Our Evil – Mal Nosso (2017)

Directed by: Samuel Galli | 92 minutes | drama, horror, thriller | Actors: Fernando Cardoso, Luara Pepita, Walderrama Dos Santos, Ademir Esteves, Sonia Moreno, Gabriela Grecco, William Salles, Thais Prates, Maria Galves, Antony Mello, Nicole Silva, Shirley Viana, Ricardo Casella, Maria Clara Gonçalves, Reinaldo Colmanetti, Maysa Pettes

Sometimes you don’t notice it much in the Netherlands, but films are made in Brazil. The horror film ‘Our Evil’ for example, which was released here directly on DVD. The lack of a cinema or festival release for this kind of ‘exotic’ production is unfortunate, but understandable in this case. Debuting director Samuel Galli comes up with an interesting concept, a (for us) special setting and a dose of gore for the fans, but chokes on the execution.

‘Our Evil’ starts off intriguingly. We see how Arthur (Ademir Esteves), an older and apparently righteous man, visits the dark web. He watches a video in which serial killer Charles (Ricardo Casella) tortures, scalps and kills a woman. Arthur is disgusted by what he sees, yet this is the man he is looking for. The serial killer also does murders to order (“3000 for adults, 2000 for children”) and Arthur needs his services. Charles receives a deposit and a USB stick with instructions. The murder must be committed at a specific time and in a specific manner. The USB stick also contains an encrypted file that the killer can only open afterwards.

Arthur begins preparations at home for his daughter Michele (Luara Pepita)’s twentieth birthday. Everything shows that father and daughter respect each other. Yet it becomes clear that Charles has been hired to kill Michele. Arthur struggles, but he has a higher goal: to save his daughter from a supernatural entity that threatens her soul. The encrypted file on the USB stick reveals the how and why and tells a story of love, sacrifice and penance.

The idea behind ‘Our Evil’ is good, but now and then Galli goes a bit too far. This often happens with novice directors who film their own story. Some scenes are drawn out too long and take the momentum out of the film, while some M. Night Shyamalan-esque tricks make the screenplay feel contrived. And if you pay attention a little, then the ending won’t surprise you. That does not alter the fact that ‘Our Evil’ does tell a nice story.

In terms of gore, Galli seems to be in two minds. The nasty scalping scene in the beginning is a cool entry, but later in the film he sometimes lets the camera turn away discreetly. Given the theme of the film, a little more daring would have been welcome here, although budgetary constraints may also have played a role.

‘Our Evil’ is a film that needed some final editing. It is therefore not a real must-see, but for a debut film, this Brazilian horror does offer hope for the future.