Tss5078 For the past decade, I've heard great things about Brigham City, but I've been very hesitant to see it. Aside from having a mostly unknown cast, the film was written, directed, produced, and starred Richard Dutcher, who created a production company called Mormon Cinema, which only makes Mormon related films. I have found that when a film comes from such a strong religious backing, that it usual has a preachy agenda, and tends to focus more on religion than anything else, but to my surprise, Brigham City does not. The film does takes place in a Mormon community, all the characters are Moron, and there is a religious angel to the film, that includes several scenes in the church, which were slow, but thankfully not overwhelming. The story centers around this small religious community in Utah, that is suddenly rocked by a series of murders. Dutcher, plays the sheriff, a highly respect, deeply religious man, grieving for the loss of his family. His town has always been a paradise and has never faced anything like this before, so the sheriff needs to come up with some pretty interesting ways to catch the killer. Dutcher was excellent in his role, after all he wrote it, and who else is better equipped to play such a role? What I really liked was how different the story was, this wasn't just your typical manhunt for a killer on the loose, there were many different facets to this film that made it unique. What gave Brigham City it's fourth star was the amazing twist at the end that no one will see coming. I've seen a lot of films like this and 9 times out of 10, I have the killer pegged before they are revealed, but this film complete blindsided me, which proves to be just another example of clever it is. Yes, there is some religion and yes much of the cast in unknown, but I found this film to be fascinating. Brigham City had me captivated and on the edge of my seat, but most important of all it made me think and managed to really surprise me.

stephmil_22 Brigham City is a "Garden of Eden" story based in Brigham City, Utah. Brigham City is a little piece of Mormon paradise interrupted by the presence of an evil serpent. Never before has the city experienced a murder. This movie portrays a definite contrast between the "real world" and the naive town. This contrast goes hand in hand with Mormon communities. Mormon communities are well known and criticized for their isolation from mainstream society. The discussion between the sheriff and deputy about real world news and the fact that the secretary at the sheriff's office had not recognized the signal for a dead body highlights the isolation of the town. The main character, Wes, holds a pivotal role in this film, as he represents the entire religious community. Serving as bishop and sheriff shows the difficulties of the Mormon community to hold dual roles. His refusal to listen to the news serves as an example of the isolation of the Mormon religion. Wes' naiveté represents innocence, but as the pieces of Terry's gun are methodically put together, so are the pieces of the investigation. Wes gains the knowledge he has been searching for when the gun is whole. Then Wes makes a decision that forces him to lose his innocence forever.The dual roles of the sheriff also help increase the tension of the film. The tension is first apparent when a woman comes into the sheriff's office for a religious confession. The tension between these roles climaxes during the investigation of Steve's house. Wes, performing his duty of sheriff, had little patience for Steve trying to ask for forgiveness for hoarding a pornography stash.One should watch out for the color red in this film as it plays a sinister role in the movie. The car of the first murder victim was red. The blood on the wheel was bright red. Most of the victims have red hair. The fingerprints of the murderer are taken from a red (admittedly almost maroon) cup. The murderer, himself, admits that his only blonde victim had hair that looked red when he finished with her. This color seems to connect the murders and symbolize evil. The most telling scene of this movie was the shooting practice scene. In this scene, Terry and Wes have a discussion about the killer. Terry wonders whether the killer could feel remorse for his actions and whether the killer could be forgiven and sent to heaven. Then we see Wes miss most of his shots while Terry hits all of his targets. Terry's concern for the well-being of the soul of the murderer hints and excellent shooting skills are a strong indication that Terry is the killer. Wes' story lack of marksmanship shows his innocence while his story about his first hunting experience shows how easily innocence can be lost.Clearly, the foreshadowing of this film may be been a bit obvious. Stu's death seems imminent from the very beginning because he says that one day his companions will miss him when he is gone. An ominous moment occurs when "All is well" is spoken at the gazebo. It should not go unnoticed that the next murder victim was found shortly after under the very same gazebo. And who could miss the signs that pointed to the murderer in the shooting practice scene? But if one dials the foreshadowing down some, imagine the suspense one could create. All-in-all, Brigham City may not be at the top of one's list of movies to see if one is looking for suspense. At times, the movie becomes a little too concerned with the religious message and the feeling of tension is lost. The plot is a little tired and the foreshadowing allows one to identify the last victim and the killer well before the movie comes to an end. But if one is looking for a film that captures the very essence and struggle of the Mormon community, this film is one to see.

amybjorge [CONTAINS MILD SPOILER] I have heard a lot of people say that they would recommend this film for Mormons and Non-Mormons alike. I do not agree. This movie, along with most other LDS-produced movies I've seen, contains many subtle biases toward Non-Mormons that often go unnoticed by those who aren't looking for them. The main one that comes to mind is the fact that the Sheriff and his "posse" decide that the best place to find the serial killer would be the place where the "drinkers" (code for Non-Mormon) hang out- so they go to a local bar and confiscate the beer bottles in order to take fingerprints. They then took those fingerprints and scanned every last one hoping to find someone with a criminal record. Needless to say, their theory was flawed and they were not able to get anything useful. I wouldn't recommend this movie to any of my Non-Mormon friends because I wouldn't want them to think that Mormons equate drinking a beer with being a serial killer. (Although that's not a huge secret here in Utah.)I've said it before- I keep waiting for one of these movies to come out that doesn't contain anything of this nature. I'm still waiting.

bmks I watched this movie, due to the fact that it was a "serial killer" movie, and was very disappointed. Not only was religion (the predominant religion of this state) a major focus of the story, but the Constitution of our Country was thrown out. Any decent, law-abiding sheriff would NEVER have the members of his church congregation go door to door demanding that they be allowed to search their homes, like it or not. And if they did not agree to it, then the sheriff would come to the house and force it upon them. I am appalled that a filmmaker would put such a thing in a movie and then people say this is a great movie. Doesn't anyone believe in our Constitution any more????