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Little Evil

Little Evil

Samantha is his dream. Lucas is his nightmare.

201794 minTV-MAMidcredits score: 26th percentile of all films
Director
Eli Craig
Starring
Adam Scott, Evangeline Lilly, Owen Atlas, Bridget Everett

Gary, who has just married Samantha, the woman of his dreams, discovers that her six-year-old son may be the Antichrist.

Where to watch

Where can I watch Little Evil?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists Little Evil streaming on Netflix.

Subscription

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about Little Evil?

Little Evil earns 3 badges, led by Fun and Broadly Agreed.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Awards and box office

Reception

Is Little Evil worth watching?

Little Evil's Midcredits score is the 26th percentile of all films, from 70K ratings across 4 sources. 31% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

26th percentile

Better received than 26% of films

27th percentile among Comedy27th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)30th
Approval (how many liked it)24th

55 /100

30th percentile of all films

32nd percentile among Comedy32nd percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

A broad spread centered near 5.8 — solid but not unanimous.

31% liked it

24th percentile of all films

25th percentile among Comedy24th percentile among 2010s
31% rated it 7–1069% rated it 1–6

Critics 92% · Audience 47%

On Rotten Tomatoes, a bigger share of critics approved than audiences.

Awards

0 Oscars won · 0 Oscar noms · 0 wins / 1 noms overall

Reach

How many have seen it

92nd percentile

70K ratings across platforms

92nd percentile among Comedy92nd percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 11% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

The film is a spoof of The Omen that tries to blend horror and comedy about a stepdad dealing with an antichrist stepson, but opinions split on whether the humor and scares actually land.

Fans praised

  • affectionate parody of The Omen and other horror classics
  • strong lead performance from Adam Scott as the overwhelmed stepdad
  • Bridget Everett steals scenes as the hilarious, foul-mouthed stepdad Al

Detractors panned

  • unfunny, jokes miss the mark and feel cliché
  • tonally uneven — neither scary nor consistently funny
  • poor character motivations, especially the oblivious mother

What stands out

ActingDivisive70

Adam Scott's performance widely praised; Evangeline Lilly and support cast divisive — many detractors find her flat

DialogueDivisive52

some witty lines and running gags, but many jokes fall flat or rely on profanity

EndingDivisive50

third act improves film for fans; detractors call it predictable and cheesy

Plot and storyDivisive48

predictable antichrist storyline with some original twists in the third act; detractors call it cliché and rushed

HumorDivisive45

most divisive element: fans find it hilarious especially in third act; detractors call it painfully unfunny

CharactersDivisive42

Al (Bridget Everett) a standout for fans; mother character panned as one-dimensional and annoying; stepdad support group one-note

Pacing42

slow start, first two acts meander; third act picks up but feels rushed — common complaint across camps

OriginalityDivisive40

plays as a homage/spoof of The Omen and similar films; detractors find it derivative and uncreative

Preferred by

No notable difference between any of the groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • Women vs men 1 point apart
  • Under-30s vs over-30s 4 points apart
  • Critics vs users 8 points apart
  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Watch experience

What is Little Evil like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Easy laugh: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you want something that makes you laugh and does not take itself seriously.

It is gentle and leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Very little.

What it feels like

Easy laugh.

Moods
AbsurdTenseTriumphant
Heaviest: late
Absurdist humor: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Register
Satirical · 5% of filmsAbsurdist · 7% of films: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Three-act: Setup, confrontation, resolution — the default Hollywood shape.
ToneA satirical horror comedy that knowingly plays with and lampoons the conventions of devil-child films.
The rideThe mood is mostly absurd and silly, punctuated by moments of tension, with the heaviest stretch likely at the birthday party climax.
StructureConventional three-act structure: setup of the bizarre family, escalating incidents, and a climax involving a ritual.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Entertained.

FunHopeful
Why it leaves you this wayAn entertaining parody that leaves you amused and with a light sense of hope about blended family challenges.
How it ends · evidence
Bittersweet endingTwist

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11% (this title): Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% (this title) · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9%: Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3%
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Comedy of errors: Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.

11% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA man marries a woman with a child who appears to be the Antichrist, leading to a series of misunderstandings and disasters that parody horror tropes.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4% (this title)
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% (this title) · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsLoyalty · 4% of filmsCommunity · 14% of films: Consequences reach a town, institution or group.
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Single lead
How it treats its themeThe film explores the struggle to form a blended family when one member seems dangerously malevolent, testing loyalty and the bond between step-parent and child.
StanceThe film satirizes the anxieties of step-parenting and the idea of a 'demon child' through absurd exaggeration and group therapy scenes.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticInstitutionalRealistic
Orchestral classicalJazzSupportive music · original score
Settinga contemporary American suburb where a man marries into a family with a disturbingly evil child

Content guide

Is Little Evil okay for kids?

TV-MA

Little Evil is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at moderate (44/100), sexual content at mild (29/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (28/100) and frightening material at moderate (43/100). Overall it is heavier than 19% of TV-MA films.

Ratings in 4 other countries
  • Germany16
  • JapanR18+
  • Brazil16
  • Poland16
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 39% of all filmsHeavier than 19% of TV-MA films
Violence & Gore
Moderate
light for a TV-MA film
heavier than 25%
Sex & Nudity
Mild · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 30%
Profanity
Intense · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 62%
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
light for a TV-MA film
heavier than 19%
Frightening / Intense
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA film
heavier than 27%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA films usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does Little Evil have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in Little Evil?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Adam Scott
as Gary
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Evangeline Lilly
as Samantha
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Owen Atlas
as Lucas
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Bridget Everett
as Al
Newcomer: A standing when this film came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Donald Faison
as Larry
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Chris D'Elia
as Wayne
Kyle Bornheimer
as Victor
Clancy Brown
as Reverend J.D. Gospel
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Tyler Labine
as Karl C. Miller
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Sally Field
as Miss Shaylock
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like Little Evil?

Movies like Little Evil include The Raven (1963), The Lost Skeleton of Cadavra (2001) and Bhooth Bangla (2026). Of the 12 closest matches, most are horror comedies, and most are films set in the suburbs.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

10 of these 12 share its world: small-town America. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with Little Evil?

1.9K other films share the rarest tag below, kind of film: horror comedy. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.