[yasr_overall_rating]
While on a fourth of July holiday, six best friends fall victim to the insidious plan of a mysterious organization when they are unknowingly transformed into bloodthirsty cannibals.
“The Evil in Us” tries to put a fresh spin on the old clichéd story of a group of young friends who spend the weekend alone in a remote cabin on an island for the 4th of July holiday. When it comes to horror films, I don’t care how tired and banal the story’s setup is, in that genre, there really isn’t any stone left unturned but as long as the acting is somewhat believable and the kills are original, then I’m fine. But where I think the filmmakers behind “The Evil in Us” messed up, is in the film’s title. Evil implies that a person knowingly commits morally wrong or injurious acts towards others. Freddy Krueger is evil, Pinhead is evil, Lord Voldemort is evil, the kids in “The Evil in Us” are not evil, granted, they do commit some horrendous acts but not because they are inherently bad, but because they ingested some bad shit.
The backstory introduces us to some shady government types who are working out of a top-secret facility. They place people in various rooms and after they have consumed an assortment of different types of drugs, cocaine, marijuana, they become filled with rage, similar to the victims in “28 Days Later” and its superior sequel, “28 Weeks Later.” They then turn on one other, ripping each other apart and then consuming them but the drug eventually wears off and the person returns to normal, unaware of what they have done. These government officials then manufacture the drug in large quantities and release it into society and when outbreaks start popping up all around the country, their “candidate” comes forward, in the nick of time with a possible cure, just as a presidential election is looming. Naturally, our friends on the island have unknowingly acquired a bad batch and it’s only a matter of time before they each transform into rage-filled monsters, accompanied by the munchies.
The acting, overall, leaves a lot to be desired. Understandably, this is a low-budget affair and at times, it shows. The location setting of an island in a horror movie is always fun, as anything that can possibly go wrong, will go wrong, and the fact that they cannot reach the mainland until the beginning of the following week, means they’re stranded. Unfortunately, when they turn, the similarities to the affected in the aforementioned “28 Days Later” and its sequel, are too much to ignore. The actors run around utilizing red contact lenses, drooling every chance they get, followed by constant snarls and growls and, ultimately, cannibalism, and it leaves you with a certain feeling of déja vu. There is nothing remotely original about “The Evil in Us” and that is a shame because with a somewhat decent budget and interesting locales, the stage was set. Unfortunately, the filmmakers didn’t have enough foresight to dress it up!
Now available on DVD & Digital HD
