Plodding History of Evil (2024) Attempts to Tie Future Horrors to the Past
Title: History of Evil
First Non-Festival Release: February 23, 2024 (Digital/Streaming Platforms)
Director: Bo Mirhosseni
Writer: Bo Mirhosseni
Runtime: 97 Minutes
Starring: Paul Wesley, Jackie Cruz, Rhonda Johnson Dents
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
If our current world isn’t volatile enough, try imagining what the United States would look like under civil war and a fascistic government. Of course, the reality is closer in some states than others, the country is not quite there. Bo Mirhosseni’s directorial debut imagines what America could look like in 2045 if the government falls further into fascism.
This begins with Alegre’s (Jackie Cruz) escape from prison aided by her husband, Ron (Paul Wesley), and fellow freedom fighter Trudy (Rhonda Johnson Dents). Along for the ride is Ron and Alegre’s daughter, Daria (Murphee Bloom). While they wait for the heat to die down, the group settles into a home deep in the woods with a troubled history. As their initial brief stay extends due to increasing political turmoil, the lengths to which the house will go to tear them apart intensifies.
Clunky, heavy handed, and dull, History of Evil fails to balance the multiple subgenres and themes of its ambitious tale.
What starts with fire and purpose dwindles into an aimless reimagining of better movies than it, History of Evil fails to marry its dystopian civil war future with the very real racist past of the United States. Reading like The Shining meets The Amityville Horror set in a Political Science 101 class, History of Evil fumbles in doing justice to its commentary and its commitment to scares. Without much direction, the plot is driven mostly by Ron wandering around at night and falling victim to the seduction of the home’s deceased patriarch. An obvious indicator that Ron is the stand in for white men who fall victim to nostalgia bait and self-pitying thought processes, he almost seems hypnotized by the meetings. Unfortunately, the transformation is blunted by their short stay in the house, making it feel inauthentic and forced.
With all the subtlety of a podcast host, History of Evil struggles to say anything of importance to reflect on the current political climate in the United States. Clearly wanting to opine on racism and misogyny at once, History of Evil clumsily shows this man converting Ron to the dark side through a series of increasingly ham-fisted monologues about being a good ole’ boy. From the J6 police force to steroid advertisements using the word ‘cuck,’ History of Evil is filled with low hanging fruit instead of truly reckoning with America’s political divide. The militarized police force’s obsession with public displays of religion, firearms, and hatred for terrorists [whoever the government wants you to be weary of that day] make for even more obvious nods to current beliefs. The problem is not that History of Evil depicts certain ideologies in one light, or even that these specific elements are used, but in its cartoonish delivery in an otherwise serious film.
Bungling delicate topics is one thing, but History of Evil fails to conjure even one solid scare opting for slow, psychological horror without a payoff. Most of the film’s horror derives from two sources: the looming threat of the freedom fighters being discovered by the military and the awkward late-night conversations with the ghost of an old man who abused his wife and son while moonlighting as a klansman. Aside from the unsavory conversations, History of Evil relies on the dystopian intrigue to raise the pulse in any meaningful manner. The few attempts at scares within the house run the gambit of uninspired and cliched tropes that hardly instill a sense of true danger.
The only somewhat bright spot in History of Evil shines through Paul Wesley’s solid performance to the otherwise uneven character of Ron. Playing the lovable husband who can pass as a “patriot”, Wesley injects life into the otherwise odd family dynamic and maintains a sense of urgency when facing danger. As Ron is courted by the ghosts of the house’s past, however, Wesley’s performance wavers ever so slightly. Scratching the unhinged psychopath planted within Ron by the house, Wesley only lets himself get close to engaging with the violence in a believeable manner. Both Jackie Cruz and Rhonda Johnson Dents do well enough with their material but fail to stand out due to the focus History of Evil gives to Ron’s character arc.
The radicalization of young white men into dangerous ideologies makes for a perfect topic for a horror film to cover, but History of Evil fails to tell a convincing story to make it poignant or terrifying. Decent production values and a solid leading performance cannot save a film from its messy script and aimless commitment to horror. There are far worse films out there than History of Evil but if you appreciate attempts to write for the moment, it cannot be denied that this haunted house horror tries.
Overall Score? 4/10
