Overview
Eli is an American horror film that came out in 2019. Ciarán Foy is the director while the screenplay is the work of David Chirchirillo, Ian Goldberg, and Richard Naing. Focusing on supernatural horror with some psychological investigations, the film tells the story of a young boy with a rare autoimmune disorder who is undergoing an experimental treatment. The boy’s facility, which claims it aims to heal him, is shrouded with sinister secrets.
The film is a combination of medical thrillers, haunted house horror, and demonic possession tales, and it seamlessly transforms from tragic medical drama to a tale with supernatural elements.
Synopsis & Plot Development
The Boy in the Bubble
Eli Miller, an eight-year boy, is afflicted with a severe autoimmune disease which, in simple terms, makes him a person who is violently allergic to the outside. Due to his ailment, he has to live in a sealed, sterile place. Rose and Paul, his parents, are emotionally strained, but desperate to find a cure.
A Ray of Hope
Eli is taken to the high-tech remote medical branch of Dr. Isabella Horn to undergo advanced treatments. The facility is an estate with a purified air interior, which allows Eli to roam freely for the first time in years. Dr. Isabella promises an innovative three-stage treatment, but the joy of freedom is short-lived.
Something’s Not Right
Eli is plagued with ghostly visions such as burned and mutilated children, fleeting reflections, and mysterious writings. These encounters are deeply concerning but the explanation is vague. Dr. Horn and her nurses attribute them to treatments’ side effects.
The Mysterious Visitor
Eli encounters Haley, a nearby local, who communicates with him through a glass partition. With her vast knowledge of the house’s history, Haley candidly mentions how previous patients died during treatment. She urges Eli that the doctors cannot be trusted, leaving warnings that put him in a dilemma.
Treatment or Torture?
Eli’s physique deteriorates while progressing through the three stages of treatment. The painful and invasive procedures have caused an argument between his parents. While Rose continues to cling to hopeful optimism, Paul grows increasingly suspicious. Eli resolves the spirits are trying to actively communicate with him, and the visions further increase.
Uncovering the Truth
With his investigation, Eli uncovers the concealed records of the facility, which includes pictures of child patients from years past. All of these children had perished under the care of Dr. Horn. The ghostly figures Eli had previously seen were, in fact, those children and they are revealing through writing that Horn is indeed killing her patients.
The Twist
Eli learns the shocking truth that he is not the son of a human mother, which he previously thought, but the child of the devil. Thus, he does not have an autoimmune disorder. His “symptoms” were a result of his demonic powers. The so-called “treatment” was in fact an attempt to eliminate him.
The revealing portion of Dr. Horn’s story uncovers her identity as a nun and exorcist. She was performing “treatments” on children who were born from demonic parents. The ghostly children Eli witnessed were her exorcism victims, forever haunted by the processes.
The Final Transformation
Eli’s powers fully awaken when Dr. Horn tries to murder him during his last treatment session. He kills the nurses with telekinesis and burns the building to the ground, sparing only his mother. Paul, who turns out to be completely clueless about Eli’s true powers, gets left behind.
Eli meets up with Haley again, who, as it turns out, is his half-sister and also a child of the devil. She’s been assisting him in fully accepting his powers. Ominously, they travel with Rose, leaving their future open, but dark.
Cast & Crew
Director: Ciaran Foy
Writers: David Chirchirillo, Ian Goldberg, Richard Naing
Producers: Trevor Macy, John Zaozirny
Main Cast:
Charlie Shotwell as Eli Miller
Lili Taylor as Dr. Isabella Horn
Kelly Reilly as Rose Miller
Max Martini as Paul Miller
Sadie Sink as Haley
Cinematography: Jeff Cutter
Music: Bear McCreary
Production Companies: Intrepid Pictures, Paramount Players
Themes & Interpretation
- Isolation and Vulnerability
Eli’s bubble-boy life is both literal and metaphorical. His physical isolation is his emotional isolation, enabling the audience to empathize with his need to depend on others.
- Trust and Betrayal
In this story, trust is a central theme. It begins with trust in the parents, the doctors, and the caregivers. As Eli’s trust begins to shatter, the film poses the question of whether people in charge actually care.
- Religion and Morality
The film can now be viewed as a clash of religious extremism and human nature. People can argue that Dr. Horn is a zealot claiming to do her deity’s bidding by eliminating “evil.” It brings up the ideas of zealotry and bigotry and hatred of anything that is not mainstream.
- Identity and Acceptance
Eli’s journey is ultimately the struggle to accept himself. His so-called demonic nature, which is grotesque, horrifying to a vast majority. At the same time, that very nature is the key to his emancipation from the burdens of feebleness and the falsehoods that have shackled his existence.
Tone & Style
The film opens with the meticulous buildup of suspense characteristic of medical horror, supplemented with house haunting elements such as creaking floors, lights flickering, and ghostly silhouettes. In the last act of the film, it transitions to supernatural action horror with fiery explosions and shocking secrets.
Foy’s direction manages to blend eerie quiet and violent action. Eli is frequently shot in narrow, confined hallways, glass rooms, and medical chairs, reinforcing a sense of captivity. As the twist reveals itself, wider shots that were previously more open accompany his mental and physical freedom.
Bear McCreary’s score underscores the tonal shifts, beginning with haunting, sparse cues and culminating in rich, dramatic orchestration.
Reception
Critics provided mixed reviews for Eli, praising compelling performances, particularly Charlie Shotwell’s depiction of fear and transformation. Shotwell’s performance, and the film’s bold third act twist, caught the attention of critics. On the other hand, some critics felt the tonal shift from grounded horror to supernatural spectacle was so jarring , it disrupted the film’s pacing.
The reception from audiences was split as well. Some viewers relished the unexpected demonic twist, while other felt the shift undermined the tension previously built through the ghostly mystery. Regardless, the film has achieved cult status among horror fans who appreciate unexpected plot twists.
Conclusion
Eli starts as the story of a sick child seeking a cure and transforms into a dark origin story for a child of the devil. Blending scares from the haunted house sub-genre with a medical conspiracy and religious horror results in a distinctive version of the evil child cliché.
Eli’s strongest trait is the ability to keep the audience in suspense until the final act, only to reveal a twist that shifts the entire perspective of the story. Those willing to embrace its jarring, genre-shifting structure are treated to a chilling and disturbing journey through dark, sterile hospital corridors to the fiery gates of self-discovery.
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