Evil Dead Rise
Rob Price
Recap
A family in a Los Angeles high rise apartment building is tormented by the Evil Dead.
Spoiler Level: Mild
Review
At a cabin in the forest, cousins Teresa (Mirabai Pease) and Jessica (Anna-Maree Thomas) are trying to relax, with Jessica’s new boyfriend, Caleb (Richard Crouchley). Jessica begins acting weird and then all hell breaks loose. Flashback to a day earlier, Beth (Lily Sullivan) gets some news that disturbs her so she flies to her sister, Ellie’s (Alyssa Sutherland) home in Los Angeles and finds her sister’s family is in disarray, with her brother-in-law gone and the apartment building she lives in about to be torn down. Ellie’s three kids, Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and Kassie (Nell Fisher) are doing the best they can too keep their spirits up. Shortly after Beth arrives, an Earthquake opens a hole in the old buildings parking structure where Danny finds an old book and some records. After being warned by his sister not to fool around with the book or records, Danny opens the book and listens to the first two records, which releases something evil into the building. With the help of some neighbors, the family tries to survive, fighting against each other as they become possessed by the evil dead. Can any of them survive? Watch and find out!
I am going to be in the minority consensus when reviewing this movie, but I really didn’t care for it. I particularly do not like gore for the sake of gore. And this movie is almost all gore which made for a very disturbing film for me to watch. I like my horror films to be atmospheric, spooky and with a good story and this had hint of all 3 of those things, but never really committed to them and instead hit you over the head with blood, guts and bits of brain! The first scene in the woods does have some nice elements to it with a nice spooky factor, but once the movie moves to the apartment complex, much of that dissipates. The flickering lights and 1920s style architecture of the building does add an eerie atmosphere and isn’t a bad setting for the film, but instead of playing up the building’s own character, it opts to paint the walls with blood. The story had some nice elements, although nothing we hadn’t seen in an Evil Dead film. The idea of the evil reenacting pictures from the book Danny finds is hinted at, and used from time to time, but with no real purpose or meaning.
In no way can I fault any of the actors in this film, they do quite a good job. Alyssa Sutherland is wonderfully creepy once she is possessed, and Lily Sullivan’s Beth is a strong independent woman who is also broken and vulnerable. The actor playing the three kids all do a great job as well. The scripted dialogue also isn’t bad. It felt natural and flowed nicely, but it was lacking the campy humor that made the first Evil Dead and subsequent films so much fun. In fact, just overall, this film was missing that magical element that sets it apart from its peers and makes it a classic.
Final Thoughts
I know a lot of people really like this movie, and I think that is great! More power to you, but this was not my cup of tea.
Evil Dead Rise: The Rise and Fall of the Dead
- Writing - 8/108/10
- Storyline - 6/106/10
- Acting - 8/108/10
- Music - 8/108/10
- Production - 7/107/10
It's a bad movie.
Why is this movie getting good reviews? It was basically just anti-abortion propaganda. As you said it lacks any of the dark campy humor that was the best part of Evil Dead. For long time fans of the movies (and TV show) this is a let down.
The dark campy humour was cringe, pointless and not remotely funny. It wasn’t the best part if evil dead and people like you should stop watching horror films. You wont be missed.
The original Evil Dead was such a nasty and entertaining horror flick that I have seen many times. A true classic! I am not into sequels or remakes because you are most likely going to be disappointed. Will I see Evil Dead Rise? With things I heard about it time to pull out the classic Evil Dead for a viewing again.
Bloody Fun Movie 5 ??
This movie was fun, gore fest and a bit cheeky… Exactly what a horror should be, especially one that is in the Evil Dead franchise.
Great addition to the franchise.
Bring on the next one I say.
Was very very disappointed in this everything I read and saw kept saying it was going to be amazing critics loved it audience rating were through the roof. I thought it sucked to be honest the only part that was bad ass that wasn’t already in the trailer was the cheese grader scene. If you want to watch a bad ass horror movie watch the popes exorcist way better than evil dead.
Hahaha “watch the popes exorcist”…what trash taste you have. Thinking the popes exorcist was better than this is why people shouldn’t listen to random know nothings opinions. That russell crowe abortion was one of the worst horror films in a while. You’re truly clueless.
Evil Dead Rest in Peace
I was expecting more from Lee Cronin after The Hole in the Ground. This is just a mess. The family is completely implausible and dislikable. The emotional arc of Beth is hammered into place with all the care of a demented toddler. The mother’s possession is half-decent but becomes boring. I watched this after The Pope’s Exorcist and have gotta say that cuckoo-Crowe kicks this film’s arse.
Crowes exorcist abortion was laughable. Imagine thinking that was a decent film, compared to anything…or claiming characters to be unlikable while praising a flop driven by russell crowe. Talk about unlikable. Once again an opinion from some kn@b thats worth less than the money you spend at the hairdresser.
No one said it was a decent film it was better than evil dead is what I said. Imagine being such a basement dweller you get all butt hurt and act like a toddler over someone disagreeing with your opinion like a whiny little kid. Evil dead had no plot line beyond the 10 seconds of saying they found the book of the dead that’s it nothing else behind the story. The movie was 90 minutes and had like 5 3 minute trailers with a movie that short having that many trailers they showed way to much of the movie before it even came out everything good that happened happened in the trailers. I went and saw evil dead opening night with like 12 other people all heard from everyone in the theater was how big a disappoint this was. For an evil dead installment sure it was good as a horror movie horrible. Nothing about it was scary they only thing that even made me even shrug was the cheese grader scene.
After Long time I have seen a Good Horror Movie, which has a flow of meaning link with every scene and the Start and End is very exciting, would like to see the Next part of Evil Dead
OP is a moron
Lol gore for gore’s sake, eh? Tell us you didn’t watch literally any of the other Evil Dead movies without telling us you didn’t watch any of the other Evil Dead movies. The over the top gore is THE JOKE, you moron. It’s literally in all 5 movies and the tv show. There’s a reason you’re in the minority here, bud. A reason why the movie is a hit with great reviews: because you’re too stupid to grasp even the most basic concept. What cringe.