''Little Evil'' is a 2017 American

supernatural Supernatural phenomena or entities are those beyond the Scientific law, laws of nature. The term is derived from Medieval Latin , from Latin 'above, beyond, outside of' + 'nature'. Although the corollary term "nature" has had multiple meanin ...

horror comedy Comedy horror (also called horror comedy) is a literary, television and film genre that combines elements of comedy and horror fiction. Comedy horror has been described as having three types: "black comedy, parody and spoof." Comedy horror can a ...

film written and directed by

Eli Craig Eli Craig is an American film director, screenwriter, and actor. He is best known for co-writing and directing the cult horror comedy film '' Tucker & Dale vs. Evil''. Early life Craig is actress Sally Field's second son with Steve Craig. His ol ...

. It stars Adam Scott,

Evangeline Lilly Nicole Evangeline Lilly (born August 3, 1979) is a Canadian former actress and author. She gained popularity for her first leading role as Kate Austen in the ABC drama series '' Lost'' (2004–2010), which garnered her six nominations for the ...

, Owen Atlas,

Bridget Everett Bridget Everett (born April 21, 1972) is an American comedian, actress, singer, writer, and cabaret performer. She began her career appearing and co-writing alongside Michael Patrick King the Off-Broadway musical comedy ''At Least It's Pink: A ...

Kyle Bornheimer Kyle Bornheimer (born September 10, 1975) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his roles on the sitcoms ''Worst Week'', ''Brooklyn Nine-Nine'', '' Casual'', and '' Playing House''. Life and career Bornheimer attended St. Monica Gr ...

, Chris D'Elia,

Donald Faison Donald Adeosun Faison (; born June 22, 1974) is an American actor and comedian. He is known for his leading role as Dr. Chris Turk in the ABC/ NBC comedy-drama '' Scrubs'' (2001–2010), and a supporting role as Murray in both the film '' Cluel ...

Carla Gallo Carla Paolina Gallo (born June 24, 1975) is an American actress. Gallo has had recurring roles in the television series ''Undeclared'', ''Carnivàle'', ''Bones'', ''Californication'', and a number of film roles. Since her role on ''Undeclared'' ...

Tyler Labine Tyler Labine (born April 29, 1978) is a Canadian-American actor. He is best known for starring in the film ''Tucker & Dale vs. Evil,'' the television series ''Breaker High'', ''Invasion (2005 TV series), Invasion'', ''Reaper (TV series), Reaper'', ...

, Brad Williams,

Clancy Brown Clarence James Brown III (born January 5, 1959) is an American actor. Prolific in film and television since the 1980s, Brown is often cast in villainous and authoritative roles. His film roles include Rawhide in ''The Adventures of Buckaroo Ban ...

, and

Sally Field Sally Margaret Field (born November 6, 1946) is an American actress. She has performed in movies, Broadway theater, television, and made records of popular music. Known for her extensive work on screen and stage, she has received many accola ...

. It was released by

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

on September 1, 2017. In the film, a man suspects that his new

stepson A stepchild is the offspring of one's spouse, but not one's own offspring, either biologically or through adoption. Stepchildren can come into a family in a variety of ways. A stepchild may be the child of one's spouse from a previous relationshi ...

is "a little evil", after realizing that the boy may have caused two mysterious

suicide Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Risk factors for suicide include mental disorders, physical disorders, and substance abuse. Some suicides are impulsive acts driven by stress (such as from financial or ac ...

s. While investigating the boy's past, he is informed that his stepson is the

Antichrist In Christian eschatology, Antichrist (or in broader eschatology, Anti-Messiah) refers to a kind of entity prophesied by the Bible to oppose Jesus in Christianity, Jesus Christ and falsely substitute themselves as a savior in Christ's place before ...

and that he may have to kill the boy to prevent the end of the world.

Plot

Gary Bloom marries Samantha, who has a 5-year-old son, Lucas. Gary struggles to connect with the quiet Lucas, who ignores him. Gary receives a telephone call from his wedding videographer Karl, warning that something very unusual is in the footage, but Gary is uninterested. Gary stops by one of his properties for sale, an old nunnery, where Father J.D. Gospel, the leader of a

Doomsday cult A doomsday cult is a cult that believes in apocalypticism and millenarianism, including both those that predict disaster and those that attempt to destroy the entire universe. Sociologist John Lofland coined the term ''doomsday cult'' in his 19 ...

, buys it on the spot. Gary is summoned to Lucas' school where the

principal Principal may refer to: Title or rank * Principal (academia), the chief executive of a university ** Principal (education), the head of a school * Principal (civil service) or principal officer, the senior management level in the UK Civil Ser ...

informs him that Lucas spoke out of turn in class and told his science teacher to "go to hell", after which she killed herself by jumping out the window and got impaled on a fence. A

psychiatrist A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in psychiatry. Psychiatrists are physicians who evaluate patients to determine whether their symptoms are the result of a physical illness, a combination of physical and mental ailments or strictly ...

stresses that Lucas see a counselor and Gary, apparently the main source of Lucas' erratic behavior, should do the same. Samantha is upset by the news and feels that everyone, including Gary, is unfairly blaming Lucas, but Gary assures her that he loves them both. At therapy, Gary confides to the other stepfathers, including his friend Al, that he thinks his stepson might be a little evil, and they all sympathize. At Lucas' birthday party, a clown lights himself on fire, and Gary is led to believe Lucas is responsible. Karl shows Gary the wedding video, revealing a

possessed Possessed may refer to: Possession * Possession (disambiguation), having some degree of control over something else ** Spirit possession, whereby gods, demons, animas, or other disincarnate entities may temporarily take control of a human body *** ...

-looking Lucas untouched by a

tornado A tornado is a violently rotating column of air that is in contact with the surface of Earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. It is often referred to as a twister, whirlwind or cyclone, although the ...

. Karl tells Gary that all Samantha's previous boyfriends are dead except Gabriel, giving Gary Gabriel's address. When Gary inquires about Lucas' biological father, Samantha reluctantly admits that years earlier, she was part of a

cult Cults are social groups which have unusual, and often extreme, religious, spiritual, or philosophical beliefs and rituals. Extreme devotion to a particular person, object, or goal is another characteristic often ascribed to cults. The term ...

and Lucas was conceived during a ritual. Gary convinces Al to help him, and they find Gabriel in the basement of a church where he is self-flagellating. Gabriel reveals that Lucas is the

and tells them to travel to

Bethlehem Bethlehem is a city in the West Bank, Palestine, located about south of Jerusalem, and the capital of the Bethlehem Governorate. It had a population of people, as of . The city's economy is strongly linked to Tourism in the State of Palesti ...

to find Gozamel the demon hunter. Gary and Al view a television news report on rioting due to the

Apocalypse Apocalypse () is a literary genre originating in Judaism in the centuries following the Babylonian exile (597–587 BCE) but persisting in Christianity and Islam. In apocalypse, a supernatural being reveals cosmic mysteries or the future to a ...

Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Bethlehem is a city in Northampton County, Pennsylvania, Northampton and Lehigh County, Pennsylvania, Lehigh counties in the Lehigh Valley region of eastern Pennsylvania, United States. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, Bethle ...

, realizing that is where they need to go. They find Gozamel, who informs them they must kill the child with the Knife of Destiny to prevent the end of the world. Gozamel is killed in a car accident, but not before he gives Gary the Knife of Destiny to kill Lucas on

hallowed Sacred describes something that is dedicated or set apart for the service or worship of a deity; is considered worthy of spiritual respect or devotion; or inspires awe or reverence among believers. The property is often ascribed to objects (a ...

ground. Gary arrives home to find Samantha with Miss Shaylock, a woman from Child Protective Services. They encourage Gary to put Lucas to bed, but this goes horribly wrong, ending in Lucas burying Gary in a sandbox. Samantha digs him up, taking Lucas' side for being a confused kid, and Gary screams that Lucas is the Antichrist. Samantha is devastated, and Gary apologizes. Convinced Lucas is the Antichrist, Gary takes him on a trip to Waterland, an amusement park blessed by the

Pope The pope is the bishop of Rome and the Head of the Church#Catholic Church, visible head of the worldwide Catholic Church. He is also known as the supreme pontiff, Roman pontiff, or sovereign pontiff. From the 8th century until 1870, the po ...

, intending to drown Lucas in what would appear to be an accident, but Lucas and Gary actually start to bond as father and son. Gary reluctantly equips Lucas with sand-filled floaties and sends him down a water slide to his death, but sees the word "Love" in the sky and takes it as a sign. Gary saves Lucas, taking him for ice cream, and they both apologize for trying to kill each other. An amber alert for Lucas appears on Gary's phone, and police arrive to arrest Gary as Miss Shaylock, revealed to be a disciple of Father Gospel, takes Lucas. Father Gospel also kidnaps Samantha. Gary escapes to save her and Lucas, with help from the other stepdads. They travel to the old nunnery where Father Gospel and his disciples prepare to kill Lucas and bring about the end of the world. When Lucas opens a tunnel to

Hell In religion and folklore, hell is a location or state in the afterlife in which souls are subjected to punishment after death. Religions with a linear divine history sometimes depict hells as eternal destinations, such as Christianity and I ...

and starts to fall into it, Gary saves him. Once freed, Samantha knocks Father Gospel into the tunnel. Weeks later, Gary and Lucas race the Okatok

Soap Box Derby The Soap Box Derby is a youth-oriented gravity racer program, founded in 1934 in the United States by Dayton, Ohio, Dayton, Ohio native Myron Scott, a photojournalist employed by the Dayton Daily News, and preceded by events such as ''Kid Aut ...

, finally happy as father and son.

Cast

* Adam Scott as Gary Bloom, Samantha's husband and Lucas's stepfather *

as Samantha Bloom, Gary's wife and Lucas's mother * Owen Atlas as Lucas, Samantha's son and Gary's stepson *

as Al, Gary's co-worker and best friend *

as Reverend Gospel *

as Miss Shaylock *

as Victor * Chris D'Elia as Wayne *

as Larry *

as Wendy *

as Karl * Brad Williams as Gozamel

Production

In May 2013,

Universal Pictures Universal City Studios LLC, doing business as Universal Pictures (also known as Universal Studios or simply Universal), is an American filmmaking, film production and film distribution, distribution company headquartered at the 10 Universal Ci ...

acquired the film's script, with

directing the film, based upon the screenplay he wrote, while

Scott Stuber Scott Stuber is an American film producer. He was the chairman of Netflix Films. Career After graduating from University of Arizona with a film degree, Stuber worked at Universal Pictures as a publicity assistant to Lew Wasserman. Stuber wa ...

, Nicholas Nesbitt, would serve as producers under their

Mandalay Pictures Mandalay Pictures (formerly known as Mandalay Entertainment) is an American independent film production company founded on May 27, 1995, which is part of producer and businessman Peter Guber's Mandalay Entertainment. From 1997 until 2002, Lion ...

and

Bluegrass Films Scott Stuber is an American film producer. He was the chairman of Netflix Films. Career After graduating from University of Arizona with a film degree, Stuber worked at Universal Pictures as a publicity assistant to Lew Wasserman. Stuber wa ...

banners respectively. In September 2016, it was announced

, Adam Scott,

, Chris D'Elia,

, Owen Atlas, Brad Williams, and Marcus Terrell Smith had joined the cast of the film, Dylan Clark and

Jason Michael Berman Jason Michael Berman is an American film producer and executive. He serves as the President and Founder of A/Vantage Pictures and previously served as the President of Mandalay Pictures, where he is responsible for developing and structuring fin ...

would serve as producers, and

would produce and distribute the film. That same month,

joined the cast of the film.

Filming

Principal photography Principal photography is the phase of producing a film or television show in which the bulk of shooting takes place, as distinct from the phases of pre-production and post-production. Personnel Besides the main film personnel, such as the ...

began in September 2016, in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

. The film was shot in 25 days with no reshoots.

Soundtrack

Marco Beltrami Marco Beltrami (born October 7, 1966) is an American composer of film and television scores. He has worked in a number of genres, including horror ('' Scream'', ''Mimic, The Faculty, Resident Evil, The Woman in Black, Carrie, A Quiet Place'' ...

, Brandon Roberts & Marcus Trumpp composed the score for the film.

Release

It began streaming on Netflix on September 1, 2017.

Response

References

External links

* {{Eli Craig 2017 comedy horror films 2010s supernatural horror films American comedy horror films Demons in film Films about the Antichrist Films shot in Cleveland Films scored by Marco Beltrami Films scored by Brandon Roberts (composer) Films with screenplays by Eli Craig English-language comedy horror films Mandalay Pictures films Netflix original films Films about Satanism 2010s English-language films 2010s American films American supernatural horror films American black comedy films Films about cults Films about father–son relationships American religious horror films