Director Joe Lynch is a true indie auteur. He’s a man who knows how to get around obstacles, and uses his limited budget to bring audiences the entertainment that he wants, and never has it been so well realized than in “Everly.” One of the best action movies all year, “Everly” is a film set in one location with limited scenery, and yet it thrives as a grindhouse, slapstick, chopsocky bonanza that I adored. It’s filled with every single trope that Lynch is seemingly fond of, featuring kung fu, British gangsters, killer dogs, vicious sadists, and the like, all of whom paint the walls red with their own blood at one point or another.
“Everly” stars Salma Hayek as prostitute who is forced in to a life of sexual servitude. After a vicious night of sex entertaining a bunch of mobsters, she decides she’s had enough, and strikes back. The problem is her boss isn’t willing to let her off her leash, and sends a cavalcade of thugs and criminals to her doorstep prepared to murder her. From there, “Everly” goes on a wonky tour of blood and guts, painting some of the most original rogues. Only Lynch could have envisioned such a wonderful world filled with colorful criminals that are both deadly and dazzling in their own right. Lynch guides Salma Hayek in to an incredible performance as a young woman with a lot to lose who realizes that she’s going to die that night, and has to do whatever it takes to save her mother and long lost daughter.
Hayek is gorgeous as always, but really handles the action set pieces beautifully, playing a bad ass who realizes what must be done when the time comes to lay down her life. Lynch’s film is practically like a gonzo stage play set in one spot, and you can feel Hayek’s transformation beautifully blooming from a victim to an anti-heroine gradually, while she uses her wits and clever thinking to outwit her boss and the random cronies that come stomping at her door. To boot, “Everly” is heartfelt with Everly’s quest a noble one. She wants to keep her memory for her daughter untarnished, and it becomes a struggle when her mother has to stop by and collect the money she promised her for a quick getaway and better life.
Director Lynch never turns the film in to a monotonous series of violent encounters, but mixes up the proceedings, allowing for the scenery to act as a giant booby trap for the enemies that approach Everly from every corner. There’s an off screen death of a killer dog, a sadistic Asian man prepared to turn Everly in to his slave, and a vicious stabbing in an elevator that really spices up the activity. Lynch has a firm sense of humor with his film, and is never afraid to splatter blood and guts on the wall and ceilings, opting for some funny deaths, including an elevator grenade mishap that sends a spray of blood through the cracks of the door. “Everly” won’t be for everyone, as it’s definitely one of Lynch’s most polarizing works, but I loved it from beginning to end. It’s a female led film about a strong woman doing whatever it takes to challenge fight for her last shred of dignity and Hayek handles the role like a seasoned pro. Lynch is ridiculously talented, and “Everly” is one of his finest offerings.