The Last Sin Eater

A Christian-themed movie that carries an overt religious message but is mostly a curious tale of 19th-century backwoods cultism, the protagonist of Michael Landon Jr.'s The Last Sin Eater—based on the novel by Francine Rivers—is a 10-year-old girl named Cadi Forbes (Liana Liberato), a member of a Welsh immigrant community in the Appalachians. Governed by a brutal autocrat, the group has selected one person to serve as their “sin eater,” compelled to live a solitary life in the wild, returning only when locals die to take their sins upon himself and thus “save” their souls. Cadi learns of the sin eater's existence after the death of her beloved grandmother, and—herself racked with guilt over the death of her younger sister—decides to seek him out for “absolution.” The effort brings her into contact with an outcast woman (who was once the sin eater's fiancée), as well as the autocrat's young son, who becomes her confederate. Eventually the other proselytizing shoe falls, when an angel appears to lead the children to a Christian missionary who teaches them—and ultimately the rest of the community—that Jesus is the only true sin eater. As cinema, The Last Sin Eater is a threadbare production marked by mediocre acting and flaccid direction, but what's really unconvincing is its overly simplistic depiction of the process of conversion. Although sincere, the film is likely to disappoint even the most fervent believer. Not recommended. [Note: DVD extras include a 21-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, five deleted scenes (9 min.), and trailers. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (F. Swietek)