Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Directed by: Lee Cronin
Written by: Lee Cronin
Starring: Alyssa Sutherland, Gabrielle Echols, Lily Sullivan

EVIL DEAD RISE
Directed by Lee Cronin

I risk handing in my horror reviewer card for good when I say I’ve never really gotten the Evil Dead franchise. It’s not that I dislike the films – I’ve seen each at least once and some numerous times. But it’s always been something I’ve appreciated more than enjoyed. Still, from the DIY schlock of the original to the hyper-gory, pitch-black remake, I respect that it’s continually reinvented itself, finding ways to up the ante while keeping true to the anarchic spirit of Sam Rami’s vision. Like the baddies themselves, just when you think the series is dead, it returns nastier than ever. Now in its fifth incarnation, not including the TV show, series newcomer and long-term fanboy Lee Cronin gives us another lean, mean slice of chaos.

At first, it looks like quite a departure. We start in familiar territory with a pre-title sequence at the lake. But within minutes, we leave the woodlands for a large gothic, soon-to-be-destroyed apartment block in rainy LA. A struggling single mum, Ellie (Sutherland, who is the standout), stays in a falling-to-pieces flat with her three kids, Danny, Kassie, and Bridget, where she’s visited by her estranged guitar-technician sister Beth (Sullivan), who is definitely not a groupie. What begins as a night of pizza and a slightly stilted family reunion becomes a close-quarters duel with demons after an earthquake leads the kids to a familiar book and an eerie-looking record. As Danny plays it, the lights go off, and the darkness will change at least one family member forever – leaving them with the maggots. It all starts with the worst omelette you’ve ever seen.

In some ways, Evil Dead Rise resembles Rec more than other entries. The basic premise, the location, and some iconography are much like it. It also has the gradual build-up of several moving parts working simultaneously, adding layer after layer of threat to a confined space. Yet as we transition into the second half, its unrelenting violence, aggression, and bloodshed make for a distinctly Evil Dead experience. There’s very little comedy, and in that way it strays. Plus, the few moments of signature slapstick we get seem out of place because the rest is po-faced. However, eventually, the intensity is such that you almost laugh for sheer relief. Especially towards the end when the ghoulish imagery reaches its logical conclusion. It keeps the suspense, too – which is tricky in something so scrappy and heavy-handed. Heck, there were moments I was dreading a character going where they shouldn’t. But come the end, gallons upon gallons of the red stuff (1500 apparently) have been spilled and numerous limbs lost. I’m not exaggerating when I say this is one of the more ferocious films to get a mainstream release in years. The neat visuals, the thick wet atmosphere, the excruciating Foley work, and the soundtrack make it a powerhouse of horror.

Crucially, the characters are well-sketched too, and it’s a credit to Cronin and cast that we get such a feel for their relationships, with much established on the move. The small cast means that while there are few named character deaths, the ones we get have an impact. The set pieces are also very inventive, particularly considering it almost all takes place in the same few rooms, so I applaud Cronin for making the most of what he had. This was planned as a TV movie for HBO Max, but nothing about its small-scale thrills watches like a compromise in ambition. Sometimes less is more. It can also act as a potential universe-opener, with some neat world-building introducing us to a new world of Necronomicons. As one character says, “This evil can’t be contained, can’t be stopped, all you can do is run.” So let’s see where it takes people. If nothing else, I want to know if the cat is ok. Yet despite a tight script, it’s a thematically shallow film.

How much this part will matter depends on what you want from it – it’d be an unreasonable standard to attack the new one for it while ignoring that the older entries were too. It tries a bit, but the subtext about maternal fears feels more like it was added to make it seem contemporary rather than because it’s integrated with the action well. Still, it isn’t yet another “psychological” flick about intergenerational trauma, so there’s that. There are also a few too many stupid decisions – some that I can forgive for of the age of the person making them. But one involving soundproof headphones is utterly baffling – even if it looks cool. Yet it’s so fast-paced and fun that these are minor complaints. Considering how on edge I was for the full duration of the film, there’s only so much I can say they matter. Plaudits to the makers for all the Easter eggs, though I expect bigger fans than myself will spot even more. And I just reminded myself of that damn omelette…

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