1/5 Jaw-droppingly awful.
  by Robert P. Beveridge (Cleveland, OH)
Sweet Evil (Rene Eram, 1996)

I still can't believe I actually sat through this entire movie. And yet, somehow, it occurred. Eram, who previously directed the Corey Feldman vehicle Voodoo and has (mercifully) done nothing since, gives us David Thoreau (Side Out)'s unbelievably boring script about one Jennifer Clark (Bridgette Wilson, recently of Shopgirl), a quite crazy young lass who signs on as a surrogate mother for prospective parents Naomi Nomura (Seiko Matsuda of the recent live-action adaptation of Hotaru no Haka) and Michael Miller (Scott Cohen of the ill-fated Law and Order spinoff Trial by Jury). Once she's moved in and gotten pregnant (though there's an odd early subplot about whether she really is pregnant or not that simply disappears about thirty minutes into the movie), she starts messing around with the couple's lives-- flirting with Michael, seducing Naomi's boss at a party, that sort of thing. Of course, it all leads to her demands for more money. You didn't see that one coming, did you? But that's not all, folks! Jennifer-- or whoever she is-- has an even deeper reason for messing with these folks' lives. But I'll leave that for you to find out, assuming you scare up the intestinal fortitude to watch this awful, awful movie.

Frankly, it amazes me that anyone involved with this film went on to have a career afterwards (including the redoubtable Peter Boyle, who plays-- with no life whatsoever-- the couple's lawyer). The acting really is that bad across the board. Since a number of these folks have gone on to do pretty impressive work, one has to think the director was at fault. And maybe it's the DVD I saw, but the picture was horrible. I can't imagine it was actually released like that, but my version of "fuzzy" could be someone else's of "soft focus", so it's not entirely impossible that it was actually meant to look like that. (No points off, then, though I can't really take too many more without this going through the floor.) This idea is reinforced by some of the odder camera angles in the movie, which may have been used to induce some sort of discomfort in the viewer, but just made me wonder whether they were using handhelds to film this flick. It doesn't surprise me one bit that this movie went direct to video everywhere except Japan. (It does, however, surprise me that it got a theatrical release in Japan, of all places, where they know how to do thrillers right.)

Avoid at all costs. Half a star because, for some reason, I actually finished watching it.



3/5 Gripping thriller
  by z hayes (plano,texas)
"Sweet Evil" has also been marketed under the title "Surrogate Mother" and stars Bridgette Wilson as Jennifer Ray Clark, a beautiful woman who harbors some very dark secrets. She becomes a surrogate mother for a yuppie couple, architect Michael Miller [Scott Cohen] and news anchor Naomi Nomura [Seiko Matsuda]. It doesn't take too long for the young couple to suspect that something is seriously amiss with Jennifer as she starts wrecking their lives, first in imperceptible ways, before escalating into open hostility and terror.

The movie develops at a good pace and Bridgette Wilson credibly plays the role of a psychotic pregnant woman with vengeance on her mind. Scott Cohen and Seiko Matsuda too are credible in their roles as the terrorized young couple, but it is Wilson who shines. There is also a good supporting role by Peter Boyle as Jay Glass, Naomi's agent.

This is not just a B-grade suspense flick, there is a good storyline with some solid acting and makes for an engrossing watch.

5/5 Suspenseful
  by libragirl (Houston)
This movie is a great little thriller with Bridgette Wilson-Sampras as a very disturbed surrogate with ulterior motives.

1/5 Bitter taste
  by lecudedag (NSW Australia)
How can two reviewers give this film four stars? It's such a mess even amazon list the same film twice
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/search-handle-url/ref=br_ss_hs/103-2654865-7610259?platform=gurupa&url=index%3Ddvd%26dispatch%3Dsearch%26results-process%3Dbin&field-keywords=sweet+evil&Go.x=0&Go.y=0
under two different release dates, and http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0314748/fullcredits leaves out the second leading lady Seiko Matsuda

The reason; they re-released it under another name "Final Vendetta" http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0116306/

The lengths they went to, to confuse people caught me out too, as I'd already seen this film and purchased it again under the different title.

Anyway, the plot: A woman seduces her way into a childless house in order to act as their surrogate. She becomes pregnant, kills a few people suspicious of her and then attempts to kill the husband and wife (played by Matsuda).

That's it. The 'sex' scenes are done with them all fully-clothed. SO it can't even be claseed as an 'erotic' thriller.

5/5 very good movie
  by Cayse (Florida, USA)
this movie is a really good thriller, it keeps you on you toes throughout the whole movie. If you like thriller movies then you will love this one.