Actuakers
One of my all time favorites.
SnoReptilePlenty
Memorable, crazy movie
CrawlerChunky
In truth, there is barely enough story here to make a film.
Scarlet
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
Neil Doyle
A clever use of combining past and present to explain what is happening on screen is used throughout THE LESSER EVIL by director Jack Mackay. The story basically involves men who made a bad mistake in the past and have had their crime affecting their lives ever since. A reunion proposed by one of the men turns into something more than a mere gathering of old friends--and leads to another crime.This is an independent film without wide distribution and it's little known among fans of the suspense genre. It's worth watching for the more than competent performances from a splendid cast, particularly the adult actors COLM FEORE, TONY GOLDWYN, ARLISS HOWARD and David PAYMER.It's more a character study of the four friends than a straight thriller, but as the story unwinds--after a beginning narrated by ARLISS HOWARD as a priest giving a graveside sermon on a dead friend--it keeps switching back and forth between past and present to explain what is happening, each aspect of the story made clearer by revealing the past crime concurrently with the present action.It's an effective way of telling a complex story of guilt and fear brought on by the killing of an individual and the extremes the four went to in an effort to cover up the crime.The twist at the end comes as a surprise because nothing about the story is predictable. It's a well done independent film and one well worth seeing.
Spaceygirl
I caught this on the local Action channel and was expecting mindless entertainment, or as we say in South Africa, "Skop, skiet en Donner", translation: "shooting, kicking and beating up". :) Boy, was I wrong! This film is much too cerebral to be on an action channel whose main attraction is a Steven Seagal festival! It's brilliant. It has such a good story that grips you from start to finish. The acting is outstanding, all the male leads are superb, Colm Feore, David Paymer and Arliss Howard putting in usually good performances.The script is excellent and the cinematography top notch for what is essentially a B-movie. I thoroughly enjoyed it and can recommend it highly.
NickRisch
Why did they have to ruin the plot at the beginning, when the priest (Arliss Howard) mentions that they had to kill one of them? If they had left that part out, the story would have far more suspenseful, especially the last scene in the cabin. Remember in the movie "Seven" (Brad Pitt, Morgan Freeman)? Now that ending blew me away; not a hint about how that was playing out. Otherwise this movie is a must-see. The writing was brilliant, except for the spoiler part.
Lou Rugani
And its reputation to that end will grow as word-of-mouth continues to spread about this utterly gripping film, a sordid tale of four carefree young friends whose lives forever are changed within one instant.
From the start, we are drawn into an inexorable spiral of almost unrelieved tension. An embarrassing encounter wounds the boys' pride, leading first to rash, childish posturing, immature decisions, and then to a mistaken identity in an abandoned quarry. The story becomes a steamroller in overdrive, as suspicions mount and personal loyalties melt away, overwhelmed by uncomprehending panic, sheer desperation, and the drive towards individual survival. No other film I've seen has ever led me to as much ongoing "what would I do?" self-introspection. The once-secure bonding among the four young men collapses, replaced by terror and the fear of discovery. This descent into the "eat-or-be-eaten" dark side is part of the relentless march away from civility that captivates us throughout. You'll not forget this film, its powerful imageries, and its fine cast's potent portrayals of psychological interplay. (Watch for legendary radio actor Mason Adams as the father of the deceased.) Highly recommended to adults.
