DELIVER US FROM EVIL
Starring Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez,
Directed by Scott Derrickson
There are so many people slumming in Deliver Us From Evil that the film might just qualify for social assistance. Not that the latest based-on-potentially-true-events horror flick from Scott Derrickson (The Exorcism of Emily Rose) seems hard up for cash. The rain machine budget alone must have been in the seven figures as, following an Exorcist-indebted Middle East prelude, the story unfolds in New York City in the throes of an apparent monsoon season.
Bronx cop Sarchie (Eric Bana) is out on patrol with his partner (Community’s Joel McHale, desperate for a witty line) when he uncovers a string of violent assaults perpetrated by Iraq War vets who share Luis Suárez’s taste for human flesh. While searching for a sinister painter (the College Pro variety) who appears to be the puppet master, Sarchie is joined by a Jesuit priest (Carlos’ Édgar Ramírez, checking his charisma at the door) who believes a greater power is pulling the strings. Unfortunately, it’s all as ridiculous as it sounds and not nearly as entertaining as it could be.
Combining procedural and supernatural elements should ensure a proactive protagonist who isn’t prone to the same panicked decision-making that plagues most horror victims. Alas, Sarchie’s agency drives him to do such remarkably dumb things as stroll into the Bronx Zoo’s lion enclosure. That said, the most risible mistakes are the writer-director’s. The Doors’ lyrics haven’t been assigned such undeserved significance since the last time a teenager got high and discovered “The End.” The only faith shaken here is our belief in Derrickson’s ability to deliver a better breed of horror.
