#another evil

Another Evil (2016)

Dir. Carson Bell

I’m pretty out of the loop as far as horror goes. I have a hard time watching movies by myself and since the kiddo isn’t quite old enough for most of the movies I dig, I’ve all but stopped watching stuff. Which is silly, I know; and is the precise reason I picked up a Shudder subscription. I had grand designs for that membership. Designs I promptly neglected for the sweet embrace of routine. 

Cut to this weekend when I finally put my money where my mouth is and decided to start Chupacabra Enzuigiri. I figured a good way to get back into a consistent writing schedule would be to come up with themes for each day and, frankly, this was supposed to be Monday’s theme but I was lured away from my personal deadline with the promise of Chinese buffet and by the time I got home the MSG coma had taken hold and all I wanted to do was sleep. Today, though, marks the start of Tuesday Night Terrors (or early evening. I’ve got Elder Scrolls to play tonight *shrug*)

“Evil” plagues the vacation home of a modern artist and his family in writer/director Carson Mell’s Another Evil. Modern artist Dan (Steve Zizzis) enlists the help of eccentric ghost hunter Os to help bring peace to his family’s cabin.

Full disclosure, I’m a bit of a slut for horror comedies. I’m also a slut for ghost hunting shows (*inserts room for the reader’s judgmental sigh here*). So Another Evil  was a natural addition to my watch list. The movie’s opening sequence is your run of the mill “upper-middle class white family enjoys first night in new vacation home - oh, but what’s that? ghosts!” fare. Naturally, they’re wigged out and begin their ghost hunter search. Dan’s wife, Mary (Jennifer Irwin), was placated by their first medium’s findings. Dan wants a second opinion, because, of course he does. Going off a tip from what I assume is his art dealer Dan contacts Os (Mark Proksch).

Imagine What About Bob? fucked an episode of Ghost Adventures and that’s what we’re looking at for the movie’s second act. Now, most people (about half, if the Rotten Tomatoes score is accurate) would groan and find something else to watch. Not this intrepid reporter. For the good of all bad movie lovers, I committed to seeing Another Evil through to the end.

I found myself filled with both secondhand embarrassment and pity for Os. On the surface he filled the trope of the awkward yet affable “ghost killer” quite well. As the movie passed its midway point it became clear that Os’ flaws ran deeper than an affinity for canned wine and an inability to read social cues.

The movie’s climactic third act showcases the acts of a desperate man, fully convinced of the truth. Spurned by Dan, Os takes matters into his own hands. If Dan couldn’t see the truth about what needed done, he would make him see. 

The goofs in the first half do a decent job of disarming the casual viewer, allowing the second half’s deep dive into the human psyche to take them by completely by surprise. However, a viewer with a keener eye could easily spot the seeds planted early on.

Another Evil is a film that knows its audience. People that seek out this kind of movie aren’t looking for Criterion quality. They’re looking for a movie with an interesting premise that’ll help them fill 90 minutes of free time. They don’t care if there were some hazy plot points (that were clearly shaved off in the sake of run time). If you’ve got a Shudder subscription and are looking to fill a rainy weekend afternoon, give this one a go.