Relentless, bloody, gory and suspenseful, EVIL DEAD RISE is s terrific new addition to the decades-spanning Evil Dead franchise.
Executive Produced by original director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Darkman) and Bruce Campbell (1981's original "The Evil Dead") bring a thrill-ride mentality to this new chapter.
All the elements fans desire are here and perfectly packaged.
We barely have time to meet two estranged sisters before all hell breaks loose.
Beth (Lily Sullivan) has been off the radar for awhile when she lands on the dilapidated doorstep of her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her children.
Danny (Morgan Davies) , his older sister Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and young sister Kassie (Nell Fisher) are free spirits with plenty of experience fending for themselves in the soon to be condemned apartment building that's home.
As the kids are coming back from a pizza run, an Earthquake hits and Danny finds a deep hole in the parking garage that leads to the discovery of the Book of the Dead, along with some old fashioned record albums from 100+ years ago.
Any fans of the series know exactly what's going to happen next. I did, but it was so well executed that I enjoyed this new take.
If kids in peril isn't your thing, this is a nightmare. Normally I can't watch kids in these kind of scenarios, but Davies, Echols and Fisher are such good young actors that they pulled me in and never let me go.
Sutherland is absolutely lethal as the demon possessed Mom. She's an eyeball eating, stomach churning, "I want to eat my own kids" nightmare. The practical, special effects & makeup teams are first rate throughout.
My favorite scenes were when Danny first plays the ancient record albums, featuring the Priest that originally found the Book of the Dead narrating his experience. You could hear a pin drop.
Until the screaming started, then it never stops.
I saw fun references to the previous films and a few others like "John Carpenter's The Thing", "Poltergeist" and most obviously "The Shining" that make you smile in the middle of the mayhem.
Originally slated for direct-to-HBO Max, the film did so well they changed it to a theatrical release, where it topped the $100 million mark at the box office and is still rolling.
As a huge fan of "Army of Darkness", I loved Beth saying "Come Get Some" to the demon. It's a great throwback to one of Campbell's funnier lines in that film.
Irish composer Stephen McKeon (Black Mirror) delivers a scary music score that sings perfectly right along with the thousands of gallons of blood spilled.
I may never use my cheese grater again.
EVIL DEAD RISE butchers, bites and blasts its way to a bloody entertaining B+.
RED BAND, R-RATED FULL-GORE trailer attached below.
