Some cases should never be opened.|Aug. 13, 2009|United States | Canada|109 Min.|R
Genre: Horror;Mystery;Thriller
Description: “Case 39” is a 2009 thriller film that follows Emily Jenkins, a social worker based in Oregon, played by Renée Zellweger. She is assigned to investigate the family of Lillith Sullivan, a troubled ten-year-old girl portrayed by Jodelle Ferland. Lillith’s declining school performance raises concerns, and Emily suspects that her parents, Edward and Margaret Sullivan, played by Callum Keith Rennie and Kerry O’Malley, might be abusing her due to her disobedience.
Emily begins to probe deeper into the family’s situation, interviewing Lillith and planning a visit to their home. However, when Lillith becomes too intimidated to answer questions honestly during an interview with Emily’s supervisor, Emily decides to visit her at school. She gives Lillith her phone number, urging her to call if she feels endangered or needs help.
The situation escalates when Lillith calls Emily late one night, claiming her parents are planning to kill her. With the assistance of Detective Mike Barron, played by Ian McShane, Emily intervenes just in time to stop Edward and Margaret from trapping Lillith in their oven and burning her alive.
Initially, Lillith is set to be sent to a children’s home, but she pleads with Emily to take care of her instead. The board agrees, and Emily becomes her temporary guardian until a foster family can be found. However, two weeks after Lillith moves in, another child under Emily’s care, Diego, portrayed by Alexander Conti, brutally murders his parents. Detective Barron informs Emily that a call was made to Diego the night before the crime, and it originated from her home, raising unsettling questions.
Cast director: Christian Alvart
Cast actor: Renée Zellweger, Jodelle Ferland, Ian McShane, Bradley Cooper, Adrian Lester, Kerry O’Malley, Callum Keith Rennie, Cynthia Stevenson, Alexander Conti, Philip Cabrita
Original name: Case 39