Ah, The Evil Within. A film that dares to ask, “What if Psycho had a bad trip, watched too many late-night B-horror movies, and decided to make a very weird art project?” This 2017 psychological horror is the brainchild of the late Andrew Getty, who spent over 15 years creating a film that simultaneously feels like a fever dream and a descent into chaotic artistic madness. The film’s tagline might as well be: “Ever wonder what happens when you mix a troubled mind, taxidermy, a mirror, and an unhealthy obsession with carnival rides? No? Well, strap in anyway.”
To say The Evil Within is strange is an understatement. It’s a gothic horror story wrapped in the uncomfortable aesthetics of a cheap haunted house, sprinkled with a touch of surrealism that’ll make you question whether the film is an emotional rollercoaster or a haunted elevator ride with a malfunctioning operator. If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if American Psycho had an existential crisis while trying to process a bad breakup, then this movie is your weird, bloody answer.
Plot: A Carnival Ride Into the Abyss of Insanity
The story kicks off with Dennis, a man so deeply troubled that even his own reflection is like, “Dude, I need some space.” Dennis has a disability that could either be seen as a metaphor for his troubled psyche or just a convenient way to make him more sympathetic while he spirals into madness. He lives with his brother, John (played by the ever-dramatic Sean Patrick Flanery), and his fiancée Lydia (Dina Meyer), and spends his days having strange, almost hallucinatory nightmares. But when you live in a world where your reflection is more competent than you, what else is there to do but dabble in taxidermy, play with mirrors, and generally lose whatever is left of your grip on reality?
Then comes the real kicker: Dennis finds a mirror, and guess what? It’s not just any ordinary mirror—it’s a portal to himself. Oh, and did I mention it’s also linked to a demon known as The Cadaver? Yeah, turns out demons aren’t just for Halloween—they’re really handy for solving family dysfunction. The Cadaver begins to taunt Dennis and push him further into the arms of violence, triggering his inner homicidal tendencies. The plot twists into a disturbing spiral, as Dennis begins to kill animals and, ultimately, people.
The film doesn’t stop there—oh no. Dennis kills people, but it’s not enough. He needs to kill more and more, not just for his own sanity (or lack thereof), but because his reflection says so. It’s like The Mirror from Hell—except instead of just showing you who you’re becoming, it actively convinces you to go full-on murder spree mode. As you can imagine, this leads to some wonderfully gruesome moments and an awkward dinner scene that would make any family reunion feel like a picnic in the park.
The film takes a bizarre detour into the realm of ventriloquism (yep, you read that right), where Dennis, now utterly unhinged, plays out a disturbing puppet show with the body of his fiancée. And if you’re wondering, “Why would anyone subject themselves to this mental and emotional wringer?”—well, you’re not alone. So, we all try to follow along, even as it becomes increasingly unclear whether Dennis or John is the actual one responsible for the madness.
And then, just when you think it can’t get any worse (it does), we reach the film’s nail-biting, mind-bending finale, which leaves the audience more puzzled than satisfied. Dennis is carted off to a psychiatric hospital, and we’re left wondering—did he win, or did his reflection? It’s not so much an answer as it is a philosophical punch to the gut. But who needs resolution when you’ve got a carnival ride of craziness?
Characters: A Cast of Dysfunctional, Disturbed Souls
Frederick Koehler as Dennis is, let’s face it, the best part of this trainwreck. He gives an absolutely bonkers performance that oscillates between sympathy and complete horror. Watching him slowly unravel and realize that his own reflection is plotting against him is the kind of existential horror we didn’t ask for but are helpless to look away from. Dennis isn’t just crazy—he’s complicatedly crazy. There’s a sick charm to his descent into madness, one that is hard to look away from despite the sheer uncomfortable absurdity of it all.
Then, there’s John (Sean Patrick Flanery), who looks perpetually like he’s been dragged into an impromptu therapy session with a guy who has a broken mirror and a sick obsession with taxidermy. Flanery does a great job of playing the concerned, yet tragically clueless, brother, stuck between trying to manage Dennis’ mental breakdown and dealing with a supernatural crisis that’s spiraling out of control. It’s like watching someone try to deal with their sibling’s weird hobby, only it involves murder and potentially becoming a puppet.
And of course, the fiancée Lydia (Dina Meyer), who is absolutely terrified as she realizes that the man she loves might just be the next candidate for America’s Next Top Psychopath. Her role is less about giving us answers and more about looking concerned as bodies pile up around her. But hey, at least she gets a memorable death scene that will haunt your dreams and probably make you reconsider your relationship status next time you’re dating someone who’s into taxidermy.
The Horror: Surreal, Unsettling, and Hilariously Absurd
Is it a horror film? Sure, if by “horror,” you mean a mixture of existential dread, gore, and moments so strange they’ll leave you blinking in disbelief. The horror elements are more psychological than supernatural—though, once you throw a demon and a ventriloquist act into the mix, you’ve officially crossed over to “surreal nightmare” territory. The reflection-as-a-plot-device is both brilliant and maddening, allowing the film to blur the line between what’s real and what’s completely out of left field.
The evil within is less of a demon and more of a breakdown of a man’s mind—and the film plays that up well. The visceral moments of violence are graphic and disturbing, but there’s a twisted comedy to the whole thing. It’s like someone took a slasher film, mixed it with a psychological drama, and added a dash of dark humor as an afterthought. It’s ridiculous, but in the best way.
Conclusion: The Evil Within – A Masterclass in Madness, Taxidermy, and Discomfort
In conclusion, The Evil Within is a wild ride—a film that will leave you scratching your head, questioning everything you know about sanity, mirrors, and ventriloquism. It’s not for the faint of heart, nor is it for anyone expecting a traditional, coherent horror film. What you get instead is a dark, twisted journey into a man’s mind as he’s torn apart by both internal and external demons.
If you’re looking for a movie that serves up psychological terror, taxidermy, and a deeply unsettling portrayal of one man’s unraveling sanity, then look no further. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you when you wake up screaming, questioning your own reflection, and reconsidering that trip to the carnival.
