‘The Origin Of Evil’ Review – An Intense Ode To Family Drama

The Origin of Evil is a French tale of woe cascaded against a wealthy background inviting you to partake in the deliciousness that comes with family drama. With melodramatic feels and endless plot twists, the film does a dance of mayhem while keeping you on your toes with its intriguing shock value designed to make you ask, “What just happened?”

The story begins a bit solemn and uninspiring as protagonist Stéphane (Laure Calamy, Full Time) is working at a job she hates, but it perks your interest around the time she places a call to her estranged father and goes to meet him for the first time. We’ve seen our share of deadbeat dads with issues, but Serge might take the title for number one. At first, he seems to be a rather nice man who’s interested in getting to know his long-lost daughter, but almost immediately his hidden agenda comes to light revealing he wants more from Stéphane than a relationship.

Sir Walter Scott’s “Oh what a tangled web we weave when first we practice to deceive,” seems to be the running theme throughout The Origin of Evil as it shows a family who has one thing in common: the lies they tell each other. Early on, Serge asks Stéphane to help him oust his family from his company, but Stéphane quickly learns he’s not the meek victim he proclaims to be. At the same time, the audience notices Stéphane is more conniving and manipulative than we ever knew. However, she realizes she’s in good company upon meeting her frigid sister George, her gluttonous stepmother, and the kleptomanic maid.

In true “like father, like daughter,” fashion, no one is safe in this dog-eat-dog family as this story is one of a malevolent soap opera filled with secrets, lies, and the ties that bind. Most notably, the women of the film are the epitome of “bad girls” whose saving grace is their shared hatred of Serge and his wrongdoings.

While it has a bit of a feministic lens with women being in the forefront, it takes a while for them to realize this is a girl’s world as they’re all too busy hiding their true identities and being swept up into their impulse control issues choosing to use this as temporary comforts to overshadow current pains. No one is safe in this dog-eat-dog family as this story is one of a malevolent soap opera filled with secrets, lies, and the ties that bind similar to the works of Agatha Christie.

It’s both twisty and familiar as Knives Out with similar elements of mystery, family, and murder. Only in this case instead of it being a whodunit, it’s more like a “who is who.” For the director, Sébastien Marnier, and cinematographer Romain Carcanade’s part, a highlight of the viewing experience comes from the stunning views and split-screen scenes that show different angles of intense situations to ensure you fully grasp the significance of the moment and its impact on the characters.

Though at times we could’ve gone without the cringe-worthy moments (seriously, what’s with that leg massage?) and one “joke” that seemed wildly inappropriate, The Origin of Evil is a solid pick for any thriller lovers looking for their latest fix of drama and suspense. That is if you can forgive its slow pace and see it as a slow descent into payoff. It’s riveting enough to ensure you watch to the end and it’s universal elements of family, drama, and wanting acceptance, make it relatable whether or not your family is as cutthroat as theirs (though let’s hope not!).

Origin of Evil is currently playing in select theaters and is available On Demand courtesy of IFC Films. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-81pAPmPQUo]