[7.00/10] Evil Things (2011)

Evil Things (2011)

Brief review: Shot in 2009 and shown at a few festivals that same year, yet released widely in 2011, "Evil Things" is a (fake) evidence about the disappearance of 5 college students who has left NY on Jan 9, 2009 for a weekend in the country. "Evil Things" is not your typical 'found footage' flick dealing with ghosts, zombies or exorcism. It has a supernatural touch, but that touch is so subtle, you'll still believe every minute of it. It takes the POV sub-genre to another level, bringing slasher horror into it and using no gimmicks whatsoever. There are no cheap scares, and the movie gets more and more tense as the story unfolds. The second half is edge-of-your-seat chilling and often terrifying, without revealing too much to loose the viewer's interest. The plot may be simple, but due to the gripping script and Perez's steady direction, you'll find yourself glued to the screen, deeply involved and connected with the characters. Speaking of characters, those are likable and surprisingly plausible. The chemistry between the young actors is so strong, it feels like they all are real life friends and know each other since forever. Every single one of them deliver a solid, genuine and thoroughly believable performance, with Laurel Casillo and Elyssa Mersdorfbi being the standouts.

Overall summary: Silly title aside, "Evil Things" is an underrated POV slasher flick that shows a whole new different side of the 'found footage' horror sub-genre, and works thanks to its authentic originality and brilliantly believable characters, plus, it's super-tense and actually scary.