Evil Dead Rise Review: The Classic Franchise Redefines Motherhood In An Outrageously Gory Fashion
*Mild spoilers ahead for Evil Dead Rise*
Thanks to the Cosford Cinema at the University of Miami, I was able to see Evil Dead Rise nearly two weeks early. The Evil Dead franchise is probably the most quality-consistent horror franchise among them all. I love all four of the previous films incredibly deeply. This installment follows a woman named Beth (Lily Sullivan) as she visits her older sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) at her apartment in Los Angeles to make up for lost time. Meanwhile, an earthquake shakes the building, revealing an ancient tome and records underground. One of Ellie’s kids, Danny (Morgan Davies), discovers the book and plays the vinyls, unleashing a hellish force from the book that threatens to swallow their souls.
The film’s major selling point is in its use of the apartment building setting, compared to the more isolated cabin setting of most of the other films. There’s multiple moments where key scenes from the previous films are adapted to fit the new setting in refreshingly creepy ways. As the film progresses, it’s clear the most fun the filmmakers have with the apartment setting is what happens with the elevator. Having an apartment setting is also a great way to increase the body count.
Looking into the characters, I actually thought all of them gave strong performances for the material they were given. Beth portrayed by Sullivan and Ellie, the main Deadite threat portrayed by Sutherland, really stole the show in their respective roles. In particular, Sutherland’s Ellie lives up to the legacy of memorable Deadite threats in the series, with her striking delivery of simultaneously eerie and comical dialogue, along with great makeup. It’s also only occasionally where a couple of the actors’ actual Australian accents slip through (the film was shot in Renaissance Pictures’ home away from home, New Zealand, with a mostly Australian main cast).
The emotional familial theme was a nice touch and I liked the visual nods to the theme throughout the film. The only aspect of the theme that could’ve been expanded on is how pre-possession Ellie’s role as a mother was affected by her current living situation. This would’ve justified certain decisions the characters make towards Ellie in the film’s second half when she’s possessed. It would’ve further increased the similarities between the 2013 remake and this film as drug abuse in the former served a similar purpose, but strengthening Ellie’s characterization would’ve also made the second half of the film hit harder.
I couldn’t watch this movie and not think about how it’s approach is very similar to the 2013 remake. Even almost down to a structural level in terms of plot movement, though that could also be because both are extremely faithful to the original trilogy’s formula. The best thing this film’s creative team did to offset the comparisons was to go for more of a modern Evil Dead 2 vibe than the previous film’s modern take on mostly the original. I really liked the unique lore this time around, with the underground area which contains the Naturom Demonto.
These comparisons are why definitely the film’s strongest asset is director Lee Cronin’s directorial ability. His direction really elevates the film beyond what was originally intended to be a streaming release. I liked a lot of the different kinds of camera angles and movements, that while owed some debt to Sam Raimi’s style in the original Evil Dead trilogy, still showed a distinctive vision behind the camera. It also helps that veterans in the franchise like editor Bryan Shaw from the 2013 remake and Ash Vs Evil Dead and the cinematographer behind many Ash Vs Evil Dead episodes, Dave Garbett, were onboard to give the film a franchise-worthy atmosphere.
Since its an Evil Dead film, discussing the entertainment value of the ever-creative gore is a must. I liked some of the ways the gore was presented through using household items like a cheese grater. It was really creative and wince-inducing. My only criticisms with the gore are the more pronounced use of CGI that clashed with the practical blood and the tamer presentation compared to the previous film. The only obvious CGI used in the last film was for fire effects and the double amputee shot of one character. It’s awesome how one big stunt in this movie is seemingly practical though. The slightly less grisly violence could be traced back to Evil Dead Rise’s Evil Dead 2-esque approach. While still insanely bloody, that film didn’t gleefully indulge in raw violence like the original, making it more cartoonish instead.
I immensely enjoyed Evil Dead Rise, even if it isn’t entirely as satisfying as the 2013 remake because of its strong sense of familiarity at times. I’m very open to the idea of this particular iteration getting a sequel, since many little moments tease the potential of one. Ultimately, I’m glad to see another installment of the franchise be released in theaters, 40 years since the first was released in 1983.
