Joey Magidson
It has been over a decade since Courtney Cox made her directorial debut with Just Before I Go. Now, she’s back with Evil Genius, which shows massive growth as a filmmaker from her. This is a dark, funny, and deeply assured work, with strong acting, crisp visuals, and a real sense of pacing. I sure hope Cox gets back behind the camera again soon, as this movie really works. It’s a smaller title here at the Toronto International Film Festival, but it’s a good one.
Evil Genius uses a bizarre and deeply unsettling true crime story as its origin, crafting a black comedy that always feels real. The actual crime depicted here has previously been made into a broad comedy and a documentary. Now, an indie flick is up to bat and it’s the most effective version that we’ve seen yet.
This is the story behind the infamous “pizza bomber” incident in Erie, Pennsylvania. In 2003, we see Bill Rothstein (David Harbour) call the police to report a dead body hidden in a freezer in his garage, the work of his ex-girlfriend and lifelong love, Marjorie Diehl-Armstrong (Patricia Arquette). Who is this dead body? Why is he calling the cops on her? To answer these questions, the film then backtracks to where this criminal web all began.
Several months prior, Marjorie threatened the staff of a local bank when she wasn’t able to claim her late mother’s inheritance. Eventually, Marjorie planned a murder, which led her and Bill to then devise a bank heist that they could pull off with some of their scuzzier associates, including the owner of a crack den (Michael Chernus). They also need pizza delivery man Brian Wells (Tom McCarthy) to pretend to be a hostage strapped to a bomb. They think it’s a fool proof plan, but soon, even more have died, as it all comes crashing down around them.
Patricia Arquette is best in show here, playing a brash and tackless woman who was convinced she was going to pull this crime off. Self-centered and blunt, Arquette plays her as someone who can say and do anything, at any time. David Harbour is quieter as the supposed brains of the operation, though he’s hardly as smart as he thinks. Their grody chemistry actually makes you feel like these are real folks on the fringes of society. In addition to Michael Chernus and Tom McCarthy, the supporting cast includes Thomas Michael Allen, Garret Dillahunt, Danielle Macdonald, and more.
Courtney Cox directs a screenplay by Courtenay Miles, taking what previously was a documentary and crafting a narrative feature out of it. The doc series by Trey Borzillieri and Barbara Schroeder was a clear starting point, but Cox and Miles are focusing more on the people. Cox also crafts a visual flick, with cinematographer Eigil Bryld really giving you a close look at the squalor these people all live in. She keeps things moving and peppers in more than enough humor to keep you amused, even as these people potentially horrify you.
Evil Genius is a very nice surprise here at TIFF. With quite strong work from Patricia Arquette in the center, Courtney Cox crafts something familiar, yet at the same time decidedly unique. I can’t wait to see what Cox helms next, as she’s grown so much as a filmmaker. It was genuinely exciting to see and the anticipation is now high. This movie will make you a believer, trust me there.
SCORE: ★★★
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