In 1692, in the Ipswich Colony of Massachusetts, five families with untold power formed a covenant of silence. One family, lusting for more, was banished – their bloodline disappearing without a trace. Until now…
Based on the graphic novel by Aron Coleite and Tone Rodriguez, The Covenant is the power passed down from generation to generation, but when four boys accidentally unleash an evil force in the process of receiving the powers from their fathers, they must join together to stop it.
Privilege and beauty abound at Spencer Academy, a New England boarding school for the region’s reigning elite. Directed by Renny Harlin, The Covenant tells the story of the Sons of Ipswich, four young students bound by their sacred ancestry. As descendants of the original families who settled in Ipswich Colony in the 1600’s, the boys have inherited special powers – but the one hitch is that the misuse of these powers can shorten their lives and, once they turn 18, can actually kill them. When the body of a dead student is discovered after a party, secrets begin to unravel and the covenant of silence that protects them is threatened. Will the boys become victims of their own supernatural gifts?
The Covenant is a hip, visually dazzling, sexy supernatural thriller showcasing rising young stars Steven Strait (Sky High, 10,000 B.C.), Laura Ramsey (Lords of Dogtown, She’s the Man) and Taylor Kitsch (NBC TV’s Friday Night Lights) as well as award-winning actress Wendy Crewson (“24,” Eight Below).
As the new school year begins at Spenser Academy, students have gathered for a wild outdoor party to mark the end of summer. Hundreds of feet above the gyrating bodies, Caleb Danvers (Steven Strait) and his three best friends walk to the edge of a dizzying precipice and drop unseen and unscathed before casually joining the fray. At the party, gorgeous newcomer Sarah Wenham (Laura Ramsey) is introduced to the boys by her equally stunning roommate Kate (Jessica Lucas). The girls also meet an intriguing transfer student named Chase Collins (Sebastian Stan), who quickly ingratiates himself into the group.
When the police arrive to disperse the partiers, they discover the body of a student, dead of an apparent drug overdose. The school headmaster (Kenneth Walsh) immediately suspects Caleb and his friends are somehow involved. Meanwhile, as Sarah, a former Boston public school student, tries to adjust to dorm life at the elite prep school, she can’t shake the creepy feeling that someone – or something – is watching her every move.
With tensions rising at the school, Caleb and his friends close ranks. Although they appear to be normal teenagers, they share an unspoken bond: Not only are they descendants of the original families that settled Ipswich Colony around the time of the Salem witch trials, they also inherited their ancestors’ supernatural powers. But their ability to shape-shift, defy gravity and perform superhuman feats of strength comes at a terrible cost: Every time one of the Sons of Ipswich uses his magical powers, he ages prematurely, and the temptation to abuse the power makes it more addictive than any drug. What’s more, life is only going to get harder for the young friends: At the moment each boy turns 18, he will “ascend,” gaining far more potent – and addictive – powers.
With Caleb’s birthday just a few days away, his mother Evelyn (Wendy Crewson) is terrified her son will find it impossible to resist the lure of power like his father before him. Caleb assures her he’ll be able to handle his new abilities. But will he really? And what if he needs his power to fight an evil force that threatens everything he loves?
The Covenant (2006)
Directed by: Renny Harlin
Starring: Steven Strait, Sebastian Stan, Laura Ramsey, Jessica Lucas, Toby Hemingway, Wendy Crewson, Taylor Kitsch, Stephen McHattie, Kenneth Welsh, Robert Crooks
Screenplay by: J. S. Cardone
Production Design by: Anne Pritchard
Cinematography by: Pierre Gill
Film Editing by: Nicolas De Toth
Costume Design by: April Napier
Set Decoration by: Josée Arsenault, Sylvie Desmarais
Art Direction by: Pierre Perrault
Music by: tomandandy
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for intense sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, sexual content, nudity and language.
Distributed by: Columbia Pictures
Release Date: September 8, 2006
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