HISTORY OF EVIL on Shudder is a horror thriller with a supernatural element and lots of creepy vibes. Plays out in the not-too-distant future and stars Paul Wesley and Jackie Cruz. Read our full History of Evil movie review here!
HISTORY OF EVIL is a new Shudder horror movie with thriller and mystery elements and a supernatural plot. I was intrigued by the concept itself and found it even creepier than I expected. It’s part The Handmaid’s Tale and part The Shining if you can imagine that little creepy hybrid?!
Paul Wesley and Jackie Cruz star as the married couple on the run with their young daughter and a fellow rebel from the resistance. The story plays out in the USA which is marred by civil war. In fact, this feels like a solid warm-up to the movie Civil War coming out in April 2024.
Continue reading our full History of Evil movie review below. Find it on Shudder from February 23, 2024.
A new America
History of Evil takes place in the near future (20 years from now), where war and corruption have resulted in a wartorn America. The new America is no longer the USA but rather the NAF, which stands for the North American Federation.
NAF is a theocratic police state, so the word of God [as interpreted by men] is now law.
A group called The Resistance is fighting against the oppression. The group consists of ordinary citizens and one of their members is Alegre Dyer. She breaks out of political prison – her crime was writing a critical book – and is reunited with her husband Ron and their daughter Daria.
Now they’re on the run from the militia chasing down anyone not conforming to the new theocratic state. The family and a helper from The Resistance take shelter in a safe house. It’s very remote and very old, which means there’s history there. One that included white hoods and burning crosses!
The house – or rather, its former inhabitants – is slowly getting to Ron, who is pushed to have an ideological change of heart.
History of Evil stars Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) as Ron, Jackie Cruz (Orange Is the New Black) as Alegre, and Rhonda Johnson Dents (Renfield) as Trudy, their rebel helper. Also, Murphee Bloom (Clock) portrays their young daughter, Daria, and delivers a powerful performance.
The Handmaid’s Tale + The Shining = History of Evil
The world our main characters are living in will be familiar if you’ve watched The Handmaid’s Tale (the movie, series, or even read the book). Religion is at the forefront of everything, and women need to know their place. Or be put in their place by force!
Then there’s The Shining element and this comes from the house. Just as was the case for Jack Nicholson’s “Jack Torrance” in the iconic Stanley Kubrick movie based on the Stephen King novel.
In History of Evil, Paul Wesley’s character also finds himself communicating with former inhabitants of the place. One in particular, though there are more. In fact, the young girl is the first to see someone who no one else can see.
While this Shudder movie is part ghost story, the true horror comes from very un-paranormal sides!
Watch History of Evil on Shudder!
History of Evil was written & directed by Bo Mirhosseni. He is an Iranian American filmmaker and this is a very personal movie. Also a political movie in many ways, but then again, what isn’t?! Everything from basic human rights to religion is political. A movie about war and religious fanatics is political.
I, for one, appreciate that filmmakers are telling stories in this kind of setting. Both because it feels like things are heading in the direction shown. In fact, some areas of the world (and even the US) already look eerily close to what we see in History of Evil.
A world where the few rule brutally over the many, and decide who is worthy of which rights. The many in this case consist of women, minorities of any kind, and those who are not devout (even fanatic) Christians. As someone who can fall into all three categories, I could relate to this concept easily!
Whether you’re here for a classic horror movie or a deeper horror thriller, History of Evil delivers!
History of Evil begins streaming on Shudder on February 23, 2024.
Details
Writer & Director: Bo Mirhosseni
Cast: Paul Wesley, Jackie Cruz, Murphee Bloom, Rhonda Johnsson Dents
Plot
In the near future, war and corruption have plagued America and turned it into a theocratic police state. Against the oppression, ordinary citizens have formed a group called The Resistance. One such member, Alegre Dyer, breaks out of political prison and reunites with her husband Ron and daughter Daria. On the run from the militia, the family takes shelter in a remote safe house. But their journey is far from over, as the house’s dark past begins to eat away at Ron, and his earnest desire to keep his family safe is overtaken by something much more sinister.
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