Psychologist Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) and her assistant (Cillian Murphy) study paranormal activity, which leads them to investigate a world-renowned psychic (Robert DeNiro) who has resurfaced years after his toughest critic mysteriously passed away.

I really enjoyed the first half of this film, with the crew debunking psychics and trying to find their methods. Weaver is not my favorite actress, but she does a fine job being the cynic. Cillian Murphy is excellent as always, his eyes sparkling, and I wonder if he has finally broken through to the top of the pile (I feel like he should have done so a decade ago, but I suspect the average person has never heard of him).

The second half is less than spectacular, as we focus on DeNiro's so-called powers. Things blowing up, a man flying... it just seems to get too supernatural, and I do not care for it. The film makes attempts to redeem itself, but I feel like it should have just stayed on the path it set out for itself in the first half...

With a good cast like this how could it collapse so terribly? A terrible story with very bad direction.

The story starts off with some potential - investigating and debunking bogus paranormal claims. Then it just totally falls apart with a disgusting toilet beating up and anti climactic ending.

The direction is terrible with cheap shock tactics and over dramatic music.

I know it's hard to get roles after a certain age but Sigourney and Robert are way too good for such a bad story. Even Cillian is too good for this movie.

Just don't bother at all.

Dr. Margaret Matheson (Sigourney Weaver) is a skeptical psychologist. Tom Buckley (Cillian Murphy) is her assistant physicist. They are specialists in debunking frauds. Simon Silver (Robert De Niro) is the psychic who got away. He reappears after years of absence. Can they prove his fraudulent ways once and for all?.

Something happens halfway thru the movie that drains away much of the tension. But it's still able to move along. The biggest problem is the mediocre directing from Spanish director Rodrigo Cortés. He's just hasn't directed any big budget films. He needs better moves.