Needful Things

Needful Things

1993

Director- Fraser Clarke Heston

Cast- Ed Harris, Max Von Sydow, Bonnie Bedelia, J.T. Walsh, Amanda Plummer

            

      This story has a lot in common with Something Wicked This Way Comes. In both cases, a Mephistophelean outsider arrives in a picturesque small town. Both movies examine not only the evil in people’s heart, but how easily that evil can be brought to the surface. Needful Things, though, gets deeper into how easily our evil can be manipulated by, and directed toward, others. It also examines our personal, emotional attachment with things.

            Max Von Sydow plays Leiland Gaunt, a stranger who has just opened up an antique store in the small town of Castle Rock. No matter who you are , he seems to have something that you really want, something that has deep personal meaning. Rather than charging a standard price however, he deals in trade; an object for a favor. He encourages people in the town to play pranks on one another. The pranks however build in severity. The town’s people, unaware of who is pranking them, become paranoid and start lashing out at each other until Mr. Guant’s favors become lethal.

            Max Von Sydow plays a very likable Satanic figure. He seems to have a little bit of a childish sense of humor. Like a good devil, he never really lies to people. He gives them something they want and they always know what favor he will ask. But that’s the genius of his schemes; even though people know what they are doing, they aren’t able to see how their actions affect so many others. In this new world of “viral” media and politicians playing on our fears and turning one group against another, the lesson of Leiland Gaunt is particularly relevant.

            The town’s sheriff, played by the ever rugged Ed Harris, figures out what Gaunt is up to and discovers that Gaunt has been playing this game for a really long time. When Gaunt’s true identity and purpose are revealed, he is phlegmatic. After all, he as all the time he needs to work his schemes, and what’s one little set back?

            The movie has some great supporting performances by Bonnie Bedelia, J.T. Walsh, and Amanda Plummer who were at the top of their game in the early 90s. It also gives you your money’s worth coming in at a solid two hours.