What comes to mind when you think of a Giallo film? Gore? Saturated colors,? Sensationalist storylines and themes? All of the above are cornerstones of the unique genre, and all can be found in the film Evil Everywhere. Though not my favorite film, Evil Everywhere acts as a respectful nod to its genre predecessors. 

Evil Everywhere dabbles with several plotlines but the basic throughline is a mysterious force rising up and killing kids. Several years ago this force began killing high school seniors in alphabetical order (this can be seen in Evil Everywhere’s antecedent Paura Tutto). The force was thwarted thanks to the efforts of Zeke Zanderfeldt, the luckiest name to have given the circumstances. Now, the force is back and killing with a new pattern, and it is up to Zeke and his band of weirdos to put the evil to rest for good. 

Plot points shamelessly thrown in without concern for their connection to the already unfolding story started off as an irritation. But once I was able to let go of the constant barrage of nonsensical storylines and embraced the chaotic nod to retro low-budget Italian cinema, the experience instantly became more enjoyable. 

The acting abilities vary, ranging from wacky, to completely hollow. There are some solid moments, but the nature of the story itself coupled with the varied abilities produced a bit of a shaky result. Again, this element if examined alone is a negative, but paired with the other topsy turvy aspects of Evil Everywhere it became much more tolerable. 

My favorite feature of Evil Everywhere was the soundtrack. It was retro, original, synthy, and overall just an auditory joy. The soundtrack tied the film together, giving it that nostalgic vibe but managing to carve out a sound unique to the film. Director Mykee Morettini, Patrick Casey, and Patrick Ryan Deasy should be applauded for their musical efforts. 

Evil Everywhere features a high body count (as any good Giallo should) and there is gore aplenty. The SFX used to bring these gory moments to life was of surprisingly good quality and was a pleasant surprise. My personal favorite was the bloody eye prop. Very gross and very good.

Evil Everywhere is a bit of a mess, but that is also its charm. So many aspects of this film are critic fodder, and it would be easy to write the film off as a mess. But when all these aspects are looked at as a whole, Evil Everywhere is greater than the sum of its parts. If you are a story stickler, stay away. But if you are a fan of Giallos and want to check out a funky flick with a heart of gold, then press play. 

5 out of 10