X

Join or Sign In

Sign in to customize your TV listings

Continue with Facebook Continue with email

By joining TV Guide, you agree to our Terms of Use and acknowledge the data practices in our Privacy Policy.

The Messenger

While on a recent deployment to Iraq, US Army Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery is injured when an improvised explosive device goes off within close proximity to him. He is back in the States recovering from the more serious of those injuries, including one to his eye and leg. He has resumed a sexual relationship with his long time girlfriend Kelly, despite the fact that she is now engaged to another man who Will knows. With the few months Will has left in his enlistment, the army assigns him to the Casualty Notification Team in his area. Not having a background in counseling, psychology or grief management, he is unsure if he is well suited to this job. He is partnered with a career soldier, Captain Tony Stone, who teaches Will the precise protocol involved in the job. Tony tells Will, who quickly learns by on the job experience, that this job has its own dangers. As Will learns to adapt to the range of emotions of the next of kin, he is unprepared for the reaction of Olivia Pitterson, whose husband was killed in Iraq. His initial encounter with Olivia leads to him wanting to get to know her better, which may not be in either her or his best interest. Despite being a recovering alcoholic, the more experienced Tony tries to guide Will as best he can under their collective circumstances.

Loading. Please wait...

Content not available in your region? ExpressVPN can help you stay connected wherever you are. Get 4 extra months FREE with TV Guide's exclusive offer.

Cast & Crew See All

Ben Foster
Staff Sergeant Will Montgomery
Samantha Morton
Olivia Pitterson
Woody Harrelson
Captain Tony Stone

Featured Video

The Messenger (Uk)
The Messenger (Uk)
2:10

2:10 The Messenger (Uk)

Awards

  • 2010 - Oscar - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role - nominated
  • 2010 - Oscar - Best Writing, Original Screenplay - nominated
  • 2010 - Golden Globe - Best Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Motion Picture - nominated
  • 2009 - WAFCA Award - Best Supporting Actress - nominated

You May Also Like See All

Boyhood
Casablanca
Rear Window
Three Colors: Red

Popular Movies See all movies

The Ten Commandments

3 hr 40 mins
The Egyptian Prince, Moses, learns of his true heritage as a Hebrew and his divine mission as the deliverer of his people.
1956 Action & Adventure, Drama, Family, Documentary

Crucify

1 hr 19 mins
A neon noir thriller that descends into a maze of nightmares as two teens trapped in a haunted crime scene are forced to confront their demons.
2020 Fantasy, Horror, Suspense, Drama

Bastard Out of Carolina

1 hr 38 mins
Difficult tale of a poor, struggling South Carolina mother and daughter who each face painful choices with resolve and pride. Tired Anney and her daughter Bone grow both closer and farther apart as Anney sees Glen as her last chance despite his mistreatment of Bone.

Hamnet

2 hr 5 mins
From Academy Award® winning writer/director Chloé Zhao, HAMNET tells the powerful love story that inspired the creation of Shakespeare’s timeless masterpiece, Hamlet.
84   Metascore
2025 Documentary, Drama

Dhurandhar

3 hr 34 mins
Humza moves through the shadows of Karachi with the cold detachment of a man already dead. He targets the empire of Rehman Dakait; a titan of the underworld whose reach dictates the city's pulse. To climb this ladder, Humza performs acts of calculated brutality that buy him a seat at the table. He serves two masters while feeding intelligence to the authorities through a secret conduit. When a political mentor turns on Rehman, the veteran gangster finds himself hunted by the very state apparatus that birthed him. Humza pivots toward his defining vice of reckless over-extension to protect his target. This survival instinct secures his position but creates a vacuum that invites total national ruin.
2025 Action & Adventure, Suspense, Drama

Made in Korea

1 hr 53 mins
Leaving her parents behind, a young woman from India reaches her dream destination Korea all alone after being ditched by her boyfriend. There she gets employment with a Korean family and leads a happy life with the help of well meaning friends. However due to certain changed circumstances she has to come back to India to meet her family. She has to now rethink if she wants to go back to to Korea to live her dream life.
2026 Action & Adventure, Drama