The Evil Within (I) (2017) User Reviews (55)

Bizarre, yet amusingly twisted.....

[jpowell180 · 7/10 · 22 March 2017]

This film was quite unexpected; it appears to have been filmed over a decade ago (Matthew McGrory has a "Tiny" cameo, but the actor died in 2005); Dina Meyer looks like she was fresh out of Starship Troopers, and the televisions appear to be old Sony Trinitron Wega tube TV's.

In the film we have what appears to be a mentally challenged man in his 30s who lives with the older brother who caused his impediment by punching him when he was six, thus sending him reeling down the stairs, resulting in brain damage.

Big brother feels an obligation to care for his little brother, who is a tad difficult to take care of.

Little brother (who was a prodigy genius child until his brain was damaged) starts seeing his reflection in the mirror start to talk to him, and tell him to do bad things - this, he is assured, will make him smart.

He is told that he must kill his neighbor's cat, and that this is perfectly OK as people eat meat, which is supposed to be a "clue" that it is OK to kill all animals, and that the rule against killing pets is "a fake rule", and is told to learn taxidermy.

One amazing line from the evil mirror twin - "Grab another doggie from the cooler." He soon is told by his evil reflection that he must now kill a child - he reluctantly does so, and eventually graduates to killing adults.

The ending is quite zany, and it's important to also note that the late director (who was a wealthy heir to the Getty oil fortune) was a meth addict who died in 2015, so it's plausible that some of the film was shot while he was under the influence.

This film is worth watching, if only for the sheer mind-twisting absurdity - there really is nothing quite like it out there.

So very nearly a cult classic

[lukeshulver · 7/10 · 22 February 2018]

Brilliant special effects and avant garde theatrics - this movie comes ever so close to being an instant cult classic. The brilliant, but ultimately annoying portrayal of the mentally retarded and easily manipulated Dennis puts the other poor acting and awkward scenes to shame however it does show an insidious subculture of deliberate manipulation and entrapment under the guise of a Tales from the Crypt style presentation. This could have been truly great.

Fairly good on its own, incredible in context.

[labbe-35319 · 6/10 · 21 April 2017]

On its own, it was fairly good; not very much to say since I couldn't help but think about the context. The ending was a little confusing, but if you saw the movie you'd probably be surprised if it wasn't confusing.

Now for the context. No one's first film is great or even good, but this was a very good first effort from the writer-director and I think it showed a great natural artistic capability that a longer career would have honed. I was amazed at how good this was for a first film and it's tragic to think there will never be another movie from this clearly gifted artist.

That being said, if I didn't know the backstory behind the film, I probably wouldn't have sought it out, let alone even heard of it, and it's better to judge a film on its own rather than the context around its making. I acknowledge that I had a bias going into this movie as I went in knowing the tragic story of the writer-director, but the bias should not be judged too harshly as I've gone into many movies wanting them to be good and that's never stopped me from judging them to be bad if they were indeed bad. While The Evil Within is not great, it's certainly memorable. 6/10 might not sound like a good rating, but I prefer a 4-star scale, with 2 stars being average, not bad but not exactly memorable, and 3 stars being good, and this movie's in between, so my rating is 2.5/4 stars. A not exactly good but certainly memorable movie, and an incredible first and only film from an untapped talent.

Old school movie from 2017 with a lot of passion

[thomasriiz · 7/10 · 26 December 2018]

The main actor is brilliant, the rest of the crew; not so much. It's not scary, but creepy and has a sense of wanting to be more than it is, which gives the movie depth. I really liked this, not for the storytelling, which was pretty bad, but the atmosphere and the great old school visual effects.

Score-meter:

10: Absolute masterpiece! 9: Uniquely great movie. 8: Great movie. 7: Good Movie. 6: MMnnyeaah, That's a pretty good movie. 5: Nothing special at all. 4: MMnneaaah, That's a pretty bad movie. 3: Bad Movie. 2: Uniquely bad movie. 1: Absolute ****!

Some good visual ideas but uneven on the whole

[Red-Barracuda · 5/10 · 21 April 2017]

A mentally handicapped young man lives with his older brother. The older sibling has guilt in that he was responsible for an incident leading to his brother's condition. One day he buys him a large antique mirror which unfortunately turns out to be an evil artefact that talks to the little brother from another dimension, imploring him to commit horrendous acts.

Quite amazingly, this movie was filmed over a period of fifteen years, which is a huge time period to focus on one project and which is not really at all obvious from the finished film. The director was Andrew Getty who was one of the heirs to the Getty family fortune, this allowed him to plough millions of his own money into the film but he seems to have been a troubled individual and ended up dying before the film was released. If I'm being totally honest, I'm not sure the end results justify the huge amount of time that was invested in this project. It certainly has some good Lovecraftian imagination at times, with some imaginative macabre imagery and creatures but I felt it was held back somewhat by the central performance of Frederick Koehler as the disturbed brother, who I found quite grating throughout. The story in general is okay but not especially remarkable, the strengths of this one lie mainly with some of its visual ideas which are often successfully surreal and nightmarish. On the whole, there are some worthwhile ideas interwoven into this one but I thought it to be a bit uneven on the whole.

The Evil Within: Not to be confused with the video game franchise

[Platypuschow · 6/10 · 27 October 2017]

This bizarre little horror certainly surprised me, within minutes I had no idea where the film was going or which sub-genre it would fall into.

Starring Sean Patrick "As seen in a hundred b-movies" Flanery and Dina "Starship Troopers" Meyer this odd little tale follows Dennis a mentally limited young man and his descent into madness & violence.

Heavily open to interpretation but well created this isn't for everyone and generally not the type of film I'd enjoy but by the end I was quite gripped.

With a good twist and finale I wish I had liked this more than I did as you can tell a lot of effort went into it and the creator had some good ideas.

Kudos as well to the young fella who plays the lead, hopefully he'll piggyback this movie on route to better things.

The Good:

Lead is fantastic

Some great ideas

The Bad:

Flawed in places

Things I Learnt From This Movie:

Dina Meyer must have p*ssed someone in Hollywood off

I'm never going to be able to look at a ghost train the same way again

Slow moving and rather weird.

[paulclaassen · 4/10 · 20 June 2018]

Firstly, I have to say Frederick Koehler was fantastic as the mentally handicapped boy. The film took Andrew Getty 15 years to completely, and sadly the film was released after his death. Andrew did a great job experimenting with interesting effects and visuals, which all blended together so well, and actually made me think I was inside the mind of the handicapped boy and the way he interprets everything around him. I did, however, found the film a bit slow moving and even a sense of deja vu at times, and also became rather weird towards the end.

Not Everybody Will Like This Film; Though, I Highly Recommend Watching It.

[P3n-E-W1s3 · 8/10 · 17 May 2017]

This is a special movie, not just because it's a brilliant and original horror movie, but because of the story behind the making of the film.

The writer and director Andrew Getty started this film back in 2002 when it was titled "The Storyteller" and was released in 2017 under the current title, two years after Getty's death due to an ulcer causing internal bleeding. This is a shame as he spent so much money on the project and wasn't around to see his creation brought to life... or take credit for it.

The story is about a mentally handicapped man, Dennis (expertly portrayed by Frederick Koehler), living in his brother's, John (Sean Patrick Flannery), care. Dennis is plagued by twisted and dark nightmares for which a tall grey man claims responsibility. Then one day John and his girlfriend, Lydia (Dina Meyer) bring home a mirror for Dennis' bedroom. Dennis hates the mirror as he doesn't want to loose his hamsters like he's lost his comic collection. However, his decision changes when his reflection starts talking to him and offers him a way to get better... to get smarter...

It was the trailer that had me salivating at the thought of watching the film. However, be aware the movie isn't how it looks on the trailer. Instead of an exciting run-of-the-mill horror what Getty gives his audience is a deep and powerful insight into the human psyche and not just through Dennis, but all of the other characters have some kind of dysfunction. John is hiding a secret. Lydia has relationship issues. Even Pete (Tim Bagley) - who is only in the film a few minutes - hates people touching him and invading his person space.

The film can even be taken a couple of ways. It could be a very dark psychological thriller or it could be a supernatural entity possession, making it a horror. It works in either genre.

The star of the show is Frederick Koehler as Dennis. He is brilliant at portraying the character, giving him facial ticks, body form, hand gestures, and a speech impediment. His acting is really believable and draws the audience into the film more. However, it's Flannery's and Meyer's characters that appear flat at times, a little too dimensional and wooden; I think this may be the characters they were playing or the direction at the time of the scenes, as both of them are good actors. It just jars the mood and atmosphere at times and this is a bad thing as the movie depends on mood and atmosphere, which Getty builds beautifully. It's also great to see Michael Berryman again.

This film reminds me of Phantasm in its essence and spirit, and like Phantasm I will gladly watch this film again... and again... and, probably, again... There are a lot of interesting and well thought out concepts in this story, which should send a chill down your spine. However, if you prefer shock horror over creepy and atmospheric then this probably won't be your cup of tea.

Too Flawed to be a Classic, but Worth a Watch

[kevandeb · 6/10 · 28 May 2017]

It is such as tough movie to critique after one viewing. It is without doubt a flawed attempt, but the concept makes it worth a viewing. it is not a gore fest, but more of a mind bender, or at least tries to be. I applaud the effort and concept, but it lacks in a few key areas. Some basic details are forgotten and the continuity is stuttering, having said all that it is a film you want to like and this is probably due to the lead character giving a good performance, whilst others in the cast struggle.

The best of 2017

[shoughton-28175 · 30 December 2017]

Honestly I have watched and watched this movie and it amazes me every time. Lead character is just so brilliant. in my opinion takes place of dustin Hoffman in rainman.. It will leave you guessing and always leave a doubt in your mind. Only one word Amazing.

Could have been better with more effort and budget.

[deloudelouvain · 5/10 · 30 January 2018]

With the story of The Evil Within you could definitely make a better movie. That was certainly not the bad part of the movie. It's just the execution, sometimes the acting, and the low budget they spent on special effects that make this horror movie just an average movie. Frederick Koehler as Dennis, the mentally handicapped boy, had his ups and downs with his character. Sometimes it was believable but sometimes it wasn't that good. The rest of the cast was just average as well. The soundtrack could also be much better for a horror movie. Sound effects are a major part of any good horror movie and here it lacks some good sounds. The creepy stuff was okay, sometimes even good, but with a bit more budget on those things it could have been much better. All in all it's not the worst movie I ever saw but it's definitely not a movie I would watch again in the future.

Surprisingly good

[farchettiensis · 8/10 · 18 July 2017]

Found it at random, and decided to give it a watch, as the storyline picked my attention. Being a horror movie veteran, I know ratings are not trustworthy, so I tend to ignore them (I'd think that there may be at least 2 points of error in the ratings in horror movies).

It turned out to be quite a surprise. At first, it won't look like a big deal. One of the characters may come across as a little tiring and the acting may seem to be going a bit over the top. Although I did not find acting brilliant, it was good overall, and my first impressions dispelled. I believe that, rather than acting, it was the bad text written for a couple of scenes that caused me discomfort.

At any rate, the movie is quite dark and it grew on me. The disturbing dreams, which seems to interweave with reality, gradually throwing a fragile person out of balance, and the quite unusual narrative. The way the move progresses fascinated me; it's dark, disturbing, and verisimilar. The character plunges further into a path he can longer emerge from; he is no longer himself, but is a captive in his own body. The symbolism used pleased me.

The disturbing characters that sprang as the movie neared it's conclusion were fascinating. From one point, I was confused as to whether it was a dream of the characters, an other-worldly dimension, or simply a quite disturbing reality.

My sole disappointment was the writer felt he should he resort to Christian clichés to describe evil ("legion"). I wish writers were more creative in this respect. If they can't find words to describe evil, they should not use words. After all, that's one advantage of movies.

Very original and twister.

[Gunnar_R_Ingibjargarson · 6/10 · 26 February 2018]

A young mentally handicapped boy who lives with his older brother life begins to crumple after he's brother brings him an antique mirror in his room, and a old demon who lives in it demend he do evil things to his family. The Evil Within is a very sadistic and twistic tale of loneliness and how it is to be different in this world. What I liked the most about this film is it's originality, and what limit the director is ready to go. The young Frederick Koehler, is really greati in this film.

What a mess of a film.

[bobsucre · 1/10 · 2 July 2017]

I'm an avid horror fan and I've seen some pretty terrible films in my 35 years. This film takes the cake for being one of, If not the worst I've ever come across. The acting is beyond deplorable. The dialogue is laughable. Other reviews would have you believe this is some sort of misunderstood masterpiece, it is not. I'm left wondering how something so atrocious could be made and be so highly favored. I would strongly suggest passing this one up unless you don't mind wasting an hour and a half of your life.

Pretty good

[hormelboxx · 7/10 · 14 August 2019]

This is definitely more int the cult classic category.

One of the things that makes this movie so interesting is the history about the director.

Weirdness that doesn't quite turn into something wonderful

[ofumalow · 5/10 · 25 September 2021]

I wonder if this movie would have the small cult rep it has if not for its strange backstory, with a drug-addicted director dragging out its production, then its post-production for years...even past his own death. Probably not. "The Evil Within" is half striking but unpleasant surreal psychodrama with an unappealing, mentally-challenged protagonist, half routine suspense drama with bland romantic leads and underdeveloped supporting characters imperiled by a killer.

The two elements don't mesh well, which is problematic because there's a very good premise (the notion that characters might unknowingly enter a nightmare from which they may never wake) that the film could have done a lot more with stylistically and structurally. The dream elements are limited to occasional scenes when they ought to gradually "infect" the entire narrative. There is a mean-spiritedness to making the "mongoloid" protagonist so dislikable, even as he's victimized, and the casting of what feels like soap-opera actors as his brother and the latter's fiancee keeps "The Evil Within" lurching between the grotesque and the rather dully earnest. You can see what the movie is aiming for, a kind of marriage of Tim Burton and David Lynch--horror at once cartoonishly external and disturbingly dug-up-from-the-subconscious.

It doesn't quite pull that off, but the attempt still has enough personality of its own to make this an intriguing one-shot by a director one would have liked to see get his act (and vision) together on other projects. Though of course "Evil" probably wouldn't be as strange as it is if he'd been stable enough to do just that.

Not A Film For Arachnophobics!!

[Foutainoflife · 6/10 · 18 February 2019]

This is a film about a young man with mental disabilities who is being toyed with by a demon that lives inside mirrors. The demon infects the man's dreams but also conveniences him to do unspeakable things by having conversations through mirrors.

This isn't a bad film. I found it horrific because of the way spiders were used. I am an arachnophobic and was literally having to cover my eyes at times because it was so disturbing for me. I watch a lot of horror without ever being scared but if you want to see me jump and act scared for my life, just put me in close proximity of a spider and I will give you a show.

This was also horrific and kinda sad in that it was the manipulation of someone with disabilities. However, evil roots itself wherever it can and showing that it can be found with this young man makes you think. This is a lower budgeted film but I thought it was acted and filmed well. I'm glad I took a chance on it even though the spiders were rough.

What boy?

[chuckxx · 4/10 · 23 March 2021]

This is a natured man close to 40,long way off being a boy. Nor is his talk reflect a mentally handicapped. Even an autistic, he wouldn't talk that much. There are much better movies. Oh yes this is supposed to be a horror.. Schizophrenic? Better watch I never promised u a rose garden...

Cinematic Genius

[social3ngin33ring · 10/10 · 6 December 2018]

The story, script, and everything are phenomenal!!! Everything from the angles of the shots, to how the characters interacted with each other (themselves), to the types of shot, were done beautifully! This movie is a hidden gem. If people aren't able to see that this is a masterpiece for future generations, they shouldn't be making reviews.

The movie is (in my opinion) light horror and a mind freak. If you don't like the first few minutes, you won't like the movie. If you don't like the movie, you probably shouldn't be making reviews. After I watched the movie I found out that the director and writer are the same person...I also found out that he is dead! The world lost the next great writer/director/producer all at once.

-cheers, social3ngin33ring

Freakishly Decent

[shadow_blade-89459 · 7/10 · 27 June 2018]

"The Evil Within" (2017) is a horror film about a mentally challenged man, Dennis played by Fredrick Koehler, who goes on a killing spree after befriending a demon that appears to him in a mirror that simultaneously torments him in his dreams. His brother John, played by Sean Patrick Flanery, is charged with caring for Dennis, which he does, but he wants to send him to a professional facility however he is very particular about where he will allow his brother to reside. The premise of this film is a twist on the norm, but some of the actions that emphasize Dennis' loss on reality are a little over the top. It appears this film is more about trying to make people uncomfortable rather than instill fear as with common the genre. This film is interesting if nothing more than to find out how far they will go.

Andrew Getty, both writer and director, does an astounding job capturing the audience's attention from the beginning. Though the monologue does feel extremely long, he makes up for it with creepy visuals. The acting is not "top notch," but the camera work is to die for. For example, when John is speaking with Mildy Torres, played by Kim Darby, from social services, the camera appears to never stop moving. This concept is not new, but the way each shot flowed into the next without using traditional cuts was gripping. It allowed the film to maintain its eerie feel while having a serious discussion about the well-being of both John and Dennis.

This film is not for everyone. As an avid horror genre enjoyer, I question whether I will revisit it. However, the camera movements and techniques, with exception to the car accident shot, provide a unique feel that should be observed. The storyline is a creative and twisted take on family caring and mental stability. I would recommend this film to those with an affinity for camera work and a strong will for the adverse.

Everything about this is tragic

[Stay_away_from_the_Metropol · 2/10 · 4 March 2018]

Instagram user video_macabro posted a clip from this film this afternoon and it majorly grabbed me. As a lifelong horror fan, I had not seen a sequence so visually striking, and creatively terrifying in a very long time. It reminded me of the some of the tripped-out practical effects that made 80's horror movies so legendary. It blew my mind that the film was from 2017. Then, I read a bit about the filmmaker... he was a meth addict, he shot most of the movie in 2002, and then spent 13 years "tinkering with it" in editing... then he died in 2015 before it was finished. I was colored intrigued.

What did I hope for? An hour and a half of complex psychological horror with an assault of hallucinatory imagery. After all, what could this filmmaker be doing for 13 years if not editing the piss out of it like some of the coolest porno films I have ever seen which also happened to be created by folks who enjoy speed (2005-2008 Vivid-Alt films)?

What did I receive? About 10 minutes worth of really freaky, impressive imagery and effects, and about 90 minutes of stale, irrelevant dialogue performed by actors who honestly don't even seem like they are trying. Sean Patrick Flannery's performance is the most painful of all of them. Lead Frederick Koehler shows flashes of greatness but it's usually shoved into the shadows mere moments later by more halfway-there mentally handicapped portrayals. You can tell he is the one member of the cast really putting effort in, and his performance is admirable, but it still just doesn't stay consistent enough to work.

The scariest thing about the movie, truly, is thinking about the filmmaker while you watch it. This tweaker who had 6 million dollars of family money to burn chose to spend it on making a movie about a mentally handicapped boy murdering people, then he spends the last 12 years of his life "tinkering with it". It's sad but it makes me wonder what else he could have done with all that time and money. It's definitely one of the worst movies I've ever seen. THAT'S dark.

Definitely Worth the Viewing

[arfdawg-1 · 8/10 · 10 May 2017]

The plot. The sadistic tale of a lonely, mentally handicapped boy who befriends his reflection in an antique mirror.

This demonic creature orders him to go on a murderous rampage to kill the people he loves most.

To appreciate this movie, I suspect you need to know something of the back story.

It was written, directed and financed by a reclusive heir to the Getty fortune who plowed millions into this movie but ultimately ran out of funds! Apparently he bought all the equipment instead of renting it and had meth addict dreams of becoming a movie mogul.

It's a really bizarre movie and it's hard to take your eyes off it. I think it could only be made by someone super high who was also very creative.

The movie gets increasingly odd and surreal as it progresses. But you won't be able to turn away. Getty's death was as weird as this movie. Only in Hollywood could any of this happen.

The Alternate Version Of Shyamalan's Split(2016).

[Vivekmaru45 · 6/10 · 10 November 2017]

I was pleasantly surprised to see my favorite actor Sean Patrick Flanery who starred in the hit TV 1991 series P.S. I Love You opposite Connie Sellecca. All the time I was thinking who is this handsome actor? Then It clicked - he was in this TV series I saw in my youth, opposite another beautiful actress. How time flies...

Back to the film: it's about a demonic entity specializes in possessing mentally challenged individuals. Frederick Koehler plays Dennis who mentally handicapped. One day he stares at an antique mirror and befriends his reflection. Unknowingly, he becomes possessed by a demonic entity bound to that antique mirror.

The demonic entity tell Dennis to do unspeakable things. Sean Patrick Flanery plays Dennis's bother John. Dennis confides to John about his problems but he ignores him. Dina Meyer another veteran actress plays Lydia, John's girlfriend.

Michael Berryman who has starred in a lot of horror B class movies is a cult status actor. He best known for his creepy performance as "Pluto" in the uncompromising Wes Craven horror film The Hills Have Eyes (1977). Frederick Koehler does an outstanding job portraying a mentally challenged individual who is in torment as he is unable to tell about the demonic entity possessing him and telling him to commit atrocities. Flanery and Meyer do good supporting roles for Koehler's character.

I personally think that the script of the film was not good enough. The special effects are good so are the sound-effects. Photography is also professionally handled. Andrew Getty does mot take an effort to make the film more engrossing. So this film can be categorized as a passable watch.

Movies based on possession The Exorcist(1973), Burnt Offerings(1976), The Amityville Horror(1979), The Evil Dead(1981), The Thing(1982), Witchboard(1986), The Hidden(1987), Prince of Darkness(1987), Night of the Demons(1988), Shocker(1989), C.H.U.D. II: Bud the C.H.U.D. (1989), The Borrower(1991), Clown(2014).

These above movies are a good guide to horror movies and make a good horror movie collection.

Thank you for reading my review, live long and prosper.

Annoying and Boring

[claudio_carvalho · 1/10 · 5 December 2017]

The mentally handicapped thirty year-old man Dennis (Frederick Koehler) lives with his older brother John (Sean Patrick Flanery). When John decorates his room with an antique mirror, Dennis has nightmares and finds evil in his reflection. His reflected image forces him to kill people including his beloved ice-cream seller Susan (Brianna Brown) and Dennis becomes a serial-killer. Meanwhile John's girlfriend Lydia (Dina Meyer) decides to move in together with John and Dennis ignoring the threat of her brother-in-law. What will happen to them?

"The Evil Within" is an overrated horror film with a pretentious messed up screenplay. Despite the cast with Dina Meyer and Sean Patrick Flanery, the result is an annoying and boring film with an absurd conclusion. My vote is one (awful).

Title (Brazil): Not Available.

This movie isn't perfect, but it's a worthwhile addition to the horror genre worth seeing once

[kevin_robbins · 7/10 · 10 September 2022]

The Evil Within (2017) is a movie that I recently watched on Tubi. The storyline follows a mentally handicapped young man who is taken care of by his brother. His brother is about to settle down, remarry and start life over; and starting over means putting his brother in a home. As he starts putting his new house together he digs out an old mirror and puts it in his brothers room. The mentally handicapped brother hates the mirror, especially when it starts bringing his nightmares to reality...

This movie is written and directed by Andrew Getty, in his directorial debut, and stars Frederick Koehler (Death Race), Michael Berryman (The Hills have Eyes), Matthew McGrory (Big Fish), Sean Patrick Flanery (The Boondock Saints) and Dina Meyer (Starship Troopers).

The storyline for this is unique and original despite having some classic horror elements. The settings and cinematography is good as is the cast. The characters are interesting and Koehler and Berryman deliver outstanding performances. The claymation was fun and there's some great kills, especially the drill scene. The gore and blood splatter in that sequence was great. There's an ice cream store scene that really caught me by surprise, though some aspects of that scene were executed better than others. There's a carney scene in here that's hilarious too.

Overall, this movie isn't perfect, but it's a worthwhile addition to the horror genre worth seeing once. I would score this a 6.5-7/10 and recommend seeing it once.