I kinda thought the son-of-Satan plot would naturally lend itself to humor. I mean, think of how many school settings there are in which it’s virtually impossible to tell the offspring of Satan from a group of normal boys: Dodgeball, Field trips, Frat houses … Unfortunately, comedy and evil don’t seem to be one and the same (unless you count Bill Cosby, of course). Hence, Little Evil offered little laughs, little horror, and little in the way of recommending itself.
Little Evil opens with mom (Evangeline Lilly) running out into the rain-sodden backyard muck with a shovel. Stepdad Gary (Adam Scott) has been entombed and buried alive. Is it wrong that my first question is “How did the 10-year kid manage to bury Gary?” I never did get my answer. Perhaps when you’re the living offspring of Satan, you have a natural propensity for interment. I suppose it doesn’t matter. Gary is decoffinated, which still leaves him a tad jittery, but renders him able to complete the film. Not sure whether that’s blessing or curse.
That was all a flash-forward, of course. We first have to go through the pains of Gary breaking into the lives of Samantha (Lily) and Lucas (Owen Atlas), our li’l Satan who doubles for AC/DC frontman Angus Young in his spare time from elementary school. Being a step-dad is tough. And it gets tougher still when Owen sets his birthday clown on fire. I know this is supposed to be a scene of horror, but clowns? I’m kinda rootin’ for the kid here. This leads to a set of questions every father has at one time or another: Is my child the offspring of Satan and, if so, what should I do about it?
At one point, Gary actually convinces himself that drowning the kid with sand-sodden floaties is the best idea. Sure. Murdering your step-son in public. Good idea. What do they call this? “Hiding in plain sight?” And you think that’s gonna do it? Tell ya what, Gar, I think the venue is right, but the
solution is wrong. Have you thought about, I dunno, consecrating the recycled pool water? If the kid ain’t The Devil, hey, no harm, no foul, right?
It’s all there in the title. No, not “Evil.” This film is little. Little to offer. Little payoff. Even the random favorites of mine who show up — Donald Faison, Tyler Labine, Sally Field – all seem little. Truth is I didn’t hate Little Evil. Entertainment-wise, Adam Scott’s amiable blandness is a pretty good counterpoint to pure evil. That’s probably why he currently stars in “Ghosted.” However, for that juxtaposition to work, I think you have to either have stronger forces of evil or sharper insight into evil’s intent. As Little Evil offers neither, the question becomes, “This isn’t terrible, but why am I watching it? It’s little more than the story of a guy with an eccentric step-son.” I’m guessing this film is supposed to appeal to parents who jokingly believe their own Satan-spawn is out to destroy humanity, yet these parents love little Damien anyway. Yeah, if you see a lot of yourself in this film, y’all don’t need Netflix, you need family therapy.
♪Feeling queasy, feeling green
Season tickets to a water slide
Askin’ Lucas, “Where you been?”
What possessed you to make a Clown French Fried?
Don’t need counsel, don’t need time
Ain’t nothing gonna turn that spawn
Raising him, such a crime
Think I’d rather battle Megatron
I’ve got the step-child from Hell
Step-child from Hell
His real dad ain’t so swell
Literal step-kid from Hell♫
Rated PG, 109 Minutes
Director: Eli Craig
Writer: Eli Craig
Genre: WTF?!
Type of being most likely to enjoy this film: Well-read middle school girls, maybe?
Type of being least likely to enjoy this film: People who like things that make sense
♪ Parody Inspired by “Highway to Hell”
