Bless the Child

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2:14

Bless the Child

R

2000

1h 47m

Mystery & Thriller

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

4%

Tomatometer

113 Reviews

43%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When Maggie's sister Jenna saddles her with an autistic newborn named Cody she touches Maggie's heart and becomes the daughter she has always longed for. But six years later Jenna suddenly re-enters her life and, with her mysterious new husband, Eric Stark, abducts Cody. Despite the fact that Maggie has no legal rights to Cody, FBI agent John Travis takes up her cause when he realizes that Cody shares the same birthdate as several other recently missing children.

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Critics Consensus

Bless the Child squanders its talented cast on a plot that's more likely to inspire unintentional laughs than shivers.

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Dave McCoy

Seattle Times

Jul 22, 2014

1/4

A biblical "thriller" so predictable and preposterous that everyone involved should be banished to the confessional for their sins.

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Alexander Walker

London Evening Standard

Jul 22, 2014

I don't know if I'm getting more squeamish, or simply less charitable at being exploitatively manipulated and taken for a moron: possibly both. But I think others will share my disgust at several scenes in Bless The Child.

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Marc Savlov

Austin Chronicle

Jun 3, 2013

0/5

A pox on the house of all involved.

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

Nov 30, 2023

3/5

...a fun good-bad movie with some plot points to savour...

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Louis B. Hobson

Jam! Movies

Jul 22, 2014

Bless the Child is unsettling but it is never really terrifying. It's closer to a scary dream than a true nightmare.

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Dennis King

Tulsa World

Jul 22, 2014

This mystical saga of good versus evil gets a very low grade for originality, packing in as it does too many of the same acrane-mysterioso bits of religious imagery, moody thriller gimmicks and climactic machismo antics as the earlier films.

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Dylon R.

@Dylon320 Jan 7, 2026

I believe this movie has been the best horror film in the 2000s. But I know that this movie could’ve had better improvement after 26 years. But what I know in my opinion is that it’s a good movie it’s just the CGI could’ve been more suspenseful. I also know that the actors did a good job with their best roles in this film and the main character I give credit to is Holliston Coleman who was portrayed as “Cody” because what I liked about her character was her telekinesis that was a gift from god. In my opinion, the movie was good and had some improvements with their best roles story and the genre itself. But the other improvements that could’ve been made was CGI and the storyline because that could have improved. Overall, I liked this movie and I know that it could’ve made a good success for the box office but I give credit to this film.

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thiago s

@Thiagostone Dec 3, 2025

Filme fraco, o roteiro é fraco, as cenas são fracas, a história é fraca, o elenco é fraco, e ninguém ajuda a melhorar o filme, os personagens são fracos, e o filme deveria ter cenas bem melhores e relevantes, para fazer o filme ser bom

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John A

@RT76370472 Jul 2, 2024

Great film and while I suppose it's hard to call it a horror the story is good. I honestly think the poor reviews are because it's about God and people hate it, then the over religious nuts will be offended so leaves little room for people who just enjoy a good film. If your not a religious nut or someone who condeems a film because it's has God in it and actually shows good in people then you will enjoy this film.

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Carmel K

@RT06613351 Jan 14, 2024

Guilty pleasure of mine!

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Qasim R

@RT84584345 Feb 9, 2023

This movie has worst VFX .

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Steve D

@RT35616104 Feb 6, 2023

Effective enough but nothing new.

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Chuck Russell

Director

Kim Basinger

Maggie O'Connor

Jimmy Smits

Agent John Travis

Holliston Coleman

Cody

Rufus Sewell

Eric Stark

Angela Bettis

Jenna

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28%

61%

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Bless the Child: Trailer 1

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Bless the Child: Official Clip - She's Special

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Bless the Child: Official Clip - Do You Know Any Tricks, Martin?

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Bless the Child: Official Clip - Subway Chase

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Bless the Child: Official Clip - Rat Problem

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Bless the Child: Official Clip - A Rude Awakening

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Bless the Child: Official Clip - Divine Intervention

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Bless the Child: Official Clip - Do You Believe in The Devil?

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Bless the Child: Official Clip - Thou Shalt Not Kill, Especially Without Bullets

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Bless the Child: Official Clip - Divine Communication

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Synopsis

When Maggie's sister Jenna saddles her with an autistic newborn named Cody she touches Maggie's heart and becomes the daughter she has always longed for. But six years later Jenna suddenly re-enters her life and, with her mysterious new husband, Eric Stark, abducts Cody. Despite the fact that Maggie has no legal rights to Cody, FBI agent John Travis takes up her cause when he realizes that Cody shares the same birthdate as several other recently missing children.

Director: Chuck Russell
Producer: Mace Neufeld
Screenwriter: Thomas Rickman, Ellen Green, Clifford Green, Thomas Rickman
Distributor: Icon Entertainment International, Paramount Pictures
Production Co: Paramount Pictures, Icon Entertainment International, BTC Productions KG
Rating: R (Drug Content|Brief Language|Violence)
Genre: Mystery & Thriller
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Aug 11, 2000, Wide
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 1, 2013
Box Office (Gross USA): $29.4M
Runtime: 1h 47m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital, DTS, Surround
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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