The Messenger

"The Scars of War Will Last Forever."

2009 1h 53m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

🔥

90%

CERTIFIED FRESH

👌

METACRITIC

⭐

7.1

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 502🍅90%Rotten Tomatoes●77Metacritic★7.1IMDB · 38,238

DramaRomanceWar

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Will Montgomery, a U.S. Army Staff Sergeant who has returned home from Iraq, is assigned to the Army’s Casualty Notification service. Montgomery is partnered with Captain Tony Stone, to give notice to the families of fallen soldiers. The Sergeant is drawn to Olivia Pitterson, to whom he has delivered news of her husband’s death.

“The Scars of War Will Last Forever.”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Ben Foster
Will Montgomery
Woody Harrelson
Tony Stone
Jena Malone
Kelly
Eamonn Walker
Stuart Dorsett
Samantha Morton
Olivia Pitterson
Steve Buscemi
Dale Martin
Dale Soules
Cashier
Stevie Ray Dallimore
Kelly's Father

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Oren Moverman
Writers: Alessandro Camon, Oren Moverman
Languages: English, Spanish
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

MONEY

Did you know

Earned back only 25% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

Released 17 years ago.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Oren Moverman, shot by Bobby Bukowski. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Nathan Larson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Alex Hall shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson and Jena Malone carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "The Scars of War Will Last Forever.".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Oren Moverman directs. Bobby Bukowski behind the camera. Nathan Larson scores. Alex Hall cuts. A commercial under-performer on release. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, Spanish.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Earned back only 25% of its budget on initial theatrical — a commercial disappointment on release.
2Released 17 years ago.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, Spanish.
4Directed by Oren Moverman, shot by Bobby Bukowski. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Nathan Larson. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Alex Hall shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Ben Foster and Woody Harrelson and Jena Malone carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "The Scars of War Will Last Forever.".
9IMDB entry: tt0790712 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.