Evie is a 2021 British horror drama film about a young woman who has been burdened with a dark secret for most of her life.
Written and directed by Dominic Brunt (Attack of the Adult Babies; Bait; Before Dawn) and Jamie Lundy (Principle Deception), the Mitchell-Brunt Films-Paper Clip Pictures Production is produced by Joanne Mitchell.
The movie stars Holli Dempsey (The Alienist series; Jekyll & Hyde series), Jay Taylor (Ravage; A Fantastic Fear of Everything; Donkey Punch), Michael Smiley (Censor; Come to Daddy; Kill List) and Justin McDonald.
Plot:
Witness to a family tragedy when they were younger and ripped from an idyllic life by the sea, both Evie and her older brother Tony (Jay Taylor) were put into care. Twenty years later, they are reunited. However, something terrible from their past follows…
Reviews:
“The background myth of the selkie (a seal-like creature from Celtic and Norse mythology with the ability to change into a human) is atmospheric in itself, but rather leadenly applied; for most of its running time ‘Evie’ is a downbeat drama which finally and rather bluntly resolves itself into a horror movie. I could see what Brunt was trying to achieve but that intention got lost, making this, for the most part, an awkward and unfulfilling movie.” Bloody Flicks
“Plot turns feel forced and unnatural (in contrast to the authentically remote and credible production design) and Dempsey’s adult version of the haunted Evie fails to convince […] for most of its running time Evie is a downbeat drama which finally and rather bluntly resolves itself into a horror movie […] an awkward and unfulfilling movie.” Dark Eyes of London
“Dempsey doesn’t play Evie as the sort of slowly-cracking-up woman who has often been the focus of British psychological horror (from Repulsion to Saint Maud) but as someone who might be in a Shane Meadows or Mike Leigh film – bitterly funny, shambling through disaster. Rather than go completely inside her own head, Evie just assumes everyone else is like her – her key creepy line, which comes late in the day, is that she’s never alone.” The Kim Newman Website
” …beneath its surface, fantasy (or at least delusion) lurks. In the final ten minutes, everything comes together as, floating on the waters far from the firmness of the shore, a monster sheds its guise and the truth is revealed. It is a scenario which, for all the naturalism of the Yorkshire setting, ultimately lets the folkloric and the supernatural wash up hard against the psychological.” Projected Figures
“Occasional flashes of ‘something’ add a chill but are unnecessary as the true horror comes from the suggestion of past traumas and is second place to the human drama taking place in the modern-day. Evie struggles with her place in the world and is a relatable character, even if it’s not one we’d necessarily want to be ourselves.” Starburst
YouTube reviews:
Release:
Evie had its world premiere at the 2021 Arrow Video FrightFest in London on August 29th.
Cast and characters:
Holli Dempsey … Evie
Jay Taylor … Tony
Michael Smiley … Father Robert
Justin McDonald
Liam McMahon … Gil
Joanne Mitchell … Jen
Martelle Edinborough
Honey Lundy … Young Evie
Danny-Lee Mitchell-Brunt … Young Tony
Filming locations:
Yorkshire, England
Trailer:
There is currently no teaser or trailer available for Evie.
MOVIES and MANIA provides an aggregated range of film reviews from a wide variety of credited sources, plus our own reviews and ratings, in one handy web location. We are a genuinely independent website and rely solely on the minor income generated by internet ads to stay online and expand. Please support us by not blocking ads. If you do block ads please consider making a small donation to our running costs instead. We'd really appreciate it. Thank you. As an Amazon Associate, the owner occasionally earns a small amount from qualifying linked purchases.