Review: Evil Dead Rise

Director: Lee Cronin

Screenplay: Lee Cronin

Year: 2023

I still find it impressive that the last Evil Dead movie was released 10 years ago. It seems that it was only a few months ago when this remake took the world of horror by surprise, leaving behind the black humor that had characterized this series and opting for a much darker tone.

Beth visits her sister Ellie to help her make a difficult decision, unaware that Ellie is also having a difficult time. While visiting her, an earthquake exposes the basement of the apartment complex where she lives, and one of her three sons finds an old book and vinyl records there. Listening to what was recorded on the drive, the young man accidentally lets out a demon which causes chaos in the compound.

"Evil Dead Rise" is presented as a new formula within the franchise, looking for its own path without forgetting what its predecessors have done. He prefers to continue with the dark style that the 2013 version brought but brings elements of the black humor that characterized the 80s trilogy. It could be said that the tone is quite similar to that of the original 1983 version but with the gore and violence of the 2013 version.

The plot of "Evil Dead Rise" follows Ellie, her sister Beth, and their three children as they fight a demon that only seeks to create chaos and death. It is not a secret that Ellie is possessed by the demon and becomes the antagonist for most of its duration. I can only express admiration for Alyssa Sutherland ("Blood Vessel"), the actress who plays Ellie, for her incredible performance and how she manages to create one of the best decades we've seen in the franchise.

This remake, directed by Lee Cronin ("The Hole In The Ground"), seeks to pay homage to the other entries in the franchise both obliquely and literally. We see nods to the features that distinguish the franchise, such as the familiar camera from the demon's perspective, the saw and shotgun (boomstick), and the iconic deadites, as well as others a little more hidden, such as the voice of Bruce Campbell in one of the recordings or similarities between frame structures.

"Evil Dead Rise" is positioned early in the year as the film to beat to take the title of best horror film of 2023 and will undoubtedly be one of the most intense experiences in cinema this year. Its plot moves quickly to unleash the madness in a family for which we are interested in its future, even with its rapid development. Once it starts, the chaos doesn't stop until the end, where horror, gore, and blood, through some great special effects, take over the center and every corner of the screen.