Director Scott Derrickson’s new supernatural thriller, Deliver Us From Evil, is exactly that…a Supernatural thriller. It will be sold as a horror movie, but to describe it as such would be unfair and misleading. The film is a fictionalized take on the memoir of Retired Bronx New York police detective Ralph Sarchie as he came to discover the “primary evil” by men in this world. The trailers make it look like so many other horror movies of late but in fact this film is somewhere between mid-1990s thrillers Seven and Fallen. And that is a good thing.
Eric Bana plays Scarchie and has a “radar” for things that go bad on the streets. Along with his partner Butler (Joel McHale) the two are “Special Forces” and are called in for more dangerous cases. When they get called in for a case that seems to be nothing more than a crazy woman, they end up investigating and hunting down a man who seems to have some kind of connection with several crazy encounters they have witnessed lately.
Bana plays his tough guy cop well. He is hard and unopened to his wife and daughter. He carries the film well, largely because of the people across from him who embody the human side he is lacking. Joel McHale adds some comedic relief to balance him while Olivia Munn balances his lack of human emotion by being his supportive wife. Perhaps the best play across from Bana is by Edgar Ramirez who plays a priest name Mendoza. Ramirez provides the balance of faith to Bana and helps him find his way back to belief. They work well together on film to keep the story moving in an interesting and insightful way. Ramirez provides explanation into the supernatural events that helps us understand what is going on. Their partnership leads to an exciting climax and somewhat abrupt end.
While there are a few “jump” scenes, this movie is more about the investigation, then the scary parts. In the end, it plays more like a traditional detective thriller rather than a scary movie. The story is solid and the acting is good. The movie is perhaps a bit too long, but the climax makes it worth it. Overall, this is a good film to escape the blockbuster summer doldrums as it is unlike anything else out right now.
3.5 out of 5 stars
