The camera never lies
Directed by Olatunde Osunsanmi
Reviewed by Deep Red
Aka Докази (Ukraine)
Another found footage horror, nothing wrong with that, bring it on, like Donkey Kong.
Well, the only thing I knew about Evidence before watching it was that Olatunde Osunsanmi also directed The Fourth Kind [2009], now I really like that one, watched it a few times. He also directed a film called The Cavern [2005] which I’ve just ordered, something along the lines of The Descent [2005] I think, but the reviews I’ve read weren’t good, it was only £2 so….
Detective Burquez (Radha Mitchell) and Detective Reese (Stephen Moyer) are investigating a massacre at an abandoned truck and trailer place. They watch video footage shot by the victims and examine it for clues. The footage shows people on a bus trip to Vegas; Leann (Torrey DeVitto) and her guitar-playing, singing boyfriend Tyler (Nolan Gerard Funk), her friend Rachel (Caitlin Stasey), a Russian dancer called Vicki (Svetlana Metkina), Steven (Albert Kuo), Katrina (Dale Dickey)….
The bus crashes in the desert and the passengers and driver, Ben (Harry Lennix), set off on foot. They come across the abandoned truck and trailer place and start getting picked off one by one by an unseen killer.
Well, firstly, the film switches between found footage and the detectives examining the footage (normal film) which works fine. One brutal murder follows the other as the detectives watch it unfold. It does get pretty brutal too, subtly so, which was a pleasant surprise. I think the delivery is great, fairly disturbing stuff in places. So, it’s a pacey found footage film, also a slasher film and it’s very much a mystery thriller, all making it a very engaging film, well it was to me. There’s a bit of the old “How can they keep filming?” going on but they have to or there wouldn’t be a film.
I was very impressed. But then I wasn’t expecting anything really, just some cheap, probably weak, found footage film. I don’t know how cheap it was but it certainly isn’t weak. The juxtapositioning of the two kinds of film somehow reminded me of Argento’s The Card Player [2004], this busy little struggle going on to find the killer, Evidence has a similar energy, The Card Player isn’t considered one of Argento’s best but it’s an engaging little thriller.
I’d recommend Evidence. I totally enjoyed it and avoid spoilers because the twist is pretty cool.
Also stars Barak Hardley as Gabe Wright, Aml Ameen as Officer Jenson and Seth Bailey as Gerald Fleishman.
