Evil: Season One Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.5
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

Evil: Season One Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Martin Liebman March 10, 2024

If one crawls around the more obscure corners of the web's conspiracy theory fringes, ideas concerning the true identity of aliens as actually being demons is bound to pop up. The point of eve beginning with this weird aside concerns that Evil feels very reminiscent of The X-Files in terms of structure, characters, and pursuit. While Chris Carter's epic 90s smash hit TV show followed a pair of FBI agents investigating the bizarre in general but, primarily, aliens, Evil again pairs two (main) individuals who explore the dark world of demons in operation right here in plain sight. While any physical connection to The X-Files is tenuous at best, the spiritual connection cannot be denied. Evil is the brainchild of Robet and Michelle King, the husband and wife team behind The Good Wife, and it may be their best series yet: dark and deeply terrifying while still gripping and accessible, procedural at its core but thoroughly exploring a larger world and the lives of the characters who journey through it to great entertainment and thought provoking value.

Evil follows the story of a team of three: atheist forensic psychologist Dr. Kristen Bouchard (Katja Herbers), Catholic seminary student David Acosta (Mike Colter), and technology expert Ben Shakir (Aasif Mandvi), also an atheist. Their mission is to investigate unexplainable phenomena at the direction of the Catholic church, be those cases of demonic possession, exorcisms, or even purported miracles. Season one follows their investigations that lead them into a very stark reality from that which the world believes: there are demons in our midst, and they are very dangerous. Miracles exist, too. Yet the demonic and the miraculous are not always what they appear to be, but one thing is certain: the line can be, and often is, blurred between the physical and the spiritual.

Evil’s procedural roots allow the show to flow from one “case” to another in each episode, but to be sure this is more of a hybrid in which the ebbs and flows and thematic currents build on a larger story and running story lines that develop characters individually and collectively and advance their worldviews as they see with their own eyes and experience in their own souls. Evil tackles deep theological discussions, maybe in a less than truly fruitful way, but the show at least explores them to dramatic satisfaction for sure though perhaps not in truly deep and penetrating and lasting ways, but this is a TV show and not a theological textbook, so what it aims for, and what it achieves, feels right in line with where it should be. Indeed, existential questions about life and death abound, but at its core it’s a show about the abnormal, the unexplainable, and, yes, the supernatural, making it indeed a new breed of a more spiritually driven version of The X-Files for a new generation.

Though the focus is on the spiritually supernatural and the demonic, the real draw here is in the characters and the performances. The show pairs an atheist, Dr. Bouchard, whose worldview is based in science, facts, figures, and observable things (Colter calls her a “psychological and medical adviser”) with Acosta, a seminary student who obviously believes in God. He spends much of his time running, often running towards the allure of a nightclub where sin awaits, but also running away from that and to God in prayer. He’s imperfect for sure, but does bring that more spiritual perspective to the pairing. Shakir is an effective and necessary character but occasionally feels like a third wheel. He brings necessary expertise and a welcome set of perspectives to the show, but Evil is clearly a product of the chemistry-laden work of Herbers and Colter who are a great pair but worthwhile and well developed (and acted!) characters apart from one another as well.

Evil: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Paramount releases the first season of Evil to Blu-ray with a fine, even striking, 1080p transfer. The show was, no surprise given its modern origins, shot digitally, and the result is a clean, crisp, and infinitely satisfying image in high definition. Certainly, facial close-ups are the unequivocal highlight here, offering tight, tangible definition to makeup, facial stubble, pores, lines, and other qualities and characteristics that are about as clear and tactile as this resolution allows them to be. Close-ups are striking, but so too is practically every shot in the season, whether close, medium, or wide. Everything is remarkably clear and precisely detailed, never wanting for greater definition or detail to anything, be it clothes, manmade location details, or natural outdoor elements. Colors are bold and satisfying. The palette is rich and vibrant with neutral temperature and contrast grading, giving the image a true and pure appearance. Bold primaries abound while earthy shades are grounded and realistic. Black levels are superb, whites are brilliant, and skin tones look spot-on accurate. Noise is kept to a bare minimum and there are no obvious encode issues of note. I could not find a flaw to warrant anything less than a perfect score.

Note: Disc three would not play on my reference Panasonic DP-UB9000 unit. This is another in a growing list of Paramount discs that refuse to play on this machine, or which are troublesome on this machine. Disc three was viewed via a PlayStation 5 console instead where playback was smooth, fast, and flawless.

Evil: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The included DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack is clearly a work of professional audio engineering which has been seamlessly encoded onto Blu-ray. The track hits the high mark in every area, with ample musical engagement with seamless stage extension, perfect placement, and wonderful clarity. Ambient effects are effective, at times favoring the mundane and at times the creepy, as necessary. In classic "scary film" or "scary show" tradition, there are some big, jarring audio cues which are worked in with faultless placement, immersion, and subwoofer support. Yet the show is very dialogue heavy, and the spoken word is presented with highest marks for prioritization, firm front and center placement, and lifelike detail.

Evil: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This Blu-ray release of Evil: Season One includes a few extended and deleted scenes on all three discs and a making-of and a featurette on evil on disc three. No DVD or digital copies are included with purchase. This release does not ship with a slipcover.

Disc One:

• Deleted/Extended Scenes (1080p): Included are deleted and extended scenes from "Pilot" (6:40) and deleted scenes from "177 Minutes" (0:28) and "Rose390" (0:41).

Disc Two:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Included are deleted scenes from "October 31" (1:21), "Vatican III" (3:50) and "Exorcism Part 2" (1:36).

Disc Three:

• Deleted Scenes (1080p): Included are deleted scenes from "7 Swans A Singin" (1:10).
• Evil Season One: Genesis (1080p, 20:19): A look at project origins, casting and characters, influences, creature design and integration, and more.
• Does Evil Exist? (1080p, 3:52): The Kings and the cast discuss their thoughts on the existence of evil and how it manifests in the world and as an outcropping of the human condition.

Evil: Season One Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Evil's first season certainly draws in its audience through solid characterization, fine world building, and a fearless dive into man's deepest existential questions and its tangible portrayal of evil in a variety of ways, from physical terrors to emotional disasters. It's very well acted, written, and shot. Paramount's three-disc season one Blu-ray delivers expert, reference grade TV-on-Blu-ray video paired with wonderful 5.1 lossless audio. A few extra sweeten the pot. Fans will definitely want to add this to their libraries.