The Covenant | |
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Theatrical release poster
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Directed by | Renny Harlin |
Produced by | |
Written by | J. S. Cardone |
Starring | |
Music by | tomandandy |
Cinematography | Pierre Gill |
Edited by | Nicolas de Toth |
Production
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Distributed by | Screen Gems |
Release date
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Running time
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97 minutes |
Country | United States Canada |
Language | English |
Budget | $20 million |
Box office | $37.6 million |
The Covenant is a 2006 American supernatural horror thriller film written by J. S. Cardone, directed by Renny Harlin, and starring Steven Strait, Taylor Kitsch, Toby Hemingway, Chace Crawford, Sebastian Stan, Laura Ramsey, and Jessica Lucas. The film, despite receiving very negative reviews, was a moderate box office success.
In the town of Ipswich, four popular teenage boys – Caleb, Pogue, Reid, and Tyler, collectively known as the "Sons of Ipswich" – are descendants of colonial witch families, and possess magical powers. Upon reaching age 18, they will "ascend", and their magic will become vastly more powerful. In return, it will also bind to their lifespan, and usage makes them age more rapidly. The Sons, well versed in those facts, remain mostly carefree. Only Caleb – the closest to his eighteenth birthday – exercises caution. At a local beach party, they meet new transfer students Sarah and Chase.
Supernatural occurrences of unknown source begin happening, unsettling Caleb. He suspects Reid, the most reckless of the four, to be the culprit; Reid angrily denies involvement. Though Sarah receives the brunt of paranormal harassment, Caleb and later Pogue see a "darkling," a dead spirit and malicious omen. Meanwhile, Caleb and Sarah quickly become romantically close. During a swim race, Caleb notices Chase, who had befriended the group, displaying magic usage. After researching, Caleb concludes that Chase belongs to a fifth family, one believed long extinct, and that he is the true perpetrator. As the Sons discuss this revelation, Pogue learns that his girlfriend was rendered comatose by a spell. Enraged, he hastily challenges Chase, who swiftly hospitalizes him.
Caleb visits Sarah only to fall into Chase's trap. Chase reveals that he was unaware of his magic’s origin, having been adopted. After locating his biological father, he learned of the price for ascension; but it was too late and he has become too addicted to using magic. His birth father then transferred power to him. Chase wants to force other "ascended" witches to transfer power to him as well, starting with Caleb. Despite Caleb's warning that having more power does not save him from aging to death, Chase ignores him. Before leaving, Chase threatens harm on Caleb's family and friends if he does not get what he wants. Caleb reveals the truth to Sarah and takes her to his father, a man of forty-four years with a decrepit old body, exhausted from magic abuse. When Sarah suggests that one of the other three transfer their power to Caleb so he could evenly match Chase, Caleb immediately refuses, explaining that doing so will cost them their lives.