Eli (2019) Movie Review

To celebrate Halloween this weekend, I watched Netflix’s newest horror film Eli (2019). It centers around a boy named Eli (Charlie Shotwell) and his parents (Kelly Reilly and Max Martin) who, desperate for a solution to Eli’s auto-immune disease, turn to a mysterious doctor (Lily Taylor) located in an isolated manor. As it turns out, things aren’t exactly what they seem and Eli may be more at risk than he anticipated.

Warning: Spoilers Ahead

A Roller Coaster Ride

Watching this movie was like sitting through a roller coaster ride. There were so many ups and downs, and this was due to the movie effectively toying with our trust. We are immediately endeared to Eli because of his current situation. He is a scared sick boy who is existing entirely inside of a bubble. He is initially portrayed as physically weak, but he also has a strong desire to fight back and be strong; to have a normal life. The movie works on our expectations; since we are rooting for Eli, once Dr. Horn minimizes his encounters with the ghostly figures in her home, we get the sense that she doesn’t have his best interest at heart. But, when Eli’s parents also begin to dismiss Eli’s complaints about his treatments, the less we trust them, too. So, you’re left asking yourself, who do you trust? Who is lying to Eli and who is telling him the truth? In other words, who is the true victim here and who is the true monster? This seems to be the core theme in this film.

A Fun Twist

I also enjoyed the twist at the end of this film. What worked for me wasn’t that Eli was the actual monster all this time, or that his parents had conspired with a nun to save his soul. It was that Eli is actually part of a half-demon family, with Hayley being his surviving sibling. In the end, Eli gains the power and strength he longed for, as well as an actual ally. He’s no longer alone in this world. The tone shifts from fear and darkness to humor, with Hayley (Sadie Sink) releasing the tension by saying, “Yea, our dad gets around” as Eli reunites with her. It felt like, in the end, this movie was a prequel to a much more interesting story where these half-demon kids live on their own and road-trip to Hell with an adult human as their hostage. That made me excited about all the places they could take this story should they make a sequel.

However, there were weaknesses…

Like The Ghosts

By far, the weakest part of this film are the ghosts. They are obviously a plot device to get Eli (and the audience) not to trust Dr. Horn and to realize that something isn’t right with the situation he’s in. They also serve as a scare gimmick, which seems to be their only purpose. Somehow, they can torment this kid, drag him about the whole house all in the name of protecting him, but don’t intervene when he’s actually in danger, but instead all but disappear in the back half of the film. In my opinion, the ghosts could have been removed entirely. If they wanted Eli to learn that something was wrong with Dr. Horn and her institution, then they should have just let the manor show him that. The place is massive and creepy on it’s own. Have him find trap doors, secret passage ways, buried toys or kids clothing, writing on the walls haphazardly covered up. They could have build the suspense, tension and fear without using ghosts to do it.

And Eli's Parents

I’m going to just come out and say it: I hate Eli’s parents. I couldn’t wait for him to light both of their asses on fire and be done with them. Eli’s mother was especially frustrating because in moments where she seemed to be formulating her own thoughts about the situation, they made her seem like she was trying to regain control, but would then almost immediately forfeit that control to Dr. Horn. Just when you thought she’d gained some sense, she’d inexplicably fall right back to being a passive bystander to her son’s torture.

Let’s not even mention Eli’s annoying ass father. This character was one-dimensional and had one single mood the entire film: anger. It’s okay to have one character that is stubborn and steadfast in their belief, but this man is never justified in his behavior. He acts like a terminator robot the whole film.

Because the movie wants to hide Eli’s parents true intentions, it sacrifices their humanity, particularly as parents. They submit their control completely to a stranger, but we never understand why they’re doing it despite how much it’s hurting their son.

Final Thoughts

Overall, Eli was fun to watch. There’s tension throughout the whole film as you try to piece together what is truly happening to Eli and who he should trust. Despite the movie’s shortcomings, the ending was satisfying because all the characters that deserved to be punished, did. It also set up an interesting premise that could extend this story in a different (even comedic) direction. So, if you haven’t done so, I definitely recommend you check out Eli on Netflix.

Did you watch Eli (2019)? What did you think about the film? Let me know in the comments below!

Hi! Shantal here. I’m a writer and a storyteller. I created Shantal Writes to share my experiences with writing fiction. I also provide new writers with tips, tools, and writing advice. I hope you find something helpful while you’re here!