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Woody Harrelson’s 'The Messenger' Deserved Better When It Released
MovieWebStory by Rachel Johnson
scrn logline
Woody Harrelson's powerful wartime drama 'The Messenger' deserved more acclaim upon its initial release, now primed for a critical reappraisal.
beat sheet
- Harrelson and co-star Ben Foster delivered career-best performances, with critics praising their raw, emotional portrayals of soldiers tasked with informing families of their loved ones' deaths.
- Despite strong reviews, 'The Messenger' struggled at the box office in 2009, overshadowed by bigger-budget military films, but is now ripe for rediscovery as a thoughtful, humanistic take on the cost of war.
call sheet
Woody Harrelson, Ben Foster, 'The Messenger'