Evil Dead Rise Pours Pure, Unhinged Glee Into A Horror Movie Made For Sickos, By Sickos
This Evil Dead Rise review was posted after the film's debut at SXSW. Updated and reprinted for the theatrical release of the film.
As for the horror factor, your mileage may vary with Evil Dead Rise . This spin-off of Sam Raimi's iconic franchise retains the nutty excitement of Sam Raimi's original '80s Evil Dead films, but violence ensues between Fede Alvarez's 2013 remake and Raimi's comedy Evil Dead 2 . The killings are brutal and brutal, the focus on children in peril adds a new edge to the action, and the overall tone is dark and brutal.
However, he found moments of relief. As far as comedy, there are lots of laughs in Evil Dead Rise , like eyeballs being ripped out and then dropped into someone's mouth. Writer-director Lee Crone has a fine sense of both the horror and the fun scales, catering to both without compromise. This film is best watched with many horror fans embracing the angst with the goofy jokes, screams and applause along with the action.
A big part of this film's simpler horror version is the twist on the formula. Instead of focusing on the victims in a cabin in the woods, it moves to the big city, where it follows a family tormented by the undead, the fateful antagonists of the Evil Dead films. There are no undead soldiers here. Like the 1981 original, it works on a smaller scale, in this case Deadite. It feels more like a possession story than modern moviegoers expect from a "zombie movie".
Alyssa Sutherland plays one of mother Ellie's three evil children, or as she describes it, the "pacifier-sucking parasite", who later discovers demonic possession and finds the book. from death. Before long, she was bringing her children to life, using every tool in the house to kill them in the most brutal way possible. (The scraper turns into a star.)
However, Ellie's sister Beth (Lili Sullivan) returns home when she is horrified by an unexpectedly positive pregnancy test. Arriving at the apartment, he had to fight with his sister, because all family members were enemies. Sullivan is great, Cronin gives him depth with hints of past trauma that make the character more whole without detracting from the quiet joys of Evil Dead. This is not a "big scare." Don't expect an A24 horror film that explores grief, but the familiarity creates a dynamic with a heavier emotion that connects the viewer with the characters while pushing the chilling horror.
As Ellie takes over, the film stops and derails. Ellie immediately attacks her family, threatening, intimidating, stalking and insulting them. Meanwhile, the deceased Ellie still loves her children and often tells them to stop.
Cronin made the most of his position. Everyday objects take on new, more ominous moods as the characters progress. A sense of claustrophobia pervades throughout the film, with the characters having little chance of escaping the apartment. Cronin and his team clearly liked the on-screen practical effect with true, physical gray tones. He also likes the movie Evil Dead. Covering the scenario and screen with as many visual references and homages to the original Sam Raimi film as possible, Cronin loaded the film with fan service, from the iconic weapons to the dialogue to the camera choices.
Evil Dead Rise is a movie made by sick people. It's a great update to the popular franchise, full of humor but featuring Alvarez's gritty and sexy taste. A refreshing change of scenery and cast, plus Sutherland's fierce performance, proves that this timeless franchise still has a lot of life and fighting in it.
After check-in at 97 minutes it feels done. It's the perfect film for new fans who haven't seen Evil Dead, but for longtime fans, it brings a new twist to the classic horror-comedy franchise, blending Raimi's old styles with new-school horror. It shows that there is still a lot of color in the old finish lines.
Evil Dead Rise is in theaters now.
