Deliver Us from Evil is a 2014 American supernatural horror film directed by Scott Derrickson and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Despite being officially based on a 2001 non-fiction book entitled Beware the Night by Ralph Sarchie and Lisa Collier Cool and a marketing campaign highlighting that it was "inspired by actual accounts", the film actually does not showcase any of the cases recounted in the book and instead features a completely original plot by Derrickson and co-writer Paul Harris Boardman.
The film stars Eric Bana, Édgar RamÃrez, Sean Harris, Olivia Munn, and Joel McHale in the main roles and was released on July 2, 2014.
Despite mixed to negative reviews by critics, the film was a box office success, grossing $87.9 million against a $30 million budget.
Plot
The movie is based on the real life events of Ralph Sarchie, a New York cop who meets a Castilian priest when he is pulled into a case which the priest convinces him, against the officer's religious beliefs, is demonically related. Together, they work to solve the case and combat paranormal forces working against them. The two exorcise a powerful demon from a man who is now the sole survivor of a small group of marines who became possessed in a cave in Iraq. The film concludes with Ralph and his family and friends gathered for Ralph's newborn child's christeningâ€"performed by the same priest who helped Ralph. It is made known that later Ralph quits the police force and begins working with the priest against evil.
Cast
- Eric Bana as Ralph Sarchie, a New York City street cop who has put his faith in religion behind him, only to find himself entangled with the devil.
- Édgar RamÃrez as Mendoza, the Spanish priest who teams with Ralph.
- Olivia Munn as Jen Sarchie, Ralph’s wife, who also has a tie to the case.
- Sean Harris as Santino, a marine possessed by the devil, who ends up targeting Ralph and his love ones.
- Joel McHale as Butler, Ralph’s partner, a tough, experienced cop.
- Chris Coy as Jimmy Tratner
- Dorian Missick as Gordon
- Rhona Fox as Zookeeper
- Valentina Rendón as Claudia
- Olivia Horton as Jane Crenna
Production
On September 4, 2012, director Scott Derrickson signed on to direct a paranormal cop thriller film he co-wrote with Paul Harris Boardman, with Screen Gems producing. On November 12, Jerry Bruckheimer signed on to produce the film with his Jerry Bruckheimer Films production company, which had begun developing a treatment of the Sarchie book years earlier. David Ayer, Bryan Bertino and Bruce C. McKenna also worked on the screenplay before Bruckheimer went back to Derrickson. Screen Gems set a January 16, 2015, release date and announced it would start filming on May 20, in The Bronx, New York City. On November 13, 2013, Sony Pictures changed the release date from January 2015 to July 2, 2014. On December 7, the film was retitled from Beware the Night to Deliver Us from Evil.
Casting
Initially, Mark Wahlberg was set to star. On November 9, 2012 The Wrap posted that Eric Bana was in talks to join the film, playing the lead role as a New York cop. On April 9, 2013 Bana confirmed his role in the film as a Catholic cop, and Olivia Munn and Édgar RamÃrez were set to co-star as the cop's wife and a priest respectively. On May 28, 2013 Joel McHale and Sean Harris also joined the film; McHale played Bana's partner, a tough and experienced cop. Dorian Missick joined cast on June 5 to play the role of the cop Gordon. Other cast members include Chris Coy, Rhona Fox, and Valentina Rendón.
Filming
Principal photography began on June 3, 2013 in New York City. After wrapping up filming in New York in the end of July, production moved to Abu Dhabi at the start of August 2013. Production filmed scenes at the Liwa Oasis desert in Abu Dhabi. According to Empire State Development Corporation, Deliver Us from Evil spent more than $19 million in New York state over the course of its 34-day shoot in New York City and on Long Island. The production paid $7 million to New York residents, hiring some 700 cast and crew as well as more than 400 extras.
Marketing
On December 23, 2013, the first photo from the film was released. The film's first trailer was released on YouTube on March 7, 2014, followed by another international trailer on April 10. On May 14 another trailer was released.
Release
The film was released on July 2, 2014 in 3,049 locations in the United States.
Critical reception
The film received generally mixed reviews from critics. The film currently holds a 27% rating on Rotten Tomatoes based on 113 reviews; the general consensus states: "Director Scott Derrickson continues to have a reliably firm grasp on creepy atmosphere, but Deliver Us from Evil '​s lack of original scares is reflected in its shopworn title." On Metacritic, the film has a 40/100 rating, indicating "mixed or average reviews".
Box office
Deliver Us from Evil earned $2.8 million on its opening day. In its opening weekend, the film earned $9.5 million ranking at number four at the box office in the United States.
References
External links
- Deliver Us from Evil at the Internet Movie Database
- Deliver Us from Evil at Box Office Mojo
- Deliver Us from Evil at Rotten Tomatoes
- Deliver Us from Evil at Metacritic
- Deliver Us from Evil at AllMovie
- Deliver Us from Evil at History vs. Hollywood