Fede Alvarez’s 2013 reboot of Evil Dead is one of my favourite horror films. It’s unrelentingly violent, has some amazingly gory practical special effects, and it looks superb with some excellent cinematography and editing.
A sequel was in the works almost immediately, set to return to the Sam Raimi style of the original trilogy and bringing back Bruce Campbell, this eventually became the tv show, Ash vs the Evil Dead.
A fifth Evil Dead film would languish in development hell, unsure whether to follow Alvarez’s gritty remake, or bring back some of Raimi’s more campy elements.
Following the hiring of writer/director Lee Cronin by Raimi, production officially began on what would become Evil Dead Rise, with Cronin promising to be able to appeal to both types of Evil Dead fan, a tall promise considering the massive divide between those who love the horror and those that love the comedy.
After discovering that she is pregnant, Beth (Lily Sullivan) seeks out the help of her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sullivan) whom is a mother of three, Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and Kassie (Nell Fisher). But Ellie is suffering from her own problems as she has recently been abandoned by the father of her children and is due to be evicted from the apartment block where they live as it is due to be demolished. When an earthquake uncovers the book of the dead buried beneath the building, Danny inadvertently releases the evil within, possessing Ellie and unleashing a malevolent demonic force upon all of them.
A sequel was in the works almost immediately, set to return to the Sam Raimi style of the original trilogy and bringing back Bruce Campbell, this eventually became the tv show, Ash vs the Evil Dead.
A fifth Evil Dead film would languish in development hell, unsure whether to follow Alvarez’s gritty remake, or bring back some of Raimi’s more campy elements.
Following the hiring of writer/director Lee Cronin by Raimi, production officially began on what would become Evil Dead Rise, with Cronin promising to be able to appeal to both types of Evil Dead fan, a tall promise considering the massive divide between those who love the horror and those that love the comedy.
After discovering that she is pregnant, Beth (Lily Sullivan) seeks out the help of her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sullivan) whom is a mother of three, Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and Kassie (Nell Fisher). But Ellie is suffering from her own problems as she has recently been abandoned by the father of her children and is due to be evicted from the apartment block where they live as it is due to be demolished. When an earthquake uncovers the book of the dead buried beneath the building, Danny inadvertently releases the evil within, possessing Ellie and unleashing a malevolent demonic force upon all of them.
I had high hopes for Evil Dead Rise going in, due to my adoration of Alvarez’s 2013 film, but I didn’t honestly expect the film to match those expectations. If you were to put a gun to my head and ask me what my favourite film was out of the two, I’m not sure I could give an honest answer because they’re both so brilliant.
Rise is not as gory as its 2013 predecessor, but it’s a lot more twisted and sadistic, whilst retaining the sensory assault style editing and sound design.
Things kick off to a great start with a homage to the cabin in the woods style of films that the Evil Dead franchise made its name with, and whilst that is largely unrelated to the events of the rest of the film, it proves that Rise isn’t playing around and lives up to Cronin’s promise of appealing to both types of Evil Dead fan. The framing, lightning, makeup, and dialogue feels directly inspired by Evil Dead 2013, but the kills themselves feel more akin to a Raimi Evil Dead film, even being a bit tongue in cheek and funny. It never goes as hard as Evil Dead 2 or Army of Darkness with the comedy, which I personally think is a great choice as I am not a fan of the comedy being so prevalent in those films, but the gore comes across as funnier because it isn’t quite as grimy and gritty as Alvarez’s film was.
The main storyline is a welcome change from the usual Evil Dead fare in that it swaps the cabin in the woods for an apartment block in a city. Its still the same basic structure, but the new environment is a welcome change as it provides so many new avenues to explore, and to an extent even becomes a home invasion film in some ways. The allegories aren’t quite as on the nose as they were in Alvarez’s film (which put drug addiction at the centre of the story), Rise instead uses motherhood as the framing device for all of the terror, and the way Cronin weaves that into the Deadite rampage I found extremely satisfying.
Rise is not as gory as its 2013 predecessor, but it’s a lot more twisted and sadistic, whilst retaining the sensory assault style editing and sound design.
Things kick off to a great start with a homage to the cabin in the woods style of films that the Evil Dead franchise made its name with, and whilst that is largely unrelated to the events of the rest of the film, it proves that Rise isn’t playing around and lives up to Cronin’s promise of appealing to both types of Evil Dead fan. The framing, lightning, makeup, and dialogue feels directly inspired by Evil Dead 2013, but the kills themselves feel more akin to a Raimi Evil Dead film, even being a bit tongue in cheek and funny. It never goes as hard as Evil Dead 2 or Army of Darkness with the comedy, which I personally think is a great choice as I am not a fan of the comedy being so prevalent in those films, but the gore comes across as funnier because it isn’t quite as grimy and gritty as Alvarez’s film was.
The main storyline is a welcome change from the usual Evil Dead fare in that it swaps the cabin in the woods for an apartment block in a city. Its still the same basic structure, but the new environment is a welcome change as it provides so many new avenues to explore, and to an extent even becomes a home invasion film in some ways. The allegories aren’t quite as on the nose as they were in Alvarez’s film (which put drug addiction at the centre of the story), Rise instead uses motherhood as the framing device for all of the terror, and the way Cronin weaves that into the Deadite rampage I found extremely satisfying.
What ties the themes together so well and makes the film as terrifying as it can possibly be, is the outstanding performance from Sutherland. Whilst the majority of the performances in this film were good, Sutherland is particularly noteworthy. Her physical performance is on another level, comparable to Bill Skarsgard’s turn as Pennywise in the IT films, and this is amplified by her perfect line delivery, some gruesome makeup, and wince-inducing practical effects. Her possession is a perversion of the flesh that I have not seen since the height of David Cronenberg, and together Cronin and Sutherland craft this otherworldly monster from a loving mother. A lot of what makes this film work so well is Sutherland, and the way she brings out the sheer evil of the Deadites in a way that’s never been seen before.
I’ve already stated that Rise echoes a lot of what Alvarez did stylistically in 2013’s Evil Dead. In Rise, Cronin, cinematographer Dave Garbett, and editor Bryan Shaw have utilised every possible facet of the environment to make a film that’s claustrophobic, yet seemingly grand in scale. The majority of the action takes place within Ellie’s apartment, but when it does move outside of those four walls to occupy the hallway, elevator, or parking garage, the team have made sure it’s for good reason.
I’ve not seen an elevator scene quite so inventive as in Rise, and the sequence that’s made to appear as though it’s shot looking through the apartment door’s peephole is pure genius. The grand finale in the parking garage showcases some fantastic prosthetics and creature design, and pays homage to Alvarez’s gory finale by drenching the set in blood and squishy bits of flesh.
Evil Dead Rise puts a lot of emphasis on the evil portion of its title. It’s been a long time since I have seen a demonic possession film that is as cruel and as unrelentingly violent as Evil Dead Rise, in fact that last time was Evil Dead 2013. Whilst there are gorier films out there, Rise delivers with a great premise, an outstanding performance from Sutherland, and some excellent practical effects. This is an Evil Dead film that I believe can appeal to fans of both types of Evil Dead. The funny and the sadistic. I’m not sure if it’s my favourite for the franchise, but it’s damn close if it isn’t. 2023 has already been a great year for horror, and Evil Dead Rise has made it one of the best years yet.
I’ve already stated that Rise echoes a lot of what Alvarez did stylistically in 2013’s Evil Dead. In Rise, Cronin, cinematographer Dave Garbett, and editor Bryan Shaw have utilised every possible facet of the environment to make a film that’s claustrophobic, yet seemingly grand in scale. The majority of the action takes place within Ellie’s apartment, but when it does move outside of those four walls to occupy the hallway, elevator, or parking garage, the team have made sure it’s for good reason.
I’ve not seen an elevator scene quite so inventive as in Rise, and the sequence that’s made to appear as though it’s shot looking through the apartment door’s peephole is pure genius. The grand finale in the parking garage showcases some fantastic prosthetics and creature design, and pays homage to Alvarez’s gory finale by drenching the set in blood and squishy bits of flesh.
Evil Dead Rise puts a lot of emphasis on the evil portion of its title. It’s been a long time since I have seen a demonic possession film that is as cruel and as unrelentingly violent as Evil Dead Rise, in fact that last time was Evil Dead 2013. Whilst there are gorier films out there, Rise delivers with a great premise, an outstanding performance from Sutherland, and some excellent practical effects. This is an Evil Dead film that I believe can appeal to fans of both types of Evil Dead. The funny and the sadistic. I’m not sure if it’s my favourite for the franchise, but it’s damn close if it isn’t. 2023 has already been a great year for horror, and Evil Dead Rise has made it one of the best years yet.