The last few years have seen a resurgence in horror movies that rely less on gore rather than well crafted scares. THE CONJURING serves as the best example of how to achieve chills without showing too much, but films like INSIDIOUS and SINISTER have been pretty good as well. If anything, it is nice to see horror movies being released by studios that are not found footage.
This summer, Eric Bana and Olivia Munn will headline a horror movie from director Scott Derrickson (SINISTER) and producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Previously known as BEWARE THE NIGHT, the film is now titled DELIVER US FROM EVIL and we now have the first trailer.
In DELIVER US FROM EVIL, New York police officer Ralph Sarchie (Eric Bana), struggling with his own personal issues, begins investigating a series of disturbing and inexplicable crimes. He joins forces with an unconventional priest (Edgar Ramírez), schooled in the rituals of exorcism, to combat the frightening and demonic possessions that are terrorizing their city. Inspired by the book, which details Sarchie’s bone-chilling real-life cases.
This is an effective, if formulaic, teaser that doesn’t seem to shed too much light on the plot of the film. But, in keeping with the same scares as THE CONJURING, the trailer builds the tension with one nice jump scare at the end. Absent from the trailer is Joel McHale making a rare dramatic turn. This could end up being just another horror flick for the pile, especially with the cliche “based on a true story” tag, but I really like Eric Bana and hope this represents a successful turn for him.
DELIVER US FROM EVIL hits theaters on July 2, 2014.
UPDATE: The international trailer for DELIVER US FROM EVIL leans much more heavily on the exorcism aspect and the rogue priest played by Edgar Ramirez. It gives a completely different experience than the domestic trailer and almost feels like a cross between FALLEN and END OF DAYS. Which trailer do you prefer?