Written and directed by Richard Hunter, Foul Evil Deeds marks his feature debut and depicts socially questionable acts committed by average people in a series of segments that follow the banality of life. At first sight, something close to I Mostri by Dino Risi from 1963, where a series of shorts exposed in a satirical style the inner monsters of people. But while Risi's was narratively continuous, Hunter's is intersected, forcing you to pay attention as each short's idea is being developed and taking shape.
The film consists of six stories where quality differs and thematically reinforces the main idea, a dark side of humanity, even if its focus is on trivialities: a toilet cleaner who just got out of prison and the routine now bores him; an easy-going Asian father who misbehaves at work; an accountant and his desire for submission; a pastor and his wife who find maggots falling from the ceiling; a teen spending time with his mates and girlfriend; a lawyer, his son, and his wife in a story with unforeseen turns.
Shot on MiniDv cameras, its cinematography consisting of visual glitches enhances the atmosphere of the mundane, of their trivial lives. Aesthetics that have an enchanting quality on their own but clearly differ from the pristine often seen in major productions. A decision that reminds us of the early 2000s, when these cameras were the answer to low budgets and also to film the unremarkable, something that perfectly goes with the film ethos. Vignettes showcasing the unpleasant with touches of naturalistic humor consisting of deadpan delivery, non-sequiturs, and British sensibilities. According to Richard Hunter, he tried to find comedy in the everyday. And, while ultimately overstaying its welcome, it never ceases to be an entertaining anthology to see.
