Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- foreboding
- disturbing
- tense
- halloween horror night
- late night horror viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regarded the film as a derivative and ineffective supernatural horror thriller, finding its scares weak and its plot increasingly implausible.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Lillith is introduced as an abused ten-year-old before Emily discovers that her innocence is an elaborate threat.
Social worker Emily Jenkins removes Lillith from her parents and continues protecting her despite increasingly alarming evidence.
The story moves through offices, homes, a cityscape, and a mental institution while supernatural violence invades familiar environments.
Emily’s social-work investigation, Detective Mike Barron’s involvement, and the accumulating clues gradually expose the case’s supernatural dimension.
Films like Case 39, and why
Orphan
supernatural horror centered on a seemingly vulnerable child whose hidden nature threatens adults
The Omen
psychological supernatural horror involving an apparently innocent child, family danger, and escalating domestic dread
The Good Son
child-centered supernatural horror with an adult protector confronting a malevolent force in an ordinary setting
Movie Details
- Director
- Christian Alvart
- Release Date
- 2009-08-13
- Runtime
- 109 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (2445)
Cast
- Renée Zellweger
- Jodelle Ferland
- Ian McShane
- Bradley Cooper
- Adrian Lester
- Kerry O'Malley
- Callum Keith Rennie
- Cynthia Stevenson
- Alexander Conti
- Philip Cabrita
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Case 39 about?
- A compassionate social worker risks everything to protect a rescued girl whose apparent innocence masks a terrifying supernatural threat.
- What is Case 39 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Case 39 as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Case 39 violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Case 39 as graphic.
- What did critics think of Case 39?
- Critics broadly regarded the film as a derivative and ineffective supernatural horror thriller, finding its scares weak and its plot increasingly implausible.
- Which films are like Case 39?
- Films with a similar feel include Orphan, The Omen, and The Good Son.
- How long is Case 39?
- Case 39 runs 109 minutes.
- Where can I watch Case 39?
- In United States, Case 39 streams on fuboTV, Paramount Plus Premium, Paramount Plus Essential, Paramount+ Amazon Channel, Paramount+ Roku Premium Channel.
