Dir. Lee Cronin | Now In Theaters | Rating: 3/5

I rushed to the theater to see this film as fast as humanly possible. I bought tickets for the first showing I could get to after work. The original Evil Dead (1981) is one of the most iconic franchises of this genre and the 2013 remake is a huge piece of my horror journey. Maybe it was my affinity for this franchise that set me up to be disappointed, but this a high budget and soulless addition. 

Evil Dead Rise takes us out of the woods and into present day Los Angeles, yet is still missing the grit of its predecessors. Along with not matching the vibe of the franchise, the story amongst our characters is barebones at best. There are hints of a dysfunctional family narrative and the tribulations of motherhood that never truly come to the surface. The script has its moments, but is overshadowed by clique lines and lackluster delivery. Until about the 30 minute mark, I was thoroughly unimpressed with this. 

Despite my distaste for the story and writing, I want to give credit where credit is due. It does check most of the other boxes I look for in a horror film. This is an extremely approachable and watchable horror film. The scares are an outrageous bloodfest, yet don’t fall victim to the cheap looking CGI that has become common in the last few years of new releases (Looking at you Halloween Kills). I can see this as being a massive gateway for new generations to access the Evil Dead franchise. There are subtle nods to the original that true fans will appreciate. This cast is female driven and the lead male actor is trans, which is an improvement from the casting of both the original and remake. 

Is this a decent new release? I guess. Are people going to enjoy this? With the film already grossing 23 million dollars in the US, it’s clear they already are. I wasn’t thrilled with this, but it didn’t fall either. 

Know Before You Watch: Features death, blood, gore, flashing lights.