Is Evil Lurking in All of Us? The Devil All the Time

Is Evil Born or Made?

If The Devil All the Time were a person, it would be that guy at a party who keeps talking about Nietzsche and existential dread while everyone else is trying to have a good time. Based on Donald Ray Pollock’s novel, Antonio Campos’s film adaptation is a dark, twisted tale that lingers in your mind like a catchy, but slightly unsettling, tune. It’s a movie soaked in religious fanaticism, violent impulses, and a nagging philosophical question: Is evil something we’re born with, something we learn, or is it just lurking around every corner waiting for us to trip up? Let’s dive into the murky waters of this film’s philosophy, shall we?

Welcome to the World of Hurt

Picture this: post-World War II America, in the backwoods of Ohio and West Virginia. It’s a world that feels like it’s constantly under a dark cloud — literally and metaphorically. The air is thick with suspicion, the roads are dusty, and everyone’s faith is just a hop, skip, and a murder away from total collapse. Religion and violence go together here like peanut butter and jelly, except way more disturbing.

In this world, we meet characters who seem to be on a mission to outdo each other in the “Who’s More Evil?” contest. There’s the creepy preacher who uses faith as his personal…