Evangeline (2013) User Reviews

It Sure Wasn't Edgar Allen Poe...

[dcarsonhagy · 3/10 · 11 May 2015]

I saw (simply by just reading a little on the "title" page here) there was no "tag line" for this movie. That is very understandable because I watched it, and STILL could not tell you what it was supposed to be about.

The movie opens with a sequence of a young girl being buried alive by someone the audience can easily identify as a serial killer. Flash-forward to the next scene and the title character is now attending some university. It seems she has lost her little sister due to some sort of illness. This is the first sub-plot that is never really explained. "Eva" (as she is called in the movie) meets her roommate and friend and the next thing you know she's off to some frat party where she gets smashed, apparently flirts with the president (or Grand Poobah--whatever you want to call him), gets knee-walkin', commode-huggin' drunk...and then you have the obligatory puking scene. Hungover and not wanting to leave campus for a long weekend, Eva trots herself down to the rec room on campus to shoot a game of pool...where she meets (again) the president of this frat. He takes her to his cabin-in-the-woods and all hell breaks loose. Left for dead, some sort of evil forest spirit possesses Eva, and she now looks like someone in real bad Kabuki makeup. NOTE TO DIRECTOR: Next time at least TRY to have the makeup go BEYOND the jaw line of the character. After this, the movie turns into a quasi rip off of "I Spit on Your Grave."

This movie appeared to be made by people lacking opposable thumbs. Everything is thrown together, with nothing being explained. My major questions surrounded this frat president and his goons. Did EVERYBODY on campus know they were killing innocent girls just for sh*ts and giggles? Why didn't anyone go to the police? When Eva encountered the campers in the forest, was she dead? Half-dead? Gaseous? What?

Rated "R" for brief nudity, graphic violence, and language, "Evangeline" leaves your with way more questions than answers. Not recommended.

Average revenge horror

[TdSmth5 · 5/10 · 23 November 2015]

The movie starts with some voice over about evil. We then see some serial killer having his way with a victim. Next we meet Evangeline, some religious girl starting college. Her roommate is some Asian girl who looks like she's in her 30s. Together with some other friend they decide to take the innocent Eva to a frat party where she gets completely drunk.

Some other day she meets a frat guy who takes her to a cabin in the woods where he beats her up. He calls his friends to get rid of her and they beat her up some more and dump her somewhere in the woods thinking she's dead. But she's not. Instead something possesses her and she revives. She's found by some guys who live in the woods. One of them wants to take advantage of her, while the other two guys protect her.

Now she/it begins her mission to take revenge on the guys. And things get bloody, but also weird. There's a torture chamber with a woman there, and I thought this was the serial killer's lair, but I'm not sure. Eventually though, as if things weren't bad enough for Eva, she also has a run-in with the serial killer.

After she's beaten up, the movie takes a turn and emphasizes visuals over story and dialogue. We get lots of jarring sequences of Eva/the creature. Things aren't clear, not much is said. In the end though this is somewhat of a supernatural version of I Spit on Your Grave that's also less graphic. The turn toward the visual is more characteristic of a horror movie made in the 2000s instead of a movie made in 2013. So if you put it among those violent sepia-colored movies Evangeline isn't all that bad. It succeeds at getting the audience to feel for Eva and despise the villains, but not much else. It's not an involving movie, you only care for the lead character once she's beaten and abused. It could have been stronger movie had there been more character development.

Another low budget gore-fest

[hiyaboyos · 4/10 · 11 May 2015]

The premise is nothing really original. There have been many many other movies with certain and slight variations of this theme. Some that come to mind are "The Crow" and "Pumpkinhead" just to mane a few. I'm sure there are plenty of others.

The acting was OK but nothing spectacular. No potential Oscar material here.

The special effects again are just OK but no eye candy here. I always thought blood was opaque however in this movie it looks kind of like dark fruit punch.

There are some serious plot holes throughout the movie. There is such a lack of character development that its amazing anyone watches the whole thing through. Where some very simple dialogue should be, there is none, just bizarre images. Images don't make up for plot explanation. I guess there is a certain amount of viewer imagination and or interpretation required here. I detest movies with plot holes and character under-development.

Anyhow that about sums it up. Enjoy and use your imagination.

Nope.

[SarBear1980 · 1/10 · 27 July 2015]

I think maybe the people who put this thing together wanted to tell the story of a woman scorned. I'm guessing that there was some sort of proverb, or old wives tale, possibly from an Asian culture, that fed into this idea, as well. I'm also guessing that the writer and director wanted us as viewers to travel emotionally with Evangeline throughout this film.

I say these things, because they never actually made themselves apparent.

If you've seen "The Crow" or "Jennifer's Body," skip this one. At least then, you won't have to watch those in the future and be reminded of this.

However, if you want to take notes on what to avoid when making a movie, please, indulge. You'll learn how to create a movie containing one dimensional characters, no back story, plot lines that come out of no-where and disappear mid stream, and a general feeling of "what the...?" when the credits start rolling.

Tip of the hat. Good day.

Falls flat like Coca Cola left out in a hot car

[thatnolaguy · 1/10 · 5 December 2016]

How this movie got more than a single star is beyond me. The story line is weak, the villains are completely unbelievable, the Asian roommate story arc was put in there for no apparent reason, considering it went nowhere, and the movie flitted around like a fly with a broken wing with no lead ups to the flashes to her sitting in the chair. If one were to watch this through a "David Lynch a la Lost Highway" lens, one could suspend disbelief and see this movie for just a bunch of flashes of horrifying scenes of rape and gore.

I saw a film project in college that went nowhere because the freshman producer got bored and wanted to get it off his plate quickly. I can't say this was much better.

Spoilers!!!

[ashleetovarscentsy · 1/10 · 15 February 2017]

Spoilers! Awful movie. Storyline is everywhere. Evangeline has the worst luck in the entire world. Not only does she get brutally "killed" once but she also gets raped and almost killed again! No one calls the police when they find her basically dead in the woods. Seriously the group that finds her make it seem so normal to find a almost dead person in the woods.it would have been a descent movie but it's like they gave up. Even the makeup was laughable. I couldn't stop laughing. The killings are super quick and not wworth the time it takes to watch to find out what happens. I'll tell you, they all die within 30 seconds. Also, her sisters death plays no role in the movie. It's pointless

The Crow meets Savaged.

[Patient444 · 3/10 · 15 November 2015]

In a very, very bad mix! I see some positive reviews on Evangeline, so I'll try not to fully bash it, but in my honest opinion, this was down right bad!

The camera work looks terrible and annoying. There is pretty much no acting to mention, no real dialogue, the plot is used and badly executed, the killings are a joke, the ending fits the movie. Will be one of my shorter comments cause I have pretty much nothing good to say about it, so I'll just give you a warning here.

Stay away from this one. It fails on all levels!

Cheers!

Don't mess with her

[kosmasp · 5/10 · 8 November 2021]

I have to admit, I was rather surprised by the really well done cinematography of this movie. The acting and the story did not live up to the quality of the "picture", but I have seen worse movies (horror and otherwise) too.

Having said that, the movie has quite a few cringe worthy moments. Some worse than others. The effects are good and the movie is quite short overall ... so there is that.

I should have listened👎

[unclet-30169 · 3/10 · 14 September 2020]

Whoa Nelly, Where to start! The acting, believe it or not is not that bad (standard low budget fare), but everything else is an absolute mess. the storyline, continuity, direction, screenplay and worst of all the editing are horrendous. It all adds up to a pile of 💩

This movie was horrible, simply horrible

[yihatespam · 1/10 · 3 June 2019]

Acting was terrible and the plot wasn't original at all. I would it a negative rating if only it were possible so this one star is very generous! This is a new low for low budget movies!

Really good movie

[tmdarby · 8/10 · 28 May 2015]

This movie has some bad reviews here, but I thought it was quite good. The movie isn't so much scary as it is interesting. I found it very artful in it's delivery of the plot, leaving a lot for the viewer to interpret. Which is kind of refreshing compared to the hit you over the head style of Hollywood plot development.

I also enjoyed how there wasn't a lot of talking in the movie. A lot of the character development was done subtly.

The acting was decent, and the special effects are pretty much what you'd expect for a low budget movie. I found it intriguing and open to interpretation. Very well directed, and a worth while watch.

My Review Of "Evangeline

[ASouthernHorrorFan · 6/10 · 3 May 2015]

"Evangeline" is one of these new revenge / supernatural fusion horror films that blends classic vengeance gore with a paranormal element. I like this mash-up of concepts. The story isn't completely original, the themes and subject matter has been explored quite a bit in horror. What "Evangeline" does offer is a deep, atmospheric slice of human tragedy, and a test of Lam's more philosophical expressionism through visual art forms. I enjoyed that Lam chose to show us what the psyche split during intense physical suffering could look like. And by choosing that moment to have a supernatural development unfold in the character development goes a long way toward Lam's vision, and gives us our turn around in this nightmarish journey.

The acting and directing is pretty tight. Obviously the budget was nice enough to bring "Evangeline" up to par with some of the recent films of this ilk. The production is quality as well. Unfortunately there is something of substance missing in a lot of the material here. The story is multilayered and for the most part the characters seem developed enough. It is just that I felt they were standard "Copy/paste" characters and there was no real emotionality to the drama or scenes that actually dealt with the crux of this story. Not to the level that the creativity and vision of more surreal scenes without dialog where everything was visual stimulation. Plus things just happen because they need to happen and that was the way they were drawn on the storyboards. No real suspense or intensity.

The special effects rocked. Especially the creature effects on the "demon" or "entity" , (what little we see it). It is what we have come to expect in this genre and I recently saw another film with an almost identical story do it better, but all the FX are on point and look great on screen. The soundtrack and atmosphere is a haunting sway of despair lingering over the story. There will be as many people that like "Evangeline" as "hate it". The actual combining of the two aspects of the story are open to interpretation, in some moments are confusing. I loved the visual exploration of the victim coping during such a senseless and vicious act of violence. I only hope I have a demon watching over me and waiting for that moment to intercede.

This movie was boring. Elon Musk would have done better.

[atwiththestars · 1/10 · 24 February 2022]

What a boring movie. No inspiration. I managed to make it through because I'm stupidly optimistic in thinking the ending would have made it worth my time, but it wasn't. I felt like i should have been paid to watch this. Yawn.

Disappointing and pretentious revenge-flick.

[johannes2000-1 · 3/10 · 18 April 2020]

This is a revenge horror flick and although that's rather a cliché, it could turn out fine if adequately done. Unfortunately that's not the case.

First, the reason for the revenge (rape followed by a relentless murder) came somewhat out-of the blue and seemed highly improbable for students of this apparently renowned and refined college. I mean, they seemed to perform this murder almost as a matter of daily routine, as if they had done it dozens of times before.

Second, victim Evangeline gets her revenge not as a rightly vindictive and resourceful human being, but as some sort of risen-from-the-dead supernatural ghost, making her more or less invincible and with that totally taking the punch out of the premise. Her killing spree (she takes on several people, since after her first ordeal she was assaulted by others, although she already seemed to be dead and a ghost - so much for logics!) is compelling enough and pictured very graphically, but without some coherent story to relate it to, this just isn't enough to make a good movie. Even Katerina Katelieva's beautiful face and cute smile cannot save it, and unfortunately even those are spoilt by some weird, pretentious make-up when she becomes (un)dead.

Illogical horror.

[parry_na · 5/10 · 4 June 2021]

"I'm not your slave," says Mark.

"Yeah you are," says Shannon.

So much about this is good - if only a bit more effort was made to allow it to make some degree of sense. True, disorientation can be frightening, but it would be more satisfying to have at least something to hold onto.

It appears to be a revenge slasher, artfully filmed and directed by Karen Lam. It may also be seen to be anti-male. The only honourable man here is Mark (Anthony Shim), who is nevertheless treated as a lapdog by his girlfriend Shannon (Mayumi Yoshida). See this review's opening quote. Of course, this could be something to do with the other role played by Yoshida.

This is a film that exists entirely in its own world. The antagonists do exactly as they wish as brazenly as they like because there are no authority figures present, no rules, and no police.

It's a shame that the care and attention that went into making this production look so good, and the decent acting on display, all culminate in something that doesn't gel, that wilfully doesn't attempt much in the way of logic and that ultimately emerges as a bit of a chore to sit through. My score is 5 out of 10.

Oh Dear

[chad-61313 · 1/10 · 14 August 2020]

I'd rather watch 2 turtles cross a football field.

Not as bad as most reviews might make you think

[Zitadoeza · 8/10 · 13 August 2015]

Warning: may contain spoilers!

Evangeline is the story of a naive college girl who has a seriously shitty life. Now this might not be one of the most creative movies out there but it is definitely interesting to watch. The acting might not be top of the mill but it's better than some other movies I've seen. Then there's the cinematography; this is done very thoughtfully and gives the movie a distinct atmosphere and makes up for the fact that the special effects aren't all that. It is certainly the number 1 thing that makes this movie worthwhile to watch. Besides, I personally don't think the special effects are what makes a movie good.

One problem I have with, not so much the movie, but more the description of the movie here on IMDb is that it's very misleading. Because yes, the frat boys leave her for dead in the forest, but, she doesn't die there, and this is not the moment she becomes an avenging spirit. The build up to this moment is done very cleverly and you see her slowly being pushed over the edge in contrast to immediately going on a murderous rampage as the description might have you believe.

The story leaves quite some open ends and challenges the viewer to fill in the gaps with their own imagination. If you don't have this imagination or fancy explain-it-all-at-the-end kind of movies this one is not for you.

Good watch on Hulu

[bettyannewarren · 8/10 · 11 December 2016]

Very very dark - so be prepared for that. However it is original and stunning visually and the casting for the lead, well, she was perfect. The actress playing Evangeline looks like a normal girl, almost forgettable, but there is something more to her, a sad past that brings wisdom and yet youth that wants to let lose, fall in love, live life. She happens to have the worst night ever, first getting targeted by some bad fellow students and then by an even worse person, but supernatural things occur and some redemption albeit gory comes. I appreciate that there was a wonderful Japanese actress playing the good friend, thank you for not casting all white actors. And I love that this comes from a female horror director which there is hardly any of at all! If you liked this movie you would also like HoneyBee (also a female director) and It Follows and Jughead.