It's the 1890s and lady doctor Amber Heard heads to a remote plantation where she's tasked with protecting a gifted child from superstitious townsfolk who hold him and the devil responsible for the death and famine afflicting their community. There's a limp attempt at a science vs. religion debate before she's whipped, and it becomes clear that her ordeal is more likely to be resolved by her survival instincts than expertise. "In the Fire" is quite perfunctory in that sense, but it's also quite beautifully shot, and Heard's performance in the lead role is excellent enough that it's not too much of a chore to spend time with a character so hapless, who only gradually realises that the kid in her charge might be of the Damien variety after all. Throw in some well done death scenes and a mob climax that deliberately recalls "Frankenstein" and this isn't a bad way to kill 87 minutes, even with its lack of surprises.
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