The Evil Next Door Review: A Stylish Haunted House Movie That Doesn't Bring Anything New

Release date: June 25, 2021
Running time: 88 minutes
Written and Directed by: Oskar Mellender and Tord Danielsson
Starring: Dilan Gwyn and Eddie Eriksson Dominguez

New to her stepmom role Shirin moves into a duplex with her partner, Fredrik, and his son, Lucas. The new home feels like the right place to start becoming a family. But when Fredrik leaves for work, strange things are heard from the other, uninhabited side. Also, who is Lucas’ new friend?.

The Evil Next Door has a really good sense of style to evoke the dread that this film needs.  The color palette is muted and dark, which fits with the themes and makes for a movie that accentuates the dread.  The film has a nice start that introduces us to the family and their son, Lucas.  It is your typical family moves into a potentially haunted house story, but it is one that hits all the notes you would expect.  And like those stories, the film has a good build up and sense of suspense as more and more unsettling occurrences happen around them.  I liked that it did not build up too quickly or reveal anything too early.

However, The Evil Next Door feels like a past family moves into a haunted house story and that is because it really is.  Take some parts the Conjuring, some parts The Boy, and a splash of other stories and you have a general idea of what happens in this film.  The tropes have all been used before and the formula for the film is something that we have seen many times over.  I often enjoy foreign films because generally those films bring something new to the table but I don't think that was the case of The Evil Next Door.  And despite the generally well done style, the film's effects have a clear use of CG that is distracting, especially for the big reveal when we first see the supernatural characters.  It is a shame too because the setup is not bad and the characters and acting are all good, but it just feels like this is a movie we have seen before.

The Evil Next Door has good performances and a sense of style, but the film uses noticeable CG and the story feels like something we have seen many times before. 

Pass on it. 

If you liked this review and want to see more from Watch or Pass, please consider 

following us on our various social media platforms: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Youtube. 

The Evil Next Door is in theaters, digital, and on demand on June 25, 2021.  For showtimes, click herehere.

For additional information about the film and to rent / buy it, check it out at the links below.

This site contains affiliate links. //Commerce or this site may be compensated when you click through links on our site.