After the intense and uncompromising 2013 reboot of Evil Dead, this film takes equal steps forward and backwards in potential. The selling point is trading the cabin in the woods for an LA highrise, but the film never escapes cabin trappings, choosing instead to rely upon familiar hidden rooms, dingy furniture, warbling record players, and endlessly flickering lights. The opening hints that they intend to subvert audience knowledge of the franchise, by turning the tables on specific shots and noise cues, but they never commit hard to defying expectation. All the beats expected from an Evil Dead film are present, including visceral horror and tension built to shocking payoff. The effects are excellent, with a seamless and fantastic blend of practical and CG rendering truly grotesque sights. The direction is pretty good, building each beat just long enough for a decent reveal and including an inspired sequence through a peephole, arguably the best moments in the film. The main characters are well drawn and sympathetic, even if the accents get a bit dodgy. There exists overall a sense of malevolent glee, reflective of the deadites themselves, as none of the cast can be considered safe or off-limits, and the film relishes taunting and tormenting its victims. Overall, there is a lot to like and enjoy here, but far too reliant on familiar tropes and the re-introduction of more overt camp elements. The filmmakers revisit the darkly comic tone and feel of Evil Dead 2, down to a rather glaring shot that comes off far more comedic than horrific. Unfortunately comedic aspects diminish the tension and distract from what should be more effective payoffs and there is an over reliance on far too many familiar beats. Despite this, this is a wildly enjoyable film for returning veterans to the franchise or new viewers alike, and one hopes the next entry allows them to finally escape the claustrophobic trappings into something more epic.
Evil Dead Rise (2023)