FILM REVIEW: Is "Evil Dead Rise" groovy or snoozy?
Fourty years ago, scurrying through the woods, caked in mud and gore, the world was introduced to The Evil Dead. A shockingly violent and ferociously original independent film which was met with censorship and praise across the globe. In its violent wake The Evil Dead spawned two sequels, a standalone spinoff/remake and a spiritual-successor tv show, before finally being pronounced dead in 2018.
But what is dead may never die, and as the chant Klaatu, Barada, Nikto was read for a fortieth year, the dead rose once again… evilly.
Evil Dead Rise is the fifth entry in the Evil Dead canon, both a standalone and a continuation of the beloved franchise. Trading trees for towers, Evil Dead Rise locks a Kanderian Demon in a high-rise apartment with recently reconciled sisters.
Evil Dead Rise doesn’t quite churn the stomach in ways expected of a franchise best known for its excessive violence, nor does it offer any chuckles, and its over reliance on music cues dampen a decent amount of scares. What it does offer is a palatable Evil Dead, a welcome re-introduction to the franchise for those who have advanced from the Conjuring . Perfect for those who wish to skim read the Book of the Dead before deciding if they’d prefer more humour (Army of Darkness, Ash vs. Evil Dead), horror (Evil Dead I & II) or violence (Evil Dead, 2013). Your enjoyment of Evil Dead Rise will all depend on what you desire from an Evil Dead film.
You can take the woods out of the Kandarian Demon, but can you take the Kanderian Demon out of the woods? Rise offers a welcome change of scenery, though it never quite capitalises on its location. The apartment is small, dark and isolated, and all that separates it from a Cabin in the woods is an elevator. For the Evil Dead franchise to truly thrive it must take bolder risks. Put a Deadite in a hospital or a cruise ship, chuck them in Gothic England or the Wild West!
When the dead do rise evilly, Alyssa Sutherland (Vikings) plays a truly terrifying Deadite, though her screen performance is undercut by constant music cues and the films disjointed pacing. Lily Sullivan rises to the blood-soaked occasion, though her character, Beth, is bland and blank, a far cry from the glorious Ash Williams who battled evil risen dead prior.
Writer/director Lee Cronin gets out of his own way and starts making an impression in Rise’s third act, thankfully leaving audiences wanting more. Unsurprising for a requel, Evil Dead Rise is perfectly okay. Rise has its merits but lacks the sheer creativity and ferocity of Raimi’s original trilogy, it remains a welcome and nifty continuation of the much beloved franchise, and is far superior than what it could’ve been lest the franchise fall into the wrong hands.
3 / 5
