Representing an auspicious debut for both its screenwriter and director, this Southern Gothic thriller harks back to an earlier movie era when suspense was conveyed through mood and atmosphere rather than excessive bloodletting. Clearly inspired by the works of such filmmakers as Alfred Hitchcock and Robert Aldrich, "Frailty," directed by and starring actor Bill Paxton and written by first-time screenwriter Brent Hanley, never quite reaches those classic heights, but it is an unsettling, memorable cinematic experience that does its predecessors proud. The darkness and quirkiness of the material, not to mention the film's unwillingness to exploit or cheapen its horrific themes, could, however, limit boxoffice prospects.

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