The Evil That Men Do
Clement Moloch (Joseph Maher (R.I.P.))is a doctor (dubbed "the doctor"), but instead of using his skills to heal; he uses them to torture. He works for governments including the U.S. who wants insurgents dealt with. Now several of his victims want him dead and after several attempts fail. Holland (Charles Bronson (R.I.P.)), a retried killer for hire, is informed of the death of an old friend who was trying to kill Moloch. Holland initially stating that he is retired doesn't take the job. But he changes his mind. He asks for woman and a child to accompany him so that he could appear to be a family man. And the woman who goes with him (Theresa Saldana) is the wife of his friend, who brings her daughter along. When Holland arrives he notices that Moloch is heavily protected so he starts by taking out his people.
Despite its tight budget of $4.6M, The Evil That Men Do became a box office success, earning $13.1M worldwide—a 185% return.
Plot Structure
Story beats plotted across runtime
Narrative Arc
Emotional journey through the story's key moments
Story Circle
Blueprint 15-beat structure
Arcplot Score Breakdown
Weighted: Precision (70%) + Arc (15%) + Theme (15%)
The Evil That Men Do (1984) demonstrates strategically placed plot construction, characteristic of J. Lee Thompson's storytelling approach. This structural analysis examines how the film's 15-point plot structure maps to proven narrative frameworks across 1 hour and 30 minutes. With an Arcplot score of 7.1, the film balances conventional beats with creative variation.
Structural Analysis
The Status Quo at 1 minutes (1% through the runtime) establishes Dr. Clement Molloch, known as "The Doctor," tortures a political prisoner in a Latin American dungeon, establishing the brutal world of state-sponsored torture and the evil that operates with impunity.. Significantly, this early placement immediately immerses viewers in the story world.
The inciting incident occurs at 12 minutes when Holland's old friend Hector Lomelin arrives with journalist Jorge Hidalgo, pleading for Holland to come out of retirement to assassinate Molloch, the torture expert responsible for countless deaths including Jorge's brother.. At 13% through the film, this Disruption is delayed, allowing extended setup of the story world. This beat shifts the emotional landscape, launching the protagonist into the central conflict.
The First Threshold at 22 minutes marks the transition into Act II, occurring at 24% of the runtime. This reveals the protagonist's commitment to Holland agrees to take the mission after seeing the full extent of Molloch's evil. He makes the active choice to return to his former life as an assassin, accepting that some evil must be confronted with violence., moving from reaction to action.
At 45 minutes, the Midpoint arrives at 50% of the runtime—precisely centered, creating perfect narrative symmetry. Significantly, this crucial beat Holland's first assassination attempt fails when Molloch's security proves more extensive than anticipated. The stakes escalate as Molloch's people become aware someone is hunting him, putting Holland and Rhiana in greater danger., fundamentally raising what's at risk. The emotional intensity shifts, dividing the narrative into clear before-and-after phases.
The Collapse moment at 67 minutes (74% through) represents the emotional nadir. Here, Rhiana and her daughter are captured by Molloch's men. Holland faces the horrifying possibility that the woman and child he's grown to care for will become Molloch's next torture victims - the very fate he came to avenge., indicates the protagonist at their lowest point. This beat's placement in the final quarter sets up the climactic reversal.
The Second Threshold at 72 minutes initiates the final act resolution at 80% of the runtime. Holland realizes he can do both - rescue Rhiana and kill Molloch. He formulates a plan that uses Molloch's own sadistic patterns against him, turning the hunter into the hunted., demonstrating the transformation achieved throughout the journey.
Emotional Journey
The Evil That Men Do's emotional architecture traces a deliberate progression across 15 carefully calibrated beats.
Narrative Framework
This structural analysis employs a 15-point narrative structure framework that maps key story moments. By mapping The Evil That Men Do against these established plot points, we can identify how J. Lee Thompson utilizes or subverts traditional narrative conventions. The plot point approach reveals not only adherence to structural principles but also creative choices that distinguish The Evil That Men Do within the action genre.
J. Lee Thompson's Structural Approach
Among the 13 J. Lee Thompson films analyzed on Arcplot, the average structural score is 7.1, reflecting strong command of classical structure. The Evil That Men Do represents one of the director's most structurally precise works. For comparative analysis, explore the complete J. Lee Thompson filmography.
Comparative Analysis
Additional action films include The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare, The Bad Guys and Lake Placid. For more J. Lee Thompson analyses, see Cape Fear, Death Wish 4: The Crackdown and The Guns of Navarone.
Plot Points by Act
Act I
SetupStatus Quo
Dr. Clement Molloch, known as "The Doctor," tortures a political prisoner in a Latin American dungeon, establishing the brutal world of state-sponsored torture and the evil that operates with impunity.
Theme
A character states that Molloch teaches torture techniques to dictatorships worldwide, and that "the evil that men do lives after them" - highlighting how perpetrators of atrocities escape justice while their victims suffer endlessly.
Worldbuilding
We see Holland living in peaceful retirement in the Cayman Islands, working as a boat mechanic. His tranquil life as a reformed hitman is established, showing a man who has deliberately stepped away from violence.
Disruption
Holland's old friend Hector Lomelin arrives with journalist Jorge Hidalgo, pleading for Holland to come out of retirement to assassinate Molloch, the torture expert responsible for countless deaths including Jorge's brother.
Resistance
Holland initially refuses the mission, insisting he's done with killing. Hector and Jorge present evidence of Molloch's atrocities, including photographs of torture victims. Holland wrestles with his conscience and his desire for peace.
Act II
ConfrontationFirst Threshold
Holland agrees to take the mission after seeing the full extent of Molloch's evil. He makes the active choice to return to his former life as an assassin, accepting that some evil must be confronted with violence.
Mirror World
Holland meets Rhiana, Jorge's widow, and her daughter who will pose as his wife and child for cover. This unconventional family unit represents the human cost of political violence and gives Holland something personal to protect.
Premise
Holland and Rhiana travel to Guatemala posing as tourists. He methodically gathers intelligence on Molloch's security, movements, and vulnerabilities while maintaining their cover as a married couple with a child.
Midpoint
Holland's first assassination attempt fails when Molloch's security proves more extensive than anticipated. The stakes escalate as Molloch's people become aware someone is hunting him, putting Holland and Rhiana in greater danger.
Opposition
Molloch's security forces close in. Holland must eliminate several of Molloch's associates while evading capture. The violence escalates as Holland works his way up the chain toward his target, each kill bringing more heat.
Collapse
Rhiana and her daughter are captured by Molloch's men. Holland faces the horrifying possibility that the woman and child he's grown to care for will become Molloch's next torture victims - the very fate he came to avenge.
Crisis
Holland must choose between completing his mission and saving Rhiana and her daughter. The personal has become inseparable from the political, and his retirement fantasy of leaving violence behind is permanently shattered.
Act III
ResolutionSecond Threshold
Holland realizes he can do both - rescue Rhiana and kill Molloch. He formulates a plan that uses Molloch's own sadistic patterns against him, turning the hunter into the hunted.
Synthesis
Holland infiltrates Molloch's compound, rescues Rhiana and her daughter, and corners The Doctor. In a fitting act of poetic justice, Holland delivers Molloch to a mob of his former victims' families who exact their own brutal revenge.
Transformation
Holland walks away with Rhiana and her daughter, having formed a new family unit. Unlike the opening image of Molloch's cold torture chamber, the final image shows warmth and human connection - evil has been answered, and life continues.