Evil Behind You (2006)

Have you ever heard something, only to turn around and find nothing there? Could you have sworn that someone was watching you, only to find no one when you looked? Have you felt a cold breeze where there shouldn’t have been one? Evil Behind You questions the unseen, making the audience consider the possibility of another realm.

Two women wake up in a dank, dark, windowless room with no recollection as to how they got there. After groggily getting up, Lisa (Hilary Kennedy) and Debra (Gwendolynn Murphy) realize that their significant others have been operated on and are locked to their hospital beds, being monitored by electrodes. Two seemingly dead men occupy opposite ends of the room, rounding out their happy little tea party. When Lisa’s boyfriend David (Manuel Velazquez) and Debra’s husband Tony (D.C. Lee) finally come to, the four try and figure out how and why they ended up there. David and Tony soon begin to see and feel things that the women can’t…things that are evil and want to do them harm. Tony swears there is something behind him, only to have Debra look and find nothing. Then he suddenly turns ice cold and yells that something cold is on top of him. These intense moments continue throughout the film as the guys and their unbelieving girlfriend and wife try to figure out what’s happening. Meanwhile, we meet who kidnapped the couples. It’s a terrorist organization trying to perfect biological warfare. Unfortunately, they’ve only succeeded in opening up another realm.

This film has been faced with a lot of controversy, but not because it features the standard bucketloads of gore, blood and nudity, etc. The controversy stems from the exact opposite – the lack of gore and nudity and the fact that it features Christian themes. Some Christians are furious because some don’t think Christians should watch or be involved in the making of a horror film. Most horror fans, on the other hand, turn their noses at anything that is tagged “Christian” for fear of being preached at. Jim Carroll, who wrote and directed this feature, has had a hard time garnering support, distribution and publicity because of the stigma the words “Christian Horror” embody. If people would just give this film a chance before refusing to watch it, they would realize it is neither blasphemous nor preachy. Bottom line, the film is enjoyable whether you’re a Christian or not!

Being a low-budget film, the acting is a little campy at times, but two great stand-outs were Hilary Kennedy playing sweet but kick ass Lisa and Manuel Velazquez as her boyfriend. The two made a very convincing and caring couple. The demon effects were a bit cheesy for me, but they don’t ruin the whole experience. I enjoyed the story and the flashbacks of each character were a nice way to build empathy for them and bring some real heart into the story. I thought the story and flashbacks could have flowed and transitioned together a little better, but overall a well-done job. The atmosphere created in the small room with the unseen evil was intense and I’d love to see what the cast and crew do next.

Fans of low-budget thrillers should definitely give this film a look, as should fans of paranormal films. The idea behind Evil Behind You is definitely frightening, as there just may be a whole other realm we cannot see but only catch glimpses of from the corner of our eyes.

Available on Amazon!