Starring - Malcolm McDowell (Halloween, A Clockwork Orange), Marton Csokas (The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Rings, Cuckoo), and Ronald Pickup (Doctor Who, Dark Floors)
Release Date - 2003
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "The chilling story of the Soviet Union's most notorious serial killer"
Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
Unearthed Films has really impressed me with their releases over the years but it seems they have stepped it up in notch of quality the last year or so. Unearthed made a name for themselves releasing extreme and underground films. Movies like 100 Tears, Hate Crime, La Petit Mort, and the Vomit Gore trilogy. Now, they still release some of the most extreme indie films around, but they are dabbling in more popular titles like The Guyver, Homework, Calamity of Snakes, The Grand Tour, and several more I'm sure I'm forgetting. I was a bit shocked when I received the press release for the UHD release of the 2003 true crime drama/horror film Evilenko starring the legendary Malcolm McDowell. This is a film I was very familiar with but never actually seen it. In fact, I had owned the DVD release for sometime but never took the time to open it and watch it. Not long after I received the press release for the Unearthed release I received a copy of the film for review. This was the perfect opportunity to finally check it out. Like always, I want to thank Unearthed for sending this one over!
The film follows a former school teacher that is harboring a dark secret. The devout communist has been going all over the country killing and raping children and young women. A special task force is established to catch him but they are unable to do so for years until one victim is able to escape. Once convicted they learn that he possesses some sort of psychic ability but is sentenced to death regardless due to the nature of his crimes.
Evilenko is a film that finds its well deserved home at Unearthed Films along with all the other sick and depraved films. The story, which is based around the real life serial killer Andrei Chikatilo, made me feel uneasy several times but fell short of being as effective as it could have been. Don't get me wrong, I really enjoyed it but it stepped on it's own toes several times. The acting in this one is great. McDowell is one of the best to ever step in front of the camera and he is no exception here. His portrayal as the deranged Evilenko makes the film what it is. His line delivery is fantastic and seeing him in character gave me chills during certain scenes. I was also impressed by Marton Csokas' performance. His character was a great contrast to McDowell's and is probably my favorite performance from him to date. The supporting cast is hit or miss. Some have some great performances while a few scenes are a bit tough to watch. It feels like the cast was in a rush to get through their dialogue and move on. The story for this one is where the film struggles. The film is based on the murders committed by Chikatilo which spanned years. I understand it would be hard to put all that into a film without skipping years but the way it was done leaves out so much. It's a bit difficult to follow and could have been done better. In fact, I would rather had stuff omitted from the film rather than cramming everything in and having the story bounce from year to year. Aside from pacing issues, there is moments in the film that really got under my skin which is saying something. I don't know if it's the father in me or what but some of the scenes with the children really bothered me. It's been a long time since I've felt that chill down my spine and I somewhat missed it. Finally, the film has a few bloody moments but those looking for gore will be very disappointed. The film uses the story and discussion of the gruesome acts to get a rise out of the viewer without showering them in gore. Overall, Evilenko is a great film that does bounce around in the story but still delivers. It has an amazing performance from Malcolm McDowell and Marton Csokas along with a few truly unnerving moments. I highly recommend checking this one out especially the Unearthed Films release.
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