Review of Little Evil (2017) by Kj P — 01 Sep 2017

When it comes to being self-aware and making a mockery of a specific genre in film, movies can become a little full of themselves at times. Little Evil is the latest film to attempt exactly this, and I think it works wonderfully. With a surprisingly fresh take on a family being torn apart by the child, this film takes that notion pretty seriously, which makes it so hilarious to watch. This definitely isn't a movie for everyone, and I can actually see it being pretty divisive between likes and dislikes when it comes to audiences reflecting on their experience of it, but I personally found this movie to be a pleasure to watch. Now streaming on Netflix, here is why I believe this Horror/Comedy to be a win.

Quite literally, this movie is about a man wo had wed a woman with a son who he believes to be the Antichrist. Now, there isn't a way to explain this premise without it sounding incredibly ridiculous, so it's a good thing this film focuses much more on the fact that it knows exactly what it is, rather than trying to scare its audience. If you don't find yourself chuckling within the first few minutes, you might as well stop watching, because it's definitely not going to be for you.I found myself laughing very hard throughout the majority of this movie, sort of reminding me of the experience I had with a film like We Came Together, which did the same mockery for the Rom-Com genre a few years ago. The way this film is presented is very unique and if for nothing else, I admired the creativity put into the script.

Throughout the majority of this movie, it will have you asking the question of whether or not you should be laughing or taking it seriously, due to the fact that it still tries to remain a horror flick. By the third act, some of the comedy aspects are thrown away to compensate the story itself, but I found that okay, due to the fact that I was so incredibly entertained by the first two acts. Still, it can be jarring and will definitely confuse some of its audience. For these complaints and more, I can't see the majority of audiences enjoying this. This movie was clearly made for film fans and those who understand mockery of genres.

When it comes down to Adam Scott, he has been pretty hit-or-miss for me throughout the years. I quite enjoyed him in the film Krampus, so I was excited to see him returning to something similar in tone, because this is where I feel he shines best. Aside from him being well-casted here, I found Evangeline Lilly, Bridget Everett, and young Owen Atlas to all be giving solid performances, most notably Briget Everett. Her character easily had the most laughs throughout the movie and as the film unveiled more of her backstory, I just fell more in love with her character (which is a man). The characters may not be fleshed out enough here, but they serve the story well enough to forgive that aspect.

In the end, I honestly can't say that many people will have the same reaction to this film as I did. In fact, most people will probably disagree with me, due to the fact that I was sucked in and completely understood what they were going for here. It's not a perfect movie and the tone does shift too much, but those aspects never hurt the film for me. I was pleasantly surprised throughout its full 90 minutes and I think some people will definitely get a kick out of it as I did. It's one of the funniest experiences with a movie I've had all year, so I have to give it some personal props for that alone. This is a clever and unique concept that turns the horror genre on its head, and although this may be a bad recommendation for some, I just have to recommend people to give it a chance. Little Evil is a crazy little horror/comedy that's worth a watch.