The Big Picture
History of Evil
is a dystopian thriller with
The Handmaid’s Tale
vibes that explores a future controlled by religious fanatics.
Ron, played by Paul Wesley, is involved in something illegal while his wife is a political prisoner.
The film’s director Bo Mirhosseni aims to evoke an oppressive, bleak, and unforgiving tone to reflect the world of the movie.
As you might have seen here at Collider, Shudder is gearing up to debut History of Evil, a dystopian thriller that stars Paul Wesley (The Vampire Diaries) and Jackie Cruz (Orange is The New Black). With the February 23 premiere fast approaching, the streaming platform decided to allow us to share a clip that provides a better insight into the look and feel of the movie. The first scary element from this sneak peek clip from History of Evil is familiar to people who watch The Handmaid’s Tale. In both stories, the future became controlled by religious fanatics, and in History of Evil’s case, people are forced to take an oath with their hands on the Bible before answering questions from authority figures.
We don’t know what exactly Ron (Wesley) is transporting inside his van, but it’s pretty clear that he’s doing something illegal by the dystopian society’s standards. In the story, Ron’s wife Alegre (Cruz) is a political prisoner who manages to break out and search for her family, so maybe she’s the one playing dead in the back of the van and trying not to get noticed by the police. Luckily, Ron understands the power of small talk and fluffing somebody’s ego.
Who Is Involved in ‘History of Evil’?
History of Evil is written and directed by Bo Mirhosseni, who is making his feature film directorial debut after helming short films and music videos by artists like Mac Miller, Anderson Paak, Kaytranada and more. In an official statement, Mirhosseni revealed what emotions he hopes will be evoked by the scene in the context of the movie:
“In this scene my goal was to set the tone of the film and set up the world. I wanted to show how the world has become this Orwellian society and the tone is oppressive, bleak and holds no mercy.
If Ron (Wesley) gives one wrong look, or says the wrong thing, he and his family will be at risk of being arrested, or even worse, executed.
This scene ultimately helps serve as a stark reminder that in this unforgiving reality, safety is a luxury few can afford.”
Mirhosseni also added that trauma was an integral part of conversations during the early stages of History of Evil. He revealed that Wesley and Cruz “shared some stories from their past or what their families had gone through that really mirrored a lot of the themes in the film.” Mirhosseni added that he believes those kinds of conversations helped lay the ground to make the actors’ performances “more authentic and grounded.”
Shudder premieres History of Evil on February 23. You can watch our exclusive clip above.