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.
