Evil Dead Burn Review: Gory Horror Movie Makes Sam Raimi Proud
Family reunions don’t get bloodier than this. It’s been 45 years since Sam Raimi first opened The Book of the Dead with his 1981 horror classic, The Evil Dead. Since then, we’ve gotten several movies and a Starz TV show that have continued to show us what happens when you mess with the Deadites. This has been one of the most consistently great horror franchises in terms of quality, and the newest installment, Evil Dead Burn, does not disappoint.
This is yet another superb horror movie that doesn’t hold back. It continues a long streak of mean-spirited horror filled with gratuitous violence, crossing lines that most other films in the genre don’t dare to touch. The film starts out with a cold open designed to once again immerse you in a bleak, colorless world where anyone can be a victim of the Deadites. Sébastien Vaniček directs this film, and he, just like Fede Álvarez and Lee Cronin, turns out to be a phenomenal successor for Raimi. All of these directors have their talents, but they stick closely to what made Raimi’s original The Evil Dead work: inescapable dread and horrifying violence.
After the opening, we meet Alice (Souhelia Yacoub) and get a glimpse of what her dynamic is like with her abusive husband, Will (George Pullar). A road accident soon leads to Will’s demise, leaving Alice with the conflicting feelings of losing her husband. She soon finds herself in a house with Will’s family, not knowing that all hell is about to break loose…literally. As the Deadites possess each family member one by one, Alice must fight for her survival or else she’ll find herself dead by dawn.
Evil Dead Burn gives you your classic setup and all your fun and games. One of the film’s strongest aspects is what it does with the characters before everything goes south. Alice is an easy character to sympathize with, but Will’s family is in a tough space. His parents don’t know what kind of person their son was. Susan (Tandi Wright) and Edgar (Erroll Shand) want Alice to continue Will’s business, but their willingness to decide for her and an overall distaste lead them to being antagonistic far before the Deadites arrive.
We also have the son Joseph (Hunter Doohan) and his girlfriend Thya (Luciane Buchanan), who quickly find themselves at the mercy of this evil force that’s out for blood. This ensemble cast is proof that getting to act in an Evil Dead movie has to be some of the most fun an actor can have. Many of the characters start out as helpless victims, horrified by their situation, but once the Deadites possess them, they become the most sinister, malicious, violent people. An actor can show their range by portraying the entire spectrum of the horror genre in one movie, and everyone in this cast does their part, playing both the people we root for and the terrifying villains we fear every time they show up.
Like the other Evil Deads, this is a viciously violent film. Fingers get cut off by car doors, a person gets stabbed in the cheek by a car headrest, etc. Bodies get mangled more than you can possibly imagine. At times, it makes a certain scene from this year’s Obsession involving a brick look tame in comparison. The best horror movies don’t just play on your existing fears—they create new ones. The way Final Destination 2 has made sure you will never drive behind a log truck again, Evil Dead Burn will make sure you remember to close your dishwasher.
The film makes some smart choices in how it depicts the human side of these characters. Rather than simply having them be one-dimensional cannon fodder, we do get to feel emotions towards them before their eventual transformations, whether it’s sympathy or hatred. Thya deserved a bit more on the page, but once Buchanan gets to go full Deadite in her portrayal, she’s a blast. Yacoub does an excellent job getting us to care for her. We feel bad for her due to her past, and we also really get to root for her when it’s time for her to become an action hero in ways that would make Ash Williams proud.
The goriest movie of the year so far, Evil Dead Burn, will give you one hell of an experience. There’s a dark sense of humor throughout the film that never takes away from the dark tone. The way the film incorporates more mature themes of domestic abuse is emotionally powerful, although there’s a visual effect in the final act that could have used a bit more work. Everyone in this movie is giving very physically demanding performances and fully committing to this bone-crunching nightmare. See it with a crowd because you’ll all find yourself wincing at the right moments. If I could sum Evil Dead Burn up in a word? Groovy.
SCORE: 8/10
As ComingSoon’s review policy explains, a score of 8 equates to “Great.” While there are a few minor issues, this score means that the art succeeds at its goal and leaves a memorable impact.
Disclosure: ComingSoon attended an early screening for our Evil Dead Burn review.
Source: Comingsoon.net