Deliver Us From Evil Review: A Slow-Burning Crime Thriller That Turns Into A Raging Action Inferno

Release date: May 25, 2021
Running time: 109 minutes
Directed by Hong Won Chan
Starring: Hwang Jung-min (The Wailing, The Spy Gone North), Lee Jung-jae (Tazza: One-Eyed Jack, Along with the Gods franchise), Park Jeong-min (Svaha: The Sixth Finger), Park Soi (Parasite), and Choi Moon (Anarchist from Colony, Okja).

After the shocking kidnapping of a little girl in Thailand, a mercenary with a murky past as a government black ops agent (Hwang) is forced to re-emerge from the shadows when he learns the incident is closely connected to him. With the help of expat Yui (Park), he flies to Thailand and begins tracking the girl’s whereabouts, moving ever closer to the notorious child trafficking ring responsible for her abduction. However, when an infamous gangster nicknamed The Butcher (Lee) learns just who has entered the country and is finally within his grasp, he goes on a bloody rampage to thwart the ex-agent’s rescue mission as retaliation for a killing that even he will never be able to forget—or forgive.

Deliver Us From Evil is a gritty film with a rough opening and plenty of style.  The movie is a hard nosed crime thriller that is evident from the very beginning.  The style permeates this film, from the dark story to the dramatic events that push the agent to do what he has to do.  And this heavy weight is accentuated by some brooding music that will keep you engaged.  And the movie has some really interesting characters that add some heart to a mostly hard nosed film.  It is not your standard crime thriller, although a lot of the characters do fit in your standard tropes.  Although there is the reluctant hero and the eccentric, untouchable antagonist, the film also prominently features a transgender character.  

But what sets this film apart is the cinematography.  The film has a yellow tinge that makes it feel like more of an action film.  It also puts you on edge slightly which you should be as this movie really drives home the gravity of this kidnapping situation.  Think a look in the same vein as the phenomenal film Extraction.  And although there isn't a lot of action until later in the film, that action is intense and fast-paced.  The movie has excellent use of effects to emphasize what is happening, with slow motion sequences to highlight the action when needed.  The film also has subtlely accelerated pieces of the action to make it have more impact and be a little faster pace.  The effect overall is a film that starts slow-burning and ends absolutely raging.  And the sound is really something to hear, with heavy, bass-filled effects that let you know when the action is heavy.  If you have a good sound setup, this movie will shake your room.  

The story of Deliver Us From Evil takes a long time to develop, but when it does it is exciting and weighty.  The plot can feel a little convoluted at times, especially at the start when there are multiple threads going on at once, but if you stick with it the movie becomes a bit more linear.  And when this happens it lets the action shine through, which is the main draw of this movie.  

Deliver Us From Evil has exciting action, a booming soundtrack, and a gritty story that starts as a slow-burning crime thriller and ends as a raging action inferno.

Watch it.

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Deliver Us From Evil is available on VOD, Digital, DVD and Blu-ray on May 25, 2021.

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