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Evil Has a Face (1996)

Rate: 6
Viewed: 6/13

HFace
6/13: I've trashed Sean Young in the past, but in Evil Has a Face, she's not bad.

I wish the writers would stop repeating the line "Look at the circle, and tell me what do you see" throughout. The first time it was uttered which got interrupted, I thought it was funny. Eventually, it gets played like a broken record.

The most overwhelming negative is the series of law enforcement blunders that are impossible to ignore. The way the FBI agent acted, that's a "wow" right there. I expected more professionalism given the nature of the crime. At least, the local town cop displays it. Then later, who in his right mind thinks it's safe to leave the sketch artist alone in the house? Can anyone be assigned to stay inside the house for the sake of her protection?

After the suspect has been cleared, he eventually breaks into the house and commits felonies while making threats to induce physical harm with a deadly weapon. Then, the cops break in after what it looks like a failed surveillance operation. They all leave and chase after the suspect. At that point, I asked, "Why isn't anyone staying with the sketch artist and the girl?" And nobody bothers with securing the crime scene or confirming the identity of the escaped suspect. I mean, it'll simplify things a lot.

At the end, the director decides to go for an unnecessary romantic ending when the relationship should've stayed strictly professional. However, the story is good, and the mystery is well done although Sean Young's shaking her cigarette is a dead giveaway of what will happen next.

All in all, Evil Has a Face provides plenty of material for a session of Law Enforcement Blunders 101.