Evil Dead Rise

"You don't look so good, mom..." The technically-satisfying Evil Dead in a high-rise building can’t rely much on the child actors (especially during the possession phases), but that’s balanced out by Madam Sutherland, who would make Russell Crowe in an XXXL robe look small right now! Tailor's scissors under the bed, a broken mop handle, a wood chipper parked in the underground garage (if the entrance were bigger, there’d be a combine harvester too)—all of these are predictably put to use while testing if they can surpass the maximum weight capacity of the Overlook Hotel's elevator. The only remaining question is: after the intro at the lake house, will Ripley, Newt, and the trio avoid the evil from the vents and fly off the planet Monde? (11/05/2023)

It's hard to believe a "rookie" like Lee Cronin could do this. He's pulled off a horror film that has managed to please 80% of the audience after God knows how long, is heading for massive numbers in the ratings, and is not just another generic entry into the genre, but the ultimate pleasure for die-hard fans of the franchise and the average viewer alike. Evil Dead Rise may not be as great as I would have liked, nor is it significantly more sophisticated or specifically its own, but it doesn't bore from start to finish, serves up great gore that in terms of quality and quantity and torrents of blood makes you feel almost disgusted, and visually wades into waters where other horror films fear to tread, and therefore scores full marks in terms of explicit scenes. Likewise, the soundtrack is nifty, and I wouldn't believe I'm about to say this, but the acting is top notch as well, as, exceptionally nobody here runs around like headless chickens, but behaves (within reason) quite rationally. I'm saving my fifth star for minor details like the characters' occasional sentimental "you'd be a good mom" talk while being chased by a knife-wielding psychopath (damn, I'm really waiting in vain for a movie that spares us these clichéd unconvincing chatterboxes... ) or the heroic monologues of the heroine while she's hacking the monster to bits, but outside of that and the fact that the curse jumps on whoever it wants to and how it suits it, I can't really complain in any significant way, because I can't remember a horror carnage this cinematically sound, purposeful and satisfying. A satisfying and I would say almost perfect first date movie. (20/04/2023)

I liked the opening and the brilliantly built-up finale, but between that, the new Evil Dead was nothing to write home about. What surprised me was that, compared to the film that started everything in 1981 (for a couple of bucks), this one is rather mild. What pleased me, on the other hand, was how they didn't mess around with it (thank you for the reasonable running time), and that there was no lack of black humour either. (09/07/2023)

Evil Dead Rise honors the classic trio of Tapert, Raimi and Campbell and is unrelenting in its intensity, amount of blood and high technical level. For the first time outside of a cottage in the forest, but in the no less inhospitable environment of a social housing complex without a functional elevator or fire escape. The diabolical make-up and behavior of the demon-possessed victims are a proven fan-service trademark of the franchise. The characters don’t act as stupidly as they did last time and their casting and “rock-emo” stylization are properly unconventional and bring to mind the ensemble cast of the last Hellraiser. The mysteriously beautiful Alyssa Sutherland was born for her role as a demon. And we are well aware that this franchise has the most cunning demons ever. And this time, even a little girl is exposed to them! It’s a pleasure to see such an outstanding genre treat made with so much love on the big screen again. (23/04/2023)

The new Evil Dead is audiovisual porn and a brutal uncompromising ride. Lee Cronin has now risen decently into the big leagues and hopefully he'll stick to horror, he's certainly got something to offer. The change of setting in an apartment complex is welcome and refreshing. All the characters are likeable and surprisingly well acted (the little girl is amazing – a new child talent on the scene), the technical aspects with the cinematography are pushed to perfection – this is a TOP Tier 1 horror event – and the same can be said for the sound effects and make-up, there is simply no competition. The gore is well done, although I was honestly expecting more carnage, I wanted more neighbours on the meat grinder and the off screen kill was a surprise, but the only major complaint, and I'm not going to knock a star off because of that, as the final motorcycle-crusher gore combo ranks among the Top Gore scenes of any horror film ever. It's nice to see that not only the whole house is covered in blood from the roof to the basement, but also the parking lot along with the main character. There are some nice references (shotgun, chainsaw not to be missed), the reading of the pages of the Necronomicon is properly creepy, and the atmosphere, which is at times uncomfortable and properly creepy, is also done well. Alyssa Sutherland and her smile are definitely unsettling and a badass when all hell breaks loose. It's nice that even though there are kids featured, everyone gets their ass kicked. Some people complain about the lack of humour, but I honestly can't imagine any humour here, this is no light comedy splatter, but a dark, evil, atmospheric, brutal and uncompromising horror film where lightness would only take away from its power and intensity. We won't see anything more brutal in theaters this year. Watching it, I was reminded of all the hits from my childhood, from Inside to Martyrs, and the new Evil Dead is right in that variety. PS: Hopefully the film will make money, because 10 people at the premiere is sad. 9/10. (21/04/2023)