Hi everyone, happy Halloween from the Nightcrawler Experience!
For this, the second part of my two- part Halloween special on this blog, I'll be looking at the 2014 film 'Deliver Us From Evil,' based on the real- life memoirs of Ralph Sarchie, an NYPD sergeant- turned- demonologist.
DISCLAIMER! Between the scares, its frequent bad language, and various kinds of mature subject matter, this isn't for the faint of heart. Exercise caution before watching this or allowing kids to do so.
In 2013, plainclothes cop Ralph Sarchie (Played in this movie by Eric Bana) and his partner are sent to investigate the case of a woman at the Bronx Zoo who out of nowhere tossed her own toddler son into the moat surrounding the lions' den at the zoo. The toddler thankfully survived but the mother is found in a disheveled, insane state, chanting the lyrics to the classic Doors song "Break on Through" over and over again.
While Sarchie, a diehard skeptic of such matters, attributes the woman's actions to simple insanity and general human evil, a Jesuit priest named Mendoza (Edgar Ramirez) who had been acquainted with the woman for some time is convinced there is something supernatural and deeply sinister at work.
We learn that the woman's recently- deceased husband, a painter working at the zoo, and another man whom Ralph arrested for spousal abuse in the start of the film were all part of the same military unit serving in Iraq, and while investigating a cave there three years prior to the film's events, the three men discovered something horrible that quickly took control of them.
It is clear that there is a demonic force at work. It's one that, as the frequently- quoted song puts it, seeks to "Break on Through to the Other Side," passing from its dimension into our world, and possessed those men as well as the woman in the zoo in order to do that.
Meanwhile, the dark forces in question have realized Ralph is after them, and set their sights on his wife and daughter. It all leads to an intense confrontation with one of the possessed men and an attempt to save both his soul and the lives of Ralph's family.
The only major problem I had with this movie was an odd one: Its use of sound effects. Specifically, there are points in the movie in which they use heavily- overused stock sound effects. A couple examples are one of a screeching cat early in the film, and several points in which Ralph, when looking over surveillance footage of the various supernatural incidents, hears the sound of children laughing. As a diehard pop culture buff, these are sound effects I've heard too many times to count in various movies and shows, would it really be that hard to record a new sound effect of kids laughing?
With that out of the way, I thought 'Deliver Us From Evil' was a great movie that deserves a lot more mention than it generally gets. t was well- written, had loads of scares, a few good moments of humor (i.e. A discussion Ralph has with his partner which concerns a hat the partner is wearing and the infamous Yankees/ Red Sox rivalry), and plenty of action of both the "Cops going after bad guys" variety and the "Exorcisms and other confrontations with demons" variety. In particular, the climax will keep you on the edge of your seat.
This movie's plot has an interesting feel to it; A reviewer once said it felt like a cross between "The Exorcist" and "Se7en." I agree with the comparison, as it has the 'Demonic possession" elements of the former and the "Procedural crime drama" elements of the latter. They're two things that you wouldn't think would go together, and yet they do.
The characters are mostly great, too. Ralph has his flaws, but is a generally good, honorable man out to not just do his job, but do what is right. Mendoza is a very likable character who, in spite of his position as a Jesuit priest, remains friendly, down- to- earth, and relatable to all who meet him. Between that amiable attitude, and his knowledge of demonology and whatnot, he's someone you'd definitely want to have backing you up if dealing with supernatural evil. Ralph's wife and daughter are easy to feel for, as well. Ralph's job prevents him from being able to be there for them as much as he knows he should (As the wife at one point tells him, "Even when you're here, you're not here."), and you can really feel the sadness and longing they have because of this.
I think 'Deliver Us From Evil' will officially become part of my comprehensive list of horror and Halloween- related movies and shows I'll watch every October.
As you can probably guess considering its title is a section of the Lord's Prayer, 'Deliver Us From Evil' has a few good Biblical lessons in spite of its creepy subject matter, in addition to the obvious point that evil, demonic forces, while they exist, are no match for the power of God demonstrated through our faith in Him.
One of the first deals with the nature of guilt and our forgiveness in God's eyes. We all have sinned, and the Devil and his forces know this and can use our guilt over this against us. The possessed people in the movie use this to their wicked advantage at times to taunt the heroes, reminding Ralph of an occasion when he beat a particularly heinous suspect to death in a fit of rage rather than properly arresting him (As Mendoza put it upon Ralph telling him about it, such a thing was an act of vengeance rather than one of justice), and reminding Mendoza of an occasion when he broke his vow of celibacy and got a woman pregnant. The thing is, God doesn't want us to wallow in guilt over our past sins; He wants us to learn from them, become better equipped to not repeat them in the future, and to know that He has forgiven all of them through His Son Jesus dying to pay for them. Romans 8:1 sums this up well by pointing out that “There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.” When we trust in Jesus, we have nothing more to feel guilty about, as He has paid for all of our sins.
Another good theological message to be derived from 'Deliver Us From Evil' relates to the problem of evil, how to believe in a loving God when there is so much evil and suffering in the world. Early on, Ralph and Mendoza are having a discussion in a bar that quickly turns to spiritual matters. Ralph says, "As we speak, every day, out there, somebody's getting hurt, ripped off, murdered, raped. Where is God in all that?" Mendoza responds, "In the hearts of people like you, who put a stop to it." Therein lies an important point. God's main way of addressing evil is through working in the hearts of good, brave people and guiding them to help stop it. A verse that I'd say ties into this is 1 Corinthians 15:58, which says "Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain." The work we do for the Lord DOES make a positive impact and help to build His kingdom, even if we can't see the impact it makes right away. We are God's instruments in helping to bring His goodness and justice to the world, and must take this obligation seriously.
A final faith- based message in 'Deliver Us From Evil' is on the importance of families being raised in the faith. While Ralph has very little interest in spiritual matters and only attends church on Christmas and Easter, the rest of his family (About to get a member bigger, as his wife tells him early on that she's pregnant) are fairly devout. He's already somewhat estranged from his family due to the pressures of his job, and this major difference in beliefs between him and them worsens things. Fortunately, Ralph's experiences over the course of the film both help rekindle his faith and remind him of how important his family really is to him and how much of a responsibility he has to be there for them in every way he can. It seems as though the ending of the movie, with Ralph happily helping to take part in the christening of his new baby, was kind of like his way of saying, as it was said in Joshua 24:15, "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Those of us who are fathers must similarly strive to raise up our families in the faith, and aid them in their growing relationship with Jesus.
So, that sums up my look at 'Deliver Us From Evil.' It's a great, underrated film which helps us see that, through remembering that the Lord has freed us from the guilt of our sins, striving to be there for and guide our families spiritually, and doing whatever we can to aid God through the good work we do for Him, we don't have to fear any evil that Satan might try and throw at us, in this rough year, and all through eternity.
btw, as one last "Treat" for you all before I go, I found this amazing Halloween- related music video a week or so ago. This particular company does all kinds of wonderful fan- made music videos incorporating various pop- cultural worlds (i.e. Several Disney- related ones, a Batman- related one, and so on), and I'd say this is easily one of their best. I love all the characters they featured in it, quite a diverse bunch, and they even include a very subtle nod to my favorite Halloween- related movie 'Trick 'r Treat' (I've got to look at that during one of my future Halloween editions of this blog) near the end of it. Check it out:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5aDEwq-DJA
Well, that's all for this edition of the Nightcrawler Experience. I have an upcoming entry nearly done, so keep your eyes peeled for that. Until then, happy Halloween, stay safe, and may God bless you all!
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