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The Lesser Evil

Play trailer Poster for The Lesser Evil R 1998 1h 36m Drama Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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60% Tomatometer 5 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter 50+ Ratings
In a small Missouri town in the 1970s, four teenage friends get into a fight with some high school bullies, with unexpectedly lethal results. Two decades later, when a lake is dredged and two unidentified bodies are found, the four face discovery. Lumberyard owner Derek (Colm Feore), lawyer George (David Paymer) and policeman Frank (Tony Goldwyn) want to keep their secret buried for good -- while Ivan (Arliss Howard), now a Roman Catholic priest, argues that they should finally come clean.

Critics Reviews

View All (5) Critics Reviews
Michael Dequina TheMovieReport.com The overwrought performances of the adult actors and the overall staginess of their section keeps this thriller from truly thrilling. Rated: 2.5/4 Jan 3, 2009 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 4.5/5 Dec 6, 2005 Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com Rated: 2/5 Aug 17, 2005 Full Review Film Threat Rated: 4.5/5 Dec 8, 2002 Full Review Cheryl DeWolfe Apollo Guide Rated: 71/100 Jul 24, 2001 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

View All (6) audience reviews
Audience Member A very well written story and great acting really threw me off when I caught this on IFC. Some familiar faces intertwined with a great drama make this worth watching. Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/25/23 Full Review Audience Member Great movie when you watch it for the first time. Surprising twists and very intriguing as it goes on, but some of the acting is a bit ridiculous. Certain parts of the movie seemed a bit rushed. Still worth a watch or two. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/27/23 Full Review Audience Member This film will make you disconnect from every childhood friend you've ever known. Well made, but eerie. Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/17/23 Full Review Audience Member A group of 4 youths mistakingly commit a murder, then 22 years later (and now grown up) all come together in a remote wooden cabin to plot their way of getting out of it. Ultimately, their get-together turns into a deadly game of chess. Well-written and engaging! Rated 4 out of 5 stars 01/14/23 Full Review Audience Member Pretty good movie I never heard of before. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 02/26/23 Full Review Audience Member Apparently not a well-known movie. I happened upon this little gem on IFC the other day. It's a played out story of friends reuniting years later after a tragedy in their early days, except this was really well-done and interesting with a twist. The flashback story unfolds dramatically throughout the movie, as the tension and story build in current time. The twist was unpredictable, at least to me, and the back/forth in time was done without feeling chaotic and leading to confusion. Great acting by both sets of actors playing the younger and older roles provide the icing on the cake. Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 01/15/23 Full Review Read all reviews
The Lesser Evil

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Cast & Crew

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Movie Info

Synopsis In a small Missouri town in the 1970s, four teenage friends get into a fight with some high school bullies, with unexpectedly lethal results. Two decades later, when a lake is dredged and two unidentified bodies are found, the four face discovery. Lumberyard owner Derek (Colm Feore), lawyer George (David Paymer) and policeman Frank (Tony Goldwyn) want to keep their secret buried for good -- while Ivan (Arliss Howard), now a Roman Catholic priest, argues that they should finally come clean.
Director
David Mackay
Producer
Daniel Helberg, David Mackay
Screenwriter
Jeremy Levine, Stephan Schultze
Production Co
Moondog Productions
Rating
R
Genre
Drama, Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Runtime
1h 36m
Sound Mix
Dolby Digital