Netflix’s “Little Evil” Is Horror Comedy Perfection

Whenever horror and comedy come together in film, it is usually a wonderful combination, so I was super excited when I heard about Netflix’s latest feature Little Evil. The film itself takes a tried and true horror narrative–the demon child–and infuses it with the dry and sardonic comedy that only Adam Scott can pull off. Rounding out the film with a cast of comedy gold, and a sweet message, I found Little Evil to be surprisingly good and refreshing for my long weekend.

The premise of the story is simple: Gary has recently married Samantha who has a 5-year-old son, Lucas, who is, well, as little odd. After telling his work friend (played hilariously by Bridget Everett) that he thinks Lucas might be evil, he joins a therapy group made for new step-parents. He immediately realizes that he is overreacting as all of the other members (including Donald Faison and Chris D’Elia) appear to believe their step children are demon-spawn. After a series of unfortunate “accidents” though, it is clear that Lucas really is the son of the devil.

Watch the trailer below:

I don’t want to give too much more away of the plot, but I really want to tell you just how enjoyable I found this film. It was so funny, and I attribute a lot of that to the great cast. Adam Scott and Evangeline Lilly (who plays Samantha) have good chemistry, and although I would have liked to see more humor by Lilly, the rest of the supporting cast more than made up for it. I was even surprised to see Sally Field play a small role, and she is always a delight to see.

The two brightest spots in the film for me were Owen Atlas (who plays Lucas), and the previously mentioned Bridget Everett who is Gary’s co-worker.  Atlas didn’t have much to say or do in the film, but he was great. He is one of those child actors where you are never really sure what he is going to do or say, but you can’t help but grin the whole time he is onscreen–particularly when he talking through the use of his evil goat handpuppet. And Everett plays a lesbian who is a new “stepdad” in her relationship and is there supporting Gary every step of the way.

Eli Craig wrote and directed the film–you might be familiar with another horror comedy of his, Tucker & Dale vs. Evil–one of my favorites. Little Evil is a little bit in that same vein, but far less gory and still really fun.

If you are looking for a short, fun film that has a little something for everyone, I highly recommend Little Evil. It is super cute and has a great message about family, as well as dabbling in the horror genre. The Netflix original film premiered on September 1.

Author: Erin

Erin has reviewed many shows over the years including Orphan Black, iZombie, Penny Dreadful, and Killing Eve. She has a keen eye for on-screen chemistry, and loves to tackle the subject of casting. She is also our horror aficionado. She live tweets shows, and loves to share her feelings. Erin has a BA in History, and likes to analyze the lore behind historical fiction. She attends San Diego Comic Con every year and has also attended C2E2 and WonderCon.

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