Deliver Us From Evil (2014)
Certified: 15
Duration: 118 minutes
Directed by: Scott Derrickson
Starring: Eric Bana, Édgar Ramírez, Olivia Munn, Sean Harris, Joel McHale, Chris Coy, Dorian Missick, Rhona Fox, Valentina Rendón, Olivia Horton
KRS Releasing Ltd

Eric Bana is Ralph Sarchie, a veteran sergeant on the NYPD books. He has literally seen it all in the South Bronx, or so he thinks.

He is married to Jen (Olivia Munn), and they have a daughter, Christina (Lulu Wilson). He is obsessed with work and his family suffers from this.

At work, Ralph is partnered with the opinionated Butler (Joel McHale). Over time he seems to have developed a knack or sixth sense about bad things to happen. He now faces a series of events where children are either ending up dead or are in danger.

All this may have something to do with three men: Jimmy (Chris Coy), Mick (Sean Harris) and Griggs (Scott Johnsen), ex-Marines who had served in Iraq and who seem to have been irrevocably changed by this experience.

Ralph has a very Catholic background and Joe Mendoza (Édgar Ramírez), a Jesuit priest, believes these crimes involve demonic possession.

Meanwhile, a woman named Jane (Olivia Horton) seems to be possessed.

Joe starts hearing things: children talking on the police radio, old Doors songs and confusing static which makes Ralph start to believe there is something supernatural afoot. Meanwhile, Joe’s family becomes endangered by something otherworldly.

Deliver Us From Evil is a mix of various genres as it brings together horror, thriller, cop and possession genres all into one. Director Scott Derrickson switches pace and genres at the flick of a finger and he intentionally puts his audience through the grinder.

Unusually enough, the film is based on, or at least inspired by, Beware the Night, the book by the real-life Ralph Sarchie. Sarchie followed his NYPD stint by becoming an exorcist. He had also met up with the film’s director in 2000. Sarchie’s accounts have many times raised doubts and questions but make for a good horror yarn.

This is a film for horror fans that is delivered with all the aplomb, intensity and righteous fury

Derrickson’s main aim here is to push and nudge his audience in one way or another as he delivers to us a House of Horrors country fair kind of ride. He is a veteran of the genre, having delivered such movies as the well-directed Hellraiser: Inferno (2000), the very effective The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) and the chilling Sinister (2012).

Derrickson decided to tackle the film by giving it the trappings of a B- movie, with creepy and loud noises thrown in to augment the creepy effects. He also likes to lead his audience astray and then surprise them with an underhand cinematic move.

The second part of the film picks up pace and gives proceedings more energy as Derrickson gets more personal.

To its advantage, Deliver Us From Evil has two charismatic performances by Bana and Ramirez. Their presence is very strong, pivotal and forceful. They hold all the scary antics together, especially Bana.

The finale in itself is as over-the-top as can be and, in cinematic terms, makes for a veritable assault of the senses as Derrickson makes use of all the tricks he can muster.

This is a film for horror fans that is delivered with all the aplomb, intensity and righteous fury.