Is Evil worth a watch on Netflix?

Is Evil worth binge-watching on Netflix?

Halloween is Saturday, Netflix watchers! The peak of spooky season is almost here and while we’ve collected lists upon lists of what may frighten or thrill you on Netflix, we still have more to recommend. May we entice your eerie sensibilities with Evil, the CBS supernatural drama that dropped on our favorite streaming platform at the beginning of the month?

What is Evil about?

Evil centers on a ragtag team of professionals comprised of a priest-in-training named David Acosta (Mike Colter), forensic psychologist and lapsed Catholic Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), and technical expert Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi) who was raised in the Islamic faith but is not a practicing Muslim. Together, the trio work on behalf of the Catholic church figuring out which cases presented to them are the everyday evils of humanity and which need divine intervention.

Yes, you’ve guessed it. Evil is a religious supernatural procedural drama. It is, in fact, the odd duck in CBS lineup which is why they struck a one-year licensing deal with Netflix to help promote the series and gain new viewers.

If you are a fan of irreverent religious supernatural dramas like Lucifer and Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, you’ll probably like Evil. The series stakes its storytelling on the existence of a great battle of good and evil between the church and demons, but it also leaves room for both Kristen and Ben’s skepticism. Their non-belief is treated just as validly as David’s piety even if the narrative wants the audience to believe that the hosts of hell are manipulating everything around them.

What are the demons like?

The demons on Evil are absolutely absurd, and yet somehow that makes them creepier and more insidious. Much of season one is spent with Dr. Leland Towsend (Michael Emerson) as the main antagonist. Kristen believes him to be a psychopath hellbent on ruining her life and her career.

Leland, however, is really a demon masquerading as a bespectacled, average height, middle-aged man who seemingly wouldn’t provoke ill-feelings from anyone. He, too, is a forensic psychologist and he uses his practice to influence court cases. Leland is wily, enjoys mayhem, chaos, and pain, and gets a sick joy out of trying to intimidate Kristen.

The other demon in Kristen’s life is an incubus named George (Marti Matulis) who haunts her dreams. At first, you may write George off as a silly depiction of a demon. Unlike Leland, he’s not humanoid.

George looks like skeletal remains with taut black flesh, glowing eyes, and thinning hair. He’s the stuff out of a children’s book, ever looming, and tall. The kind of terrifying an adult would believe themselves to have grown out of once they came of age.

Then, of course, he starts slicing fingers off and taunting Kristen about her life including her absent husband, her feelings on her daughters, and her inappropriate attraction to David. It’s the stuff of nightmares.

More demons are certain to come in season 2 of the show. Both humanoid and bestial alike.

Why you should tune into Evil

Evil is a binge worth having when you want to unwind and lose yourself in a story that’s easy to follow. The main trio have wonderful chemistry and they play off each other well as they try to decipher what’s causing someone or something to act erratic and dangerously.

The series is also unnerving and unsettling enough to cater to the macabre and existential mood of this very chilling season of the year. While the show isn’t the kind of frightening that will have you screaming in the dark, it’ll leave an impression that’ll have you wanting more. So, if you’re ready to kick back, relax, and watch some exorcisms, Evil is the show for you!