Little Evil - A cheeky little twist on a tired tale

I actually heard about this film due to a Youtube video mentioning the 'Top Ten Most Undiscovered films on Netflix' and, I think it's fair to say that 'Little Evil' earns its spot on that list.  The story about parents finding out some sort of child in their charge turns out to be possessed/spawn of evil/whatever and then has to struggle with the emotional conflicts this brings up.  And, 'Little Evil' conforms to every single beat of this horror sub-genre.  And yet it's actually a lot better than most similar films that have come before it.

A man marries a woman who has a son he hasn't really had the chance to get to know (okay, I had a bit of a problem with this, but, seeing as the film is so enjoyable, I'll let that one slide).  Of course, when he does get to become the boy's stepfather, he certainly gets more than he bargained for in terms of fatal supernatural events happening all around his new family.  So far - nothing new.  I guess the big difference is that 'Little Evil' is not just a horror (in fact, there's not an awful lot of gore/scares to be found here), it's definitely a horror-comedy.

Basically, 'Little Evil' is a shining example of how it doesn't matter if the story itself is as old and unoriginal as time and yet, if the script is well-written, it will succeed.  The characters are so good and play off each other so well that any tired genre tropes or plot-holes are barely worth talking about.  The humour just works.  There's few major mega laugh-out-loud moments, but you will find yourself smiling all the way through.  I guess it's worth mentioning about the 'message' this film offers - namely about the importance of family, or rather the importance of whatever family you choose for yourself.  It acknowledges the role that a stepparent chooses to take and points out some of the pitfalls that come with the role.

There isn't that much else to say about 'Little Evil.' It's simple.  It's nothing new (if you've seen any 'Omen-type' horror film).  It's not that scary or gory, but it is damn good fun and a worthwhile addition to your Netflix 'watchlist.'

8/10 The Force is definitely strong with this one