‘Evil Dead Rise’ is a gruesomely groovy gift for fans
“Evil Dead Rise” is the fifth film in the long-running and beloved “Evil Dead” horror franchise. It arrives 10 years after Fede Alvarez’s remake/reboot/sequel and five years after the final episode of the television revival “Ash vs Evil Dead.” Plans for a crossover between the remake’s protagonist Mia and the original trilogy’s Ash Williams fell through as did a fourth season for “Ash,” and although both would’ve been great to have, “Rise” ended up being a perfect way to bring the franchise back to life.
This time around, we see the demonic forces awakened by the Book of the Dead launch an unrelenting assault on Beth, her sister Ellie and the latter’s three children as well as their neighbors on the top floor of a Los Angeles high-rise apartment. Apart from the memorable opening sequence that takes place at an idyllic lakeside cabin (punctuated by one of the greatest title card drops of any film in recent memory), it’s a refreshing change in setting from most of the films. The new characters are interesting and sympathetic enough for us to not want them to get mercilessly torn apart and maimed by various household appliances (speaking of which, that cheese grater scene from the trailer does not disappoint).
The character writing is fairly standard, but emotionally committed and physically honed performances from everyone, including the child actors, make them worthy protagonists.
Franchise newcomer Lee Cronin had an imposing task when it came to directing a film that can be ranked among the “Evil Dead,” and he proved to be more than up to the challenge. Cronin demonstrates enthusiastic command of camera work and style, offering the swooping and erratic push-ins and wicked angles that Raimi established while retaining the grimy aesthetic of Alvarez’s remake. There are plenty of nifty visual homages to the previous films including one particularly eye-widening kill that unexpectedly channeled one of the most memorable visual gags of the second film.
Cronin also did a fantastic job with the horror aspect of “Rise.” It’s as tense, creepy and flat-out disturbing as anything the horror genre has come out with in the past decade, with a stronger emphasis on shocking and sadistic body horror than its predecessors. The look of the Deadites is freakier than ever, and the ways they chose to torment and dispose of their hapless victims are inventive and jaw-droppingly nasty. Cronin does not hold back on killing off likable characters in horrific and upsetting ways.
The 1,717 gallons of fake blood used for production were undeniably put to good use. Along with the abundance of set pieces, there’s a great reference to “The Shining” as an elevator fills with blood and the nonstop, hyper-gory finale takes such a sharp turn into extreme splatter territory that it’s genuinely surprising that it (thankfully) made it past censors.
Originally intending to release it only on HBO Max, Warner Bros. saw how well it was testing with audiences and rightly decided to release it in theaters. It’s a lean and very, very mean roller coaster through hell that should absolutely be seen in a packed auditorium with a crowd of both fans and casual viewers who don’t know what they’re getting into.
A deliriously entertaining blend of enjoyable callbacks, fresh scares and expectedly hardcore thrills, “Evil Dead Rise” is overflowing with the wild and blood-drenched terror that fans have been craving, and it naturally sets up some very promising new directions for the franchise.
