The Reaping presents itself as a story about taking souls from the devout through some sort of ordeal, beginning with the question, “What hath God wrought?”. It’s hard to imagine a more effective invitation for viewers to rush out and buy tickets. The use of a phrase from the Book of Numbers—rather than Exodus, which is central to the film's plot—certainly establishes a religious atmosphere that eventually turns into a flood of blood, but there’s much more to unpack. It also signals the lack of imagination and intelligence that follows, abandoning logic and scientific reasoning for an apocalyptic story rooted in faith, something desperately needing criticism. A professor who specializes in disproving miracles is brought in to investigate a "river of blood" in the town of Haven, only to become entangled in an unfolding apocalypse. While not the worst horror film ever made, it possesses a lukewarm, somewhat silly tone that clashes with the Christian beliefs it portrays—and yet it’s so bafflingly foolish that you'll wonder why anyone bothered making it. The beginning seemed promising: science versus religion, straightforward explanations for events often seen as miracles. It's fairly obvious and misses the point of faith, but it was an interesting direction initially, sparking some complicated discussions. Following her Oscar win, Swank struggles through this strange mystery with visible hesitation, refusing to accept that the plagues afflicting Haven are anything other than coincidences, instead offering scientific explanations. The "blood river" looks like dyed water (and I'm not apologizing for pointing that out). Frogs die from an unexplained infection, flies consume their remains, and so on. She maintains her skepticism throughout these biblical occurrences, which provides a unique perspective. That is, until about halfway through when she transforms from something resembling Bill Nye the Science Guy into Pope Francis of the Vatican. Suddenly, she embraces faith, despite her tragic backstory being awkwardly woven into the main plot, and things quickly escalate to absurdity. A computer-generated swarm of locusts appears, a satanic cult emerges, and a fiery thunderstorm obliterates everything in seconds. It shifted from a minor scientific inquiry to complete chaos incredibly fast. The sudden change in pace is so jarring that when the predictable and nonsensical third act arrives, you’re left speechless. The intriguing approach of debunking now suffers from—well, the plagues themselves. The mystery feels clumsy and doesn't make sense at all. Flashbacks intended to offer clues felt abrupt and disjointed instead; it isn't frightening in the slightest. Important characters are abruptly discarded, which is a shame given that Elba was good as always. And what’s Rea’s role here? Seriously, beyond providing basic information, he seems unnecessary. A tiny part of me wants to enjoy this for its sheer madness. To some degree, it's watchable if you can switch off your brain and appreciate the religious provocations—despite that interesting first act. It has a surreal quality, making each viewing bearable. But then I recall the final thirty minutes, and I’m tempted to experience all ten plagues for myself. It’s ridiculously absurd. You want to know what God wrought? This is it.

Source on TMDB