The Evil Gene – Indie Film Review
Synopsis:
FBI Agent Griff Krenshaw is sent to a top-secret prison and research facility where the U.S. government has segregated federal inmates possessing the so-called “evil gene,” a rare genetic defect that triggers violent, psychotic breakdowns in those who carry it. As Griff attempts to investigate the death of the facility’s head researcher, he becomes convinced that there’s an evil force at work in the prison… and it isn’t human.
Review Summary:
The Evil Gene isn’t a perfect horror thriller, but what it does offer is an interesting premise and great twists to keep the audience guessing.
The Good:
Interesting Premise – The Evil Gene offers a very interesting philosophical debate of nature vs. nurture. It suggests that people with this inherent gene are more prone to violent tendencies. Throughout the film the manner of treatment for the “evil gene” is discussed and gives the audience the ability to choose a side. By doing this The Evil Gene can be discussed long after the credits roll.
The Twists – For very obvious reasons I can’t give away any of the many twists. I just wanted to present the fact that I thought the multiple twists in the film were both well built and well deserved. A good twist will give hints along the way but never outright state them. That way when the film is revisited, the knowledge of the twist changes the viewing experience. Although this isn’t done perfectly, it is done much better than many other movies.
Bigger Universe – I think this is the most exciting thing in The Evil Gene. Although the movie is very specific in scope, it offers hints at the bigger universe and where it may go in the future. I could honestly see an entire TV series devoted to the discovery and after effects of the “evil gene.” The way I envision something like is as a political thriller all leading to a much bigger end than no one accept the leads were expecting.
The Ehh:
Investigation Gone Wrong – One of the downsides of The Evil Gene was the way the story is presented. It is basically an investigation gone wrong story. And while the story is intense, the manner of delivery is very generic and overdone.
Dual Themes – Another problem for me were the dual themes in the film. On one side there is a nature versus nurture theme and the other is religious. While the two are given a connecting thread, I feel one of them is done perfectly within the scope of the film and the other is a little lacking. Now, as I stated before, I feel if the story was fleshed out a little more, like in a TV series, then both stories could be given due diligence. So I’m going to stick to what I said before in that, while I still really enjoyed it, a TV series would be a better medium for The Evil Gene.
Verdict:
The Evil Gene is able to keep its audience on the edge of their seat. While there are some problems with realizing some of the major themes, it still manages to present a deep philosophical debate and tease a much larger universe.
The Evil Gene is available for streaming on multiple websites such as iTunes, Google Play, Amazon, Walmart, Vudu, DirectTV, and more.
