HOLLYWOOD—Horror is never prevalent at the box-office during the summer months. I really have no idea why that is, but for those lovers looking for a great scare “Deliver Us From Evil” might be your cup of tea. The supernatural thriller is being touted as taking place from real-life events. Haven’t we all heard that a million times?
The movie centers around New York cop Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana) who finds himself coming face-to-face with an evil he never imagined. Go into the movie not expecting a full-blown horror picture, while it clear it’s a horror film it’s also a mystery at the same time. Sarchie is investigating a series of crimes that may be connected to a PTSD solider portrayed by Sean Harris.
Our protagonist is not to drawn to the religious hype, but after seeing multiple occurrences is forced to acknowledge that something larger might actually be taking place. “Evil” has a way of building wise suspense, but the payoff is not as fully there as one would expect it to be. The scenes that transpire inside Sarchie’s house, involving his wife portrayed by Olivia Munn and his daughter, are edge of your seat excitement.
Sarchie, with his brute of a partner, portrayed by “Community” star Joel McHale further investigate the weird occurrences that seem to be connected. I must admit it’s hard to fathom McHale in such a different role. Their investigation is only further complicated by Mendoza (Edgar Ramirez), a priest who attempts for Sarchie to see an evil entity is at the core of all this chaos.
The clever concept of “Deliver Us From Evil” is its attempts to tie all of these odd occurrences and people together. As a viewer, you get the opportunity to solve a mystery. At times the story comes across a bit convoluted; not as smart as it could be like a top-notch mystery thriller.
The film does examine the issue of religion and testing one’s faith in situations where an explanation is not always clear. For religious patrons, the picture will increase enticement, and for those not so religious it will ask you to venture to a place that you suspect not possible.
“Deliver Us From Evil” is not perfect thriller, but has enough puzzle pieces in place to make it an effective thriller for the moviegoer.
By LaDale Anderson
