Evil (To Kako)
Directed by Yorgos Noussias
Danger After Dark

Evil is a surprisingly solid entry in the overcrowded and often terrible zombie subgenre. With a frantic pace, excellent gore, and a sense of humor that actually works, this Greek film packs a lot of punch and never misses a beat. American zombie films have been on a downward spiral for a number of years now but outside North America there is still a lot of hope and potential. Evil proves that the genre is still very much alive.

Like the vast majority of films in this genre, the outbreak isn't really explained. It originates from a cave that is being explored by four workers at the beginning of the film. They are the first to turn and when they bite someone they become infected. So it could either be a typical zombie outbreak or a virus, it is never really solidified in the story which it is. I like the fact that it stays ambiguous. The zombies certainly aren't your average lumbering slow zombies; these are fast paced yet still quite dumb.

The plot is fairly standard. You have individual groups of survivors who by happenstance come across other groups of survivors and voila you have a bigger group of survivors. Thankfully the characters are interesting and a taxi driver with a sharp tongue adds the comic relief. This is only an 83 minute film so the characters aren't as deep as they could have been but you learn all of the back stories and get caught up fairly quick. The film mainly revolves around this group running from zombies and that is about it really. But while that seems like it would be a bit light plot wise the action keeps things moving quickly and there is not a boring minute throughout the entire movie. Any introspective moments of dialog between characters tends to get interrupted with a zombie attack.

If you are looking for buckets of gore, Evil definitely will provide it. This is a bloody mess and you'll love every decapitation and limb ripping. There is actually some fairly clever and humorous gore to be found here; in particular I enjoyed the decapitation by candle holders. This is a movie that doesn't skimp on the sauce and the gore is really well done and while some is light hearted it always looks fantastic. If you are looking for photorealistic gore this isn't it, but if you like your gore with a sense of campy fun, this film provides it.

The director managed to create a fast paced and well edited movie. There is a slight comic book feel to the film at times, with multiple boxes been using on screen, just like the boxes on a comic book page. It adds a unique feel to the film and is well executed. The movie is full of a lot of quick cuts, especially during the zombie attacks. Possibly the most violent scene in the movie takes place in a restaurant and the director uses multiple angles and manages to make what is essentially one long gore scene very interesting visually. Evil has a look and feel that brings this to a completely different level than most low budget zombie films.

The entire cast of Evil provides the goods with not even one actor being off their game. The film is in Greek but the emotions translate well even if you have to read the subtitles. The comedy is handled wonderfully and the characters play well off of each other. This is still firmly rooted in the horror genre, but the comedy adds a slight distraction from the impending doom.

When I first saw the trailer for Evil I honestly wasn't expecting much. It seemed like your typical low budget zombie flick and not much else. Well, it does have some typical elements, but Evil is one of the best low budget zombie films I have seen in a very long time. It has solid acting, an outrageous amount of gore and a breakneck pace. If you are a fan of straight forward yet comedic zombie films pop some popcorn and treat yourself to Evil, you won't be disappointed.

Order Evil (To Kako) here!