What if you discovered a family member had committed a heinous crime? Would you turn them in? How far would you go to protect them? It’s a dilemma faced in the gripping drama “The Devil You Know.” A crime-thriller about family, morality, justice and redemption, Omar Epps plays Marcus Cowans, a former alcoholic and ex-convict struggling to regain his foothold in society when he discovers his brother may have been involved in a murder.
“This is a guy who is newly sober, just got a new job and just opened himself up to be in a relationship and is already in a fragile place as a human being and then life, as it does, just throws a curveball right at his entire existence,” shares Epps, who also serves as an executive producer on the project. “The most invaluable thing on this earth is time. Love is a choice when you think about it. How do we utilize our time in the most proficient way? That is what really drew me into the character of a guy who has basically nothing going for him, and he is just trying to pull it together.”
In this immersive drama, director Charles Murray and his actors have created a brooding film whose events and interrelationships are so painfully relatable, and he successfully takes audiences on an authentic journey filled with secrets, suspicions, vengeance, moral consequences, and tested loyalties.
Of all the characters, Marcus (Epps) carries the heaviest psychological burden. It’s riveting to watch him as he struggles with his inner turmoil and his role is deeply felt. Audiences are introduced to him while at an Alcoholic Anonymous meeting and as the layers are unraveled, we learn more about his checkered past that includes a stint in jail for a crime he didn’t commit. When he discovers one of his three brothers (Will Catlett) may be linked to a deadly home invasion, his natural instinct is to protect his family, but it’s the choice he makes and his action that sets the motion on a deadly path.
“Until you are in the situation, you really truly never know how someone will respond. That is where my character is,” continues Epps. “We are supposed to stumble and sometimes fall in life because we are human beings and that’s what happens.” With a cast that includes Glynn Turman, Curtiss Cook, Vanessa Bell Calloway, Erica Tazel, Vaughn W. Hebron, Michael Beach, Keisha Epps and Michael Ealy, the film carries star power. A film about brotherhood, redemption, and morality, “The Devil You Know” resonates with such raw emotion and power that still lingers after leaving the theater.
Rated R for language throughout, some violence and sexual references “The Devil You Know” is currently playing in theaters.
By Samantha Ofole-Prince/ Photos courtesy of Lionsgate
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