Evil Dead Rise

The nod to Raimi is clear right from the title, so expect more than just a monster under the bed. We're talking decapitations and characters going through medieval levels of bodily torment. It's brutal, twisted, and bloody — but in a way that’s traditionally entertaining for this horror franchise. (2023-06-29)

"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? (2023-05-11)

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. (2023-04-23)

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. (2023-07-09)

I expected a film that would completely break free from the conventional bounds of bloody and explicit horror! Evil Dead Rise didn’t quite deliver on that front. Don’t get me wrong... Technically, it’s a flawless film, set this time in the intriguing environment of a dilapidated apartment building somewhere in LA. I even managed to warm up to the main protagonist during the enjoyable hour and a half. And when it comes to gore, it’s absolutely top-notch (though by my standards, it’s disappointingly sparse... the trailers promised a bigger dose). However, the story ultimately let me down. Adding in a few illogical situations (especially the bizarre way the blood-borne infection behaves) and some stupid character actions, it just can’t reach the genre's peak. On the plus side, Alyssa Sutherland played the demonic mother brilliantly... And the final chainsaw sequence? I genuinely squealed with delight :D It ends up with a weaker 7/10. (2023-05-23)