BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL -- DVD Review by Porfle

Lilith, the fabled first wife of Adam, returns as a seductive succubus who lures and murders men in BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL (Indican Pictures, 2017), writer-director Joshua Coates' modestly-budgeted but surprisingly impressive horror-thriller.

The alluring creature who's irresistible to men but morphs into a diabolical fanged nightmare behind closed doors is played to perfection by African-Irish actress Alice Rose in her film debut.

Her intimate moments with hapless male victims give the film some of its most horrifying shock scenes, with the help of nicely-done practical effects and pretty-good CGI.

Grant Harvey plays Jeremiah Young, an orphaned teen just entering college. Having never been adopted due to his being "different", the troubled but well-meaning youth is plagued by DEAD ZONE-type visions of possible future calamity which he tries his best to avert. 

He uses this ability to rescue a female classmate from suicide before saving dormmate Pete (Pooch Hall) from an encounter with Lilith which claims the lives of several of Pete's frat brothers. 

The story delves deeply into its good vs. evil premise, exploring various facets of religion and faith (Jeremiah and Lilith, in her guise as "Jessica", attend the same theology class) in dead-serious fashion, devoid of the obligatory humor so common in current horror films. 

Coates' intelligent, densely-packed screenplay is like a fever dream, directed with a visual style that's consistently engaging.  Lighting, camerawork, and score all contribute to an often mesmerizing viewing experience.

Rose and Harvey head a terrific cast which includes a brief cameo (during the opening titles) by Eric Roberts.  Subplots include an investigation into the horrific campus murders which, in one of the film's liveliest scenes, will bring one of the detectives much too close for comfort to his deadly prey.

There's also a revelation or two about Jeremiah's past--including his connection to a famed evangelist who fell victim to Lilith years ago--which, along with a few other story points, seems to lay the groundwork for a sequel or even a possible series.  Still, this tale is pretty much satisfyingly self-contained.

Definitely not light viewing, BUT DELIVER US FROM EVIL is an intense, often riveting battle between good and evil that's kind of a callback to those rowdy but substantial monster-fests of the 80s.  And Joshua Coates would seem to be a filmmaker to watch. 


Tech Specs
Runtime: 119 minutes
Format:
Sound: 5.1 Surround Sound
Country: USA
Language, Captions: English
Website: www.IndicanPictures.com
Genre: Horror/Sci-Fi