A series renowned for its grim humor and gory killings will have its fifth movie, titled Evil Dead Rise, arrive in theaters on April 21st.
However, a lot has changed since Ash Williams was formally retired by Bruce Campbell (although there is still some disagreement among fans regarding his future). There won’t be a cabin in the woods in the newest chapter.
In addition, unlike the preceding films all focused on youths, this one has children throughout, including Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and Kassie (Nell Fisher).
The first scene serves as a miniature representation of Evil Dead Rise, a vile film that deftly subverts franchise tropes in order to play on motherhood in horror and the mythos established by Sam Raimi’s 1981 cult original.
It doesn’t quite reach the terrifying heights of the 2013 version, but it nevertheless rips through other splatter-fests like a chainsaw with just-whipped blades.
REVIEWS
The reviews for Evil Dead Rise are now available, and the critics have commented on how the inclusion of young characters has changed the venerable franchise.
Reactions to the movie’s SXSW premiere warned that it doesn’t hold back on the gore and body horror. As Evil Dead Rise nears theatrical release on April 21st, here are some reviews from movie critics and their ratings.
Katie Rafi of RogerEbert.com, who rated the movie a 3 out of 5 stars said;
“Once single mom Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) is possessed by a Deadite early on in the film, what happens next is made even more disturbing because Ellie is psychologically and physically torturing her own children. Her youngest, Kassie (Nell Fisher), is quite young, too—not that the fates of her siblings, Danny (Morgan Davies) and Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), are made any less painful by the fact that they’re teenagers. Evil Dead Rise squeezes a lot of sicko juice out of violence toward kids, which combines with the extreme gore to make it the grueling experience that a good Evil Dead movie should be.”
Kat Hughes of Film Disclosure rates Evil Dead Rise 4 stars out of 5. She said;
“The threesome feel like an authentic sibling unit. They bicker, but they care, and are forever unified by the shared trauma of witnessing their mother get weird. Each child has their admirable qualities, Cronin side-stepping the irritating child pitfall that afflicts so many movies. By making the unit so tight-knit and charming, Cronin is able to squeeze maximum empathy for the children, and unlike so many films before it, none of them are safe. Cronin opts to not hold back the horror from the younger generation, his decision perfectly pitched for the Evil Dead, a series in which few, if any, make it out unscathed.”
Eric Eisenberg of CinemaBlend rates the movie a 4 out of 5 stars rating while stating that it is a worthy addition to what some consider the “greatest horror franchise of all time.” He said;
“As far as standing out within the franchise is concerned, one key element in play is the inclusion of children – which ends up having an impact on both the pacing and the stakes. Unlike The Evil Dead and the 2013 film, this isn’t a cinematic experience that can be described as ‘unrelenting,’ as there are breaks in the action that cool things down a bit as Beth tries her best to both physically and emotionally protect her nieces and nephew. But it’s also worth noting that just as you might think that the movie is playing things too safe with its young characters, Cronin says, ‘Not so fast.’”
