Filthy Review - 'Meeting Evil'

Meeting Evil (2012)

Review by Jude Felton

There is something about Samuel L. Jackson’s eyes; they give off that look of a man not to be messed with. I’m sure he is a delightful person is real life, but so many off the characters he plays just tell you he is a bad-ass. So, if he comes knocking at your door out of the blue, you might be forgiven for thinking something bad is coming your way. Such is the case for John (Luke Wilson) in the thriller Meeting Evil.

John is in Real Estate, or should I say that he was in Real Estate. He has actually just been fired, and is keeping it from his wife (Leslie Gibbs), and has turned to the bottle while he attempts to keep it a secret. He is, in actual fact, a bit of a sad case, albeit a pleasant one, who lets people walk all over him.

One day there is a knock at the door, and upon answering it he finds Richie (Samuel L. Jackson) there. Richie explains that his car has stalled and he would like a hand getting it started again. John, being John, happily obliges and proceeds to help. Whilst helping, John decides that Richie isn’t doing it right, and soon lets him know. Richie doesn’t take too kindly to this and guns the engine, which burns John’s leg.

Of course, Richie claims this is an accident and offers to take John to the hospital. They don’t make it to their destination though, as Richie starts to play a dangerous game with John.

Meeting Evil is, in all honesty, standard thriller faire. You know when Richie turns up at John’s door that nothing good is going to come of it, and it would appear that director Chris Fisher is aware of this and just plays it out as a good-to-honest thriller. No frills here; you will pretty much get what you expect from it. There are influences from other movies, with The Hitcher and Jackson’s 2008 Lakeview Terrace springing to mind, and there is a nasty streak that runs through it.

The performances from the leads are quite effective though. Wilson does a good job of playing the spineless, down-on-his-luck, husband and father, but it is Jackson who really delivers the goods. He’s charming with an undercurrent of violence, and he plays these roles so well.

The plot is fairly predictable, although there are a couple of twists and turns along the way to keep you interested, and the film itself is solidly made. Like I said, this is a no frills kind of movie; you are pretty much going to get what you expect from it.

I wouldn’t say that Meeting Evil is compulsory viewing; however, I would say that it is a decent watch, without really offering anything new to the genre. One for thriller and Samuel L. Jackson completists, in my opinion, as Meeting Evil is a just above average thriller.

Meeting Evil is released on DVD by Sony Pictures Home Entertainment and is available now.