The Devil Has a Name

Name: The Devil Has a Name
Genre: Drama, Thriller
Released: October 16, 2020
Duration: 97 min
Rating: 50
Cast: Alfred Molina, Aly Mawji, Chivonne Michelle, David Strathairn, Edward James Olmos

2020

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Mixed or average reviews based on 9 Critic Reviews

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Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Ratings

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6.2

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6.2	User Score Generally favorable reviews based on 5 Ratings

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The Devil Has A Name

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Movie Details & Credits

Momentum Pictures | Release Date: October 16, 2020 | R

Starring: Alfred Molina, Aly Mawji, Chivonne Michelle, David Strathairn, Edward James Olmos, Haley Joel Osment, Jorge Noa, Kate Bosworth, Katie Aselton, Katie Lynn McDowell, Martin Sheen, Michael Hogan, Pablo Schreiber, Rob Moran, Sal López, Tahmoh Penikett

Summary: An ambitious oil executive leaves the whole industry exposed when she attempts to outwit a recently widowed farmer whose water she has poisoned.

Director: Edward James Olmos

Genre(s): Drama, Thriller

Rating: R

Runtime: 97 min

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Critic Reviews

Richard Roeper

Oct 15, 2020

The Devil Has a Name is a master class in casting. Read full review

The Film Stage Jared Mobarak

Oct 17, 2020

If McEveety really wanted to give the topic its due via investigative reporting, the runtime would need to be much, much longer. His choosing to ignore that route for pulpy entertainment shouldn’t, however, have you thinking he did the topic a disservice. Read full review

The Guardian Ellen E Jones

Oct 15, 2020

Any poignance Stern’s David-v-Goliath fight might have possessed is undermined by a flowery script that’s over-fond of quick comebacks. To hear Bosworth curl her lips around some of these zingers though, almost makes for a fair trade-off. Read full review

Katie Walsh

Oct 15, 2020

The Devil Has a Name has an important message if you can get past the unwieldy melodrama of the film, but the second coming of “Erin Brockovich” this is not. Read full review

RogerEbert.com Glenn Kenny

Oct 16, 2020

An angry movie that’s angry about the right things. But it's so angry that it gets a little crazy about it. Read full review

Peter Debruge

Oct 17, 2020

What should have been a galvanizing David-versus-Goliath story pales in comparison with Amazon series “Goliath,” which is comparably colorful but far more coherent as it hits so many of the same beats. Read full review

Movie Nation Roger Moore

Oct 13, 2020

The Devil Has a Name stops staggering down that fine line between thriller and spoof and takes a header straight into the ditch. Read full review

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User Reviews

JLuis_001

Oct 31, 2020

It's a pity that the good message within the film is lost due to narrative and editing errors.

There were good intentions in this film directed by Edward James Olmos and the intentions are still there, but it's clear that he lacked the necessary expertise to put it better.

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KenR

Jan 12, 2022

Since seeing Edward James Olmos in ‘Stand and Deliver’ way back I was impressed, so looked forward to seeing him in a movie which he co-produced/directed, and performed. To add to the interest it was claimed to be based on an actual event – the contamination of farmland by an Oil giant.Since seeing Edward James Olmos in ‘Stand and Deliver’ way back I was impressed, so looked forward to seeing him in a movie which he co-produced/directed, and performed. To add to the interest it was claimed to be based on an actual event – the contamination of farmland by an Oil giant. Played straight this would have had promise but it seems green activist politics got involved and dragged it down a somewhat over-baked, foolish path. Yes, giant multinationals have been guilty of irresponsible short-cuts, often brought about through greed and they must be held to account ensuring more ecological responsibility. The writer added another downer by including a vicious gangster whose repugnant over-the-top actions are the equivalent of a hideously brutal Gestapo Mafioso type - this pushes the story way out of reasonable acceptability and degrades much of the initial interest being offered. I’m not sure Kate Bosworth was fully convincing as she should have been playing the slimy Oil company representative and the company’s headman was made to look like a caricature. If this was intended as black comedy it did not work whatsoever. As the downtrodden farmer, David Strathairn was good as always, as was Olmos as his co-worker – production values were overall OK but even though the moral situations were well-intended, the overly forced agenda-pushing script weakens any worthwhile message. Pity, as we need movies that bring important messages to the screen but in a more honest manner, this is no ‘Dark Waters’.

Parental Note; Heavy vulgar dialogue, violence, and grotty sexual situation. Foxtel Aust ran this American R certificate as an M, when will they get it right?… Expand

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