Brazil hasn’t historically been known as a hotspot for genre film. But over the past 5 years or so, a handful of films have been produced out of the country that aim to change that. And while many of those films have been fine, none of them come close to capturing the intensity and brutality of the modern horror genre as well as Samuel Galli’s Our Evil.

…the intrigue is strong enough to maintain the interest of most.

The film follows a man that dives into the belly of the dark web to hire a contract killer. Who the man aims to murder and why is the underlying mystery that the audience is tasked with understanding. Over the course of time, you begin to learn things about the man that make his story far more interesting than outward appearances may indicate. That said, the narrative itself is a bit sporadic. We as an audience bounce between main characters and even points in time throughout the film. But even when the focal point almost seems determined to be a moving target, I’d wager that the intrigue is strong enough to maintain the interest of most. That’s not to say the story is bad–the framing of it is simply… unusual.

…reminiscent of Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs.

Luckily, viewers are in for a visual spectacle. Our Evil exudes a certain gritty violence that is almost reminiscent of Pascal Laugier’s Martyrs. A sincere tip of the hat goes to the FX team. Kills are grounded in a painful reality that, while gratuitous, feel depressingly plausible. Creature design is equally as restrained and impressive. It’s the sort of work that makes you wish there was more of it, but you certainly get your money’s worth over the hour and seventeen minute runtime.

Kills are grounded in a painful reality that, while gratuitous, feel depressingly plausible.

The truth is: Our Evil will be fantastic to some and challenging for others. There are moments of brilliance in Galli’s debut effort, and that can’t be understated enough. The story may seem convoluted and even meandering at times, but it’s wrapped up in a conclusion that is ultimately satisfying enough. Performances are on point, and even the casting for some of the flashback sequences is absurdly impressive–It all just feels a bit… strange. And lord knows that isn’t an insult in the Horror genre.

Our Evil will be fantastic to some and challenging for others.

Those on the hunt for nonstop action and a high body count should readjust expectations before hopping into this one. This is a film that leans on mystique over madness, and that’s not something that is necessarily conveyed properly in the trailer. Our Evil is a must-see for lovers of dark foreign Horror. Mainstream audiences should probably stay far… far away. That alone will be enough to excite many. One thing is for certain: Galli is the real deal, and I can’t wait to see where him, and the rest of this relatively inexperienced team, go from here.

Our Evil is currently available to import on DVD, but no formal US release has been set.