share her love of God.

At the school, Molly meets the mean girl, Suzie (AnnaLynne McCord, 90210), the rebel, Leah (Shannon Marie Woodward), and the hot guy (aka Suzie’s man), Joseph Young (Chace Crawford, Gossip Girl). I find it hilarious that he shares his name with the lead character in Orgazmo. I wonder if that’s intentional? Anyway, I digress, Molly is hearing weird voices. She’s getting nose bleeds and she’s freaking out, in general. Joseph wants to be her friend (or more), but so does Alexis, who is desperate to get Molly saved.

It isn’t long before we learn that Molly’s mom is in the loony bin. She’s been put in Clayton Hospital, on the edge of the town where Molly has just moved, after stabbing Molly in the chest and attempting to kill her. Her dad, Robert (Jake Weber, Dawn of the Dead – Dangerous Beauty – In Too Deep) is trying to hold the family together, but Molly is convinced her mom will be getting out and succeeding at killing her. Like Laurel before her, Molly’s mom cryptically spoke about knowing what she was and not letting her turn 18.

Molly goes through a series of events in her life. She begins therapy with Dr. Emerson (Nina Siemaszko, License to Drive), who is on her side. She undergoes a surgical procedure to remove a benign tumor in her brain. She also must deal with nose bleeds, constant voices in her head, and thoughts that she’s actually seen her mother despite her father insisting she’s been locked up and can’t get out. As Molly struggles, her 18th birthday approaching, she must deal with choosing to be saved by Alexis, dealing with Suzie who won’t let go of Joseph and having a romantic relationship with Joseph, a guy who seems to own the entire town thanks to his parentage.

Storyline/Plot:
Replayability:
Acting:
Directing:

Audio/Visual:
It’s impossible to comment on the quality of Molly Hartley because we were sent a watermarked screener for review. What that means is that, while we know that the aspect ratio is 1.78:1 and anamorphic widescreen is used, we don’t know much else. The watermarks have a tendency to be annoying and while not horrible, I doubt that the screener was representative of the actual quality the official version will contain.

The same goes for the audio. Currently what is available is a basic version of Dolby Digital 5.1 though it goes without saying that Fox could add some bells and whistles to the final release. In addition to the English track there is a Dolby Digital 2.0 track in Spanish and subtitles in Spanish and English.

Bonus Features:
There are not too many special features available to go along with Molly Hartley. Along with a theatrical trailer there is six minutes worth of “Interviews” that are absolutely interesting, in the sense that the questions aren’t that amusing, but the actors and directors seem so thoughtful during the process. The interviewees include Haley Bennett, Shanna Collins, AnnaLynne McCord, and director Mickey Liddell.

Bonus Features:

Bottom Line:
The Haunting of Molly Hartley was a somewhat well acted, but otherwise disappointing film. The writing flaws could have been fixed, but the director needs to be put to sleep. I know what he was trying to get at, but his message was completely lost by incompetent direction. If you’re going to watch this, I highly recommend renting this first to save yourself the trouble of learning that you hate it. Some people might end up liking this, little kids for example, but the majority of adults, horror fans, and thriller fans will be disgusted by this movie when all is said and done.

Overall Rating:

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