The new Evil Dead Rise is nothing at all like its campy counterparts. But this isn’t a bad thing! Instead of the humor, we get lots of scares and lots of gore. It is a different face of Evil Dead, but one that I think does the title justice.
After finding out she is unexpectedly pregnant, guitar tech Beth heads home to Los Angeles to visit her sister, Ellie, and her three kids: Bridget, Danny, and Kassie. The kids go pick up pizza while the sisters catch up, and when they return, a strong earthquake hits the area. The floor beneath Ellie’s apartment building cracks open and reveals an old bank vault. (No surprise; we knew the apartment was built over the site of an old bank.) Danny is fascinated and goes down, picking through the safe deposit boxes and other ephemera. He finds a book that glows and grabs a few old records that are stored with it.
What makes the original Evil Dead trilogy so enduring and influential is that it has something for everyone. A claustrophobic…
Upstairs, the book fascinates Danny and scares Bridget. He tries to claw it open but cuts himself on the teeth-like clasp. Drops of blood open the book and reveal horrifying images of people being torn to pieces. He plays the records, and a priest on the album says the magic words. Ellie is taking some garbage out to the dumpster, and she is attacked by the demons released by the Necronomicon. From there on out, it is a blood-drenched hour of raw, extreme horror.
I have seen my fair share of extreme gore films, and this might just be the goriest American film I have ever seen. It ranks right up there with Cannibal Holocaust and Martyrs as far as gore. When the infamous cheese grater scene is the least gory (but still upsetting, according to the groans in the theater) scene in the film, then you know you’ve got something. There is a literal elevator full of blood that spits out our heroine. In The Shining, no one was actually swimming in the elevator of blood; in Evil Dead Rise, they were.
Acting was solid across the board. Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies, and Nell Fisher were all solid as Bridget, Danny, and Kassie. They bicker like real siblings, but they also seem more well-adjusted than most kids. They all have their weird quirks (Bridget is really into the environment; Danny is going to be a DJ; and Kassie enjoys cutting the heads off her dolls to make battering rams) but that makes them seem more real – and far more interesting. Lily Sullivan was strong and capable as Beth, but the real star of the movie is Alyssa Sutherland, who plays Ellie. She spends most of the film possessed by Deadites, and gave me the chills – something I haven’t experienced since Sinister.
Speaking of Deadites… I don’t know if it was actually Deadites that possessed Ellie. I have to assume. There is no prior knowledge of the Evil Dead franchise required to enjoy this film. Deadites are never mentioned, nor is there any mention of Ash or his cohorts. There is no history of the Necronomicon mentioned. This is a straight-forward possession story.
There are a few Easter eggs hidden in the film, though. There is no tree rape in Evil Dead Rise, but the final showdown utilizes a tree removal service’s truck. Of course, there is a chainsaw, and there is even a boomstick (though it is never referred to as such). One element that Evil Dead Rise does not have, however, is that it is not a horror-comedy. There was a scene with an eyeball that made me giggle, but I don’t think that was intended to be a laugh line. This is a straight-out horror film, and it was pretty damn scary.
Writer/director Lee Cronin really came through on this film. There weren’t any jump scares, but plenty of subtle creep-up-on-you scares. There are a few shots I thought he could have pulled out on a bit, but otherwise, it was well shot. I was most amazed by the fact that the film was dark… and yet I could see everything clearly. Maybe TV directors should have a conversation with DP Dave Garbett to figure out how to make their shots visible. It was truly breathtaking. I don’t know how he did it; I just know it was done, and done well.
Evil Dead Rise is bigger and bloodier than any of its predecessors – and that’s saying something. It is great fun but definitely not for the squeamish. Even the hardcore gorehound in your group may feel a little peaked afterward. I am looking forward to the sequel that the film obviously sets up.
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
