Quartile rating: 5.5/10 · 1 rating
For centuries, a secret Order of priests has existed within the Church. A renegade priest, Father Alex Bernier, is sent to Rome to investigate the mysterious death of one of the Order's most revered members. Following a series of strangely similar killings, Bernier launches an investigation that forces him to confront unimaginable evil.
The Order has an intriguing premise built around the concept of a 'sin eater' — a theologically rich and genuinely unusual idea — but the execution fumbles badly. The plot meanders and fails to build coherent tension, with underdeveloped character motivations and a muddled mystery that never pays off satisfyingly. Heath Ledger delivers a competent but muted performance, while the supporting cast is largely wasted. Rome provides atmospheric cinematography that is above average for the genre, capturing the city's grandeur and shadows effectively. The sin-eater mythology gives the film some genuine novelty, but it's undermined by a generic thriller structure. The ending is particularly weak, resolving the theological intrigue in a disappointing and rushed fashion that left audiences cold, contributing to the film's poor reception.