Risible in a few spots but competently presented most of the time.

Fine low-budget haunted house film, The Evil is surprisingly good with telling a creepy tale of ghosts. Effectively well directed by Gus Trikonis, this is a film that works well due to its unique twist on the traditional haunted house film. It uses the same formula, but it has enough originality to make it different and fun for the viewer. As far as low-budget horror films are concerned, this one is quite impressive. I enjoy haunted house films; I've always loved the idea behind such films. This is a film that shows its age, but works nonetheless because of its atmosphere, good cast and effective directing. This is one of the lost gems of the genre. Fans of haunted house films should definitely check this one out. The film navigates similar ground that previous genre films have, but it also provides something different. The lack of any true back story of what happened in the house to make it really evil is a good thing, something that leaves you interpret and guess what really happened. Sure, there's an explanation, but a mediocre explanation at that, almost silly. However that's what makes this film good and watchable. As far as haunted houses are concerned, you may want to visit this one, it has all the elements necessary to chill you and provide you with effective entertainment. As a horror film, this one succeeds very well, even if it's not that scary, it relies on tone and atmosphere, which is an integral part of making a horror film work. The Evil is a must see for fans of the genre.