Every once in a while, I see a film that is so dreadful and terribly done in every way possible that I start to wonder if I should stop watching film altogether. Deliver Us From Evil is one of those times. This is a film that wants to assault its audience's every senses but also seems intent on putting everyone in the theater to sleep. This is a horror film only in the sense that it's terrifying to watch talented actors such as Eric Bana, Joel McHale and Edgar Ramirez try to make this script at all decent. It's also scary to think that the co-writer and director of this film is Scott Derrickson, director of last year's somewhat unsatisfying but ultimately creepier than most films nowadays Sinister. The other credited writer is Paul Harris Boardman, who is responsible for Derrickson's first directorial job with the unbelievably bad Hellraiser: Inferno script and who also wrote Urban Legends: Final Cut. On the basis of his career so far, Derrickson should give Boardman a nice royalty package and let them go their separate ways.
The film is "based" on the "real life accounts" of Officer Ralph Sarchie, who is played by Bana with such non-enthusiasm, the audience starts to question if Derrickson is blackmailing him. One day, through a serious of incredibly convoluted events, Ralph finds a woman in a zoo who seems to be possessed. Soon enough, Ralph is being stalked by paranormal demons. This leads him to try to find out what his going on with partner Butler (McHale, the only good thing in the film, playing it so go for broke and with such schlock it becomes hysterical.) All the while, a priest of sorts named Mendoza (Ramirez) believes that there is a chain reaction going on, someone having to do with the classic rock group The Doors (I am not even kidding...this film is indeed THAT bad.) Also, Olivia Munn attempts to actually act in the film as Ralph's wife, Jen and fails miserably.
One of the worst parts about this film is how it tries to be both an exorcism flick but also attempts to become a police procedural. I have nothing against these two genres clashing if done well. However, if done as it is in this film, they both become equally tedious and that makes the whole experience twice as bad. In other words, if it were just one of these genres, it would still be dreadful but it would be more understandable. There are plenty of bad exorcism films and there are plenty of bad police dramas. However, trying to mix the both proves to be an impossible task as it becomes increasingly unbearable to watch.
Derrickson also adds insult to injury by not only co-writing as terrible a screenplay as has ever been penned but also by directing this film like a 10 year old. The film's grainy look is, I suppose, intended to give the film a creepy atmosphere but it only adds to the Why Did I Pay To See This Garbage factor of the film. It's especially sad that every outside scene takes place when it's pouring down rain to make things seem creepy, a horror film trope that I thought directors have gotten over. Also, the amount of random loud noises to make audiences jump in this film are insurmountable. Not only is that not the least bit scary, it also doesn't even cause a jump at this point since it's so predictable. If there is little to no noise in a scene, it is obvious that some loud noise is going to happen and wake the audience up. I don't go to horror films to have the equivalent of an alarm clock happen to me. Sadly, most horror films seem to think I, and everyone else do.
This is not just a terrible film...it is a film so bad that it made me reconsider life. At two hours long, this film is 120 minutes more than it needs to be. Everything about it is so terrible and lazy. To whomever's reading this..I beg of you, do not ever see this film. Life is too precious to be wasting your time like this. Rather than see this film, go get a filling from your dentist. It will be much less painful and will actually prove to be beneficial to do, which watching this film will never do.
(0 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for bloody violence, grisly images, terror throughout and language)
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