The Tall Man

Director: Pascal Laugier Pascal Laugier

Overview

A nurse races to rescue her young son from a seemingly supernatural figure who's been snatching children from a depressed mining town in this downbeat tale of terror from Martyrs director Pascal Laugier. For years, a mysterious entity known as the Tall Man has been abducting children from Cold Rock. The moment they vanish, they're never seen again. Once a prosperous mining town, Cold Rock has fallen to ruin, yet local nurse Julia (Jessica Biel) writes off rumors of the elusive Tall Man as local superstition. Then one night, to her horror, Julia awakens to find her son David in the arms of the spectral figure, who steals the boy away into the darkness. Now Julia won't stop searching for David until he's back safe in her arms, and the truth about the missing children of Cold Rock is finally revealed.

Product Details

Release Date:	09/25/2012
UPC:	0014381813623
Original Release:	2012
Rating:	R
Source:	IMAGE ENTERTAINMENT
Presentation:	[Wide Screen]
Sound:	[Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround]
Language:	English
Time:	1:46:00
Sales rank:	35,392

Special Features

Visual Concepts; Deleted Scene; Trailer

Cast & Crew

Performance Credits

Jessica Biel	Julia Denning
Jodelle Ferland	Jenny
William B. Davis	Sheriff Chestnut
Stephen McHattie	Lt. Dodd
Samantha Ferris	Tracy
Colleen Wheeler	Mrs. Johnson
Janet Wright	Trish
Eve Harlow	Christine
Ferne Downey	Mrs. Parker Leigh
John Mann	Douglas
Teach Grant	Steven
Garwin Sanford	Robert
Katherine Ramdeen	Carol
Jakob Davies	David
Alicia Gray	Young Mother #3,Young Father #2
Ricardo Hubbs	Tall Cook
Rene Mousseux	Silhouette
Josh Strait	Anonymous Voice #1
Jodi Sadowsky	David's New Mother
Todd Bryanton	Composer

Technical Credits

Pascal Laugier

Pascal Laugier	Director,Screenwriter
Kevin DeWalt	Producer
Clément Miserez	Producer
Scott Kennedy	Producer,Executive Producer
Steven Schneider	Executive Producer,Producer
Jean Charles Levy	Executive Producer,Producer
Lisa Donahue	Executive Producer
Mark Montague	Executive Producer,Producer
David Cormican	Executive Producer,Producer
Olivier Piasentin	Executive Producer,Producer
Mathieu Warter	Executive Producer,Executive Producer,Producer
Lionel Uzan	Executive Producer,Producer
Jessica Biel	Executive Producer
Nicholas Manuel	Executive Producer,Executive Producer,Producer
Thierry Desmichelle	Executive Producer,Producer
Frank White	Executive Producer
Gerard Demaer	Executive Producer,Producer
Steven Ghouti	Sound Effects
Eric Lesachet	Sound Effects
Vincent Mauduit	Sound Effects
Bonnie Timmerman	Casting
Carmen Kotyk	Casting

Editorial Reviews

Pascal Laugier, the director of the indelibly disturbing film Martyrs, returns with this interesting story of a small mining town besieged by a serial child kidnapper. Filled with an unnerving sense of dread, the movie works its way under your skin, promising cringe-worthy tension to come -- until it switches gears and turns into a wholly different film. By doing so, Laugier opens the door to some viewers being disappointed by what the film most certainly is not, even if what the picture turns out to be is more fascinating than the simple genre tale it initially presents itself as. Jessica Biel is terrific in the lead role as Julia, a doctor in a depressed area where more than a dozen children have gone missing. New to the case is FBI agent Dodd (played by Pontypool's extremely talented Stephen McHattie), who's gathering up clues related to the culprit known as the "Tall Man." To give any more away than that would be a disservice to the film -- just be ready to follow the story through its many twists and turns before the credits roll. Laugier once again impresses in the visuals department, as the movie is soaked in deep shadows that fit the spooky atmospherics of Todd Bryanton's score. Kudos also go to Biel for having the guts to perform in what is ultimately a non-glamorous role. Despite these high points, however, the film's moral core is problematic and might leave audiences a little hesitant to agree with it. It's possible that Laugier wants the movie to be debated (a similar case could be argued with Martyrs), but the fact is that The Tall Man is not as resoundingly unique as the filmmaker's last work, which gives it a bit of an identity problem. Still, some respect is due for a film that builds itself up to be one thing before ending someplace wholly different.