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
“Evie suffers from making certain plot points unclear, such as the selkie myth for a start and how it connects to the main plot. It might be the sound mixing or the annoying didactic score and rumbling sound design attempting to force a non-existent tension to materialise, but the mythology could have been made clearer. In general, the focus on the over-earnest storytelling isn’t tight enough and it ends up feeling like a psychodrama with unnecessary supernatural embellishments attached rather than a weaving of genres.” Cinevue
“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
“The film’s haunting widescreen visuals play into elemental forces battering the young woman, chiefly the sea, to which she is drawn back as an adult. The directors also know how to tease information through revelatory dialogue and when to withhold […] The film’s drama plays so emotionally rich, it is something of a shame Evie ultimatley tips into overt horror. A few key shots erase the ambiguity that would have made the movie completely satisfying, but do not undo the excellent earlier work.” ★★★★ Electric Shadows
“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:
Trailer:
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
