Scott Derrickson (Sinister) delivers another creepy, atmospheric tale in his latest movie Deliver Us From Evil, inspired by true events.
Eric Bana (Munich) plays NYPD officer, Ralph Sarchie. He and his partner, Butler (Joel McHale, Ted) get called to a case of domestic dispute where a man had beat his wife. Later, they take a case where a woman had thrown her child over a railing at a zoo. Things just get stranger and stranger as the clues start tying the cases together. Sarchie is a man who lost his faith in God a long time ago and just believes that the people he is dealing with are certifiable whack jobs. A priest named Mendoza (Edgar Ramirez, The Bourne Ultimatum), who is familiar with performing exorcisms thinks otherwise. Slowly, Mendoza changes Sarchie's mind and they start to work together to bring this bizarre case to a close.
First and foremost, this film is labeled and advertised as a straight horror film. I thought it was much more than that. To me, it was more of a police drama with supernatural tendencies. I think this is a good thing. That is what I appreciate about Scott Derrickson's newest film. He doesn't just throw a generic horror story up on the screen. He gives you a solid story in a horror setting. This film was more about Sarchie, and his lack of faith. It was the age old story of good vs. evil. After seeing man do so many bad things, can Sarchie's faith be restored? What exactly will it take to restore that faith? You find out he's got his own personal demons to work through from things he's done and seen done as a cop in NY. Don't get me wrong. The horror element is definitely strong. There are many jump scares. Also, if you believe in demons and possessions, then the possession and exorcism scenes can be quite terrifying. Derrickson is also good at creating a dark, creepy atmosphere in his films that keep you on the edge of your seat, expecting something terrible to happen at any moment.
The acting was another solid thing about this movie. I think Eric Bana is a fine actor, and he really shined in this film. He did a good job of keeping his New York accent throughout. He also just really got into the character. The only time I felt he fell a little short was in his scenes with Olivia Munn (Magic Mike), who played his wife in the film. Her acting was just a little too over the top for me. Part of this was that the dialogue just didn't work as much for me between these too characters. Her overacting seemed to rub off on Bana, who in turn kind of fell apart in his scenes with her. The chemistry was much better between him and his other two co-stars. Joel McHale really surprised me as Sarchie's partner. I'm so used to seeing him clowning around on "The Soup", or "Community". He was still the comic relief in this film, for lack of a better phrase. However, he still really pulled off the tough guy act well. He just had to be the one to throw in a few zingers here and there. Edgar Ramirez plays the kind of priest you expect to show up in this kind of film, but he just does it so well that you don't care. He's the "unconventional priest" who smokes and drinks and knows how to exorcise your demons. He is just written and acted so well that it just kind of works.
Again, I don't want anyone to think that I don't think this is a horror movie by any means, but it just worked as more than that for me. However, that being said, the cinematography in this film is very creepy. It is always dark and rainy, but never so dark that you can't see what's going on up on the screen. The mood is always suspenseful, but there is some tension easing moments from the likes of Joel McHale. He never went light enough to throw you off though. There is one scene towards the end of the film that I'm a little on the fence about whether it was too much comic relief or not. A character shows up at the police station during a key scene towards the end of the film. I felt this was a serious and scary moment that made the comic relief lines almost a little too jarring, and took me out of it a bit too much.
Overall, this was a solid movie. If you are looking for something to scare you this summer, then this could be the one to check out. It's also a great police drama about a man who's searching for answers after seeing too much evil from his fellow man.
Rating: *******--- (7 out of 10)
Memorable Quote:
Butler: What's wrong with it?
Sarchie: It's a cat. That's what's wrong with it.
