‘EVIL DEAD RISE' Splatters the Screen, Breathing Fresh Blood into Lovingly Demented Franchise

In the realm of horror, few franchises are as steeped in blood-soaked lore as Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead. The latest entry, Evil Dead Rise, cleverly distills the iconic universe’s brutal charms while simultaneously stirring in a fresh batch of viscera. It’s a gory, gruesome, gregarious ride that’s more than just a rehashed resurrection; this fifth entry to the franchise is a blood-thirsty demonic rebirth, that’s both reverential and innovative in equal measure. Much like a vinyl record that keeps on spinning, this franchise seemingly has an endless groove of gory goodness.

Directed by Lee Cronin, Evil Dead Rise transports the traditional ‘cabin in the woods’ nightmare into the heart of a derelict inner-city apartment building. This shift in scenery not only amplifies the claustrophobic terror but also breathes new life into a well-worn premise. Cronin’s direction is as nimble as it is gleefully wicked, paying homage to the original while daring to carve his own bloody path, often by aping shots directly from Raimi’s cut, or by bringing back the series’ most iconic accoutrements (chainsaw-shotgun combo for the win).

After an earthquake opens a long-forgotten bank vault in their building’s parking garage, siblings Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and Kassie (Nell Fisher) unwittingly summon an onslaught of sadistic deadites after playing an ancient vinyl. A spiritual infestation grasps their mother Ellie, who quickly loosens her grip grasp on her very soul. Visiting on an unexpected stopover, freewheeling guitar technician aunt Beth (Lily Sullivan) ends up having to tend to the kiddos while mommy is increasingly sick and losing herself. The unplanned family reunion transforms into a desperate struggle for survival, as Ellie’s turn to the dark side sees her affection for her children turn to bloodlust. The plot is equal parts horrifying and hilarious, unflinching in its depiction of filicide murder while lacing in an undercurrent of black humor that makes for exactly the kind of sick midnight movie experience that Evil Dead fans have come to crave.

Alyssa Sutherland delivers a particularly chilling performance as Ellie, a doting-mother-turned-sinister-deadite that owns the bulk of the film’s most sinisterly hilarious dialogue. The terror she instills is bone-deep, setting a spine-tingling tone that resonates throughout the film. The remainder of the cast, including a surprisingly adept ensemble of child actors, rises to the bloody occasion, lending a sense of brutal realism that makes the ensuing carnage all the more impactful. No character is safe in this hellish high-rise, and the palpable threat of mortal danger infuses each scene with nerve-wracking tension.

While the franchise’s hallmark gore-fest is present and accounted for (including a blood-filled elevator in an on-the-nose tip of the hat to Mr. Kubrick), Evil Dead Rise falls a notch short of the gut-churning gruesomeness that defined Fede Alvarez’s 2013 reboot. However, it compensates with a playful, almost whimsical approach to brutality that is just as entertaining, if not as viscerally shocking. The mean-spirited and disturbingly funny dialogue (“Mommy’s with the maggots now”) makes up all the difference. This is horror that dares to wink at you, even as it’s drenching you in sanguinary spectacle.

Under Cronin’s watch, Evil Dead Rise is a testament to the franchise’s ability to evolve without losing its gritty core. By daring to shift settings, timelines, and characters, the series keeps its narrative fresh and engaging, proving that there’s still plenty of life (or death) left in this undead saga. The franchise, like the unrelenting horrors it conjures, refuses to stay buried. Us horror goons should remain ever thankful.

One of the undeniable joys of Cronin’s film is its unabashed love for the horror genre and the Evil Dead franchise as Evil Dead Rise provides a bloody love letter to its predecessors and the broader horror landscape, complete with directorial easter eggs and nods that fans will relish without it ever becoming obviously nostalgic or deferential. The essence of Evil Dead Rise remains in its joyful, macabre dance with the grotesque and the splatter-heavy gore and its willingness to embrace the campy roots of the original films. It’s a celebration of the franchise’s enduring legacy, while also a step towards new, untrodden paths of horror. At once, a gory romp through the corridors of a cursed apartment building, a reminder of the franchise’s enduring appeal, and a testament to its ability to still send shivers down our spines.

CONCLUSION: ‘Evil Dead Rise’ revitalizes the legendary franchise once more, drenching the screen in mountains of gore, campy black humor, and unabashed horror homage. While it may not hit the same visceral heights of its 2013 sibling, the return to black comedy and relentless gory tension more than make up for it.