RISES ABOVE AND BEYOND
Movie Review – Evil Dead Rise
Review by Ray Schillaci
Looking back, my one regret this year was missing the experience of seeing and sharing with an audience Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise. From the moment I heard that Cronin was picked to resurrect the tale of the Deadites I was anxious with anticipation as to what new boundaries he would be taking the successful Sam Raimi franchise that not only spawned four films (three of which Raimi directed), a Starz series, video games and a slew of comic books. Writer/director Cronin had wowed audiences with his first intensely creepy feature, The Hole in the Ground.
Now the man proves to be every bit the master of the macabre within six minutes of his new film that I can only imagine had audiences cheering with just the title crawl. As the terror continues the only disappointment to fans will be Warner Brothers’ complete absence of any bonus materials with this 4K/Blu release. I can only imagine that a steelbook version will eventually arise in the near future with plenty of supplemental material.
For horror hounds, this film rocks. This Evil Dead is no holds barred. Some may say that’s an oxymoron given how outrageous the franchise has been, but Cronin has broken new ground with this entry. It is gruesome, shocking, darkly funny, filled with nostalgic tidbits and takes us places we never thought an Evil Dead movie would take us, threatening the very foundations of a family with practically no one sparred.
Yes, this one deviates from the rest of the films: Ash and his campy antics are nowhere to be found and this time we encounter a different Book of the Dead! That’s right, remember Army of Darkness, where three books were introduced? Cronin’s film will be too much for the average viewer, but for horror fans looking for a new thrill ride, strap yourself in because this writer/director is about to take you on the ride of your life with Sam Raimi’s blessings.
Just to avoid spoilers, I will not reveal that first unnerving six minutes that demands a screen shot because it will become such a classic shot. From there, we’re taken back to the day before, backstage of a raucous band and into a grimy restroom where a guitar tech, Beth, is looking unnerved sitting on the toilet awaiting the results of a pregnancy test. The results, not what she was looking forward to.
She turns to the only person that has ever been there to support her, her sister, Ellie. But, Beth has not always been there for her sister and she is in for a rude awakening. Ellie is now a recently single mom/tattoo artist raising three kids, a son and two younger daughters, scraping by to make ends meet and the apartment complex they live in has been condemned. Beth’s visit is not exactly a warm welcome.
The family dynamic is established immediately between the kids, their mom and aunt. We can tell that Beth is considered the fun aunt with the kids whereas Ellie often has referred to her as just a groupie, which irks Beth. We find ourselves immersed in their world which makes the nasty turn of events far more impactful than expected.
Ellie sends her kids to pick up dinner as she and her sister hash out their differences. Upon their return, the kids experience an earthquake while in the basement parking lot, one that is large enough to cause a fissure in the floor. This also shakes up the rest of the residence of the apartment complex. After the quake settles, Danny, the brother, finds an underground chamber and slips down inside to investigate to discover an underground bank vault. Quickly rifling through the vault, Danny discovers an area decorated with hanging crosses, an ancient book, and three vinyl records. He grabs the book and records in hopes of getting some money for them.
The kids return to a very anxious mom and nerves are frayed due to the quake. Danny returns to his room and he and Bridget check out the ancient book. Danny nicks his finger on what looks like teeth of the book and as the book soaks up what’s spilled, Danny sets the first vinyl on his DJ equipment. What is played is some kind of ancient ritual and Bridget is creeped out and demands he turns it off and gets rid of the book. In the meantime, Ellie asks Beth to watch the kids as she heads for the basement to drop off some old clothes.
Of course, Danny does not listen to his sister and once again a call of the wild Deadites is emoted, wreaking untold havoc. Ellie’s possession is unnerving and what takes place in that elevator on several occasions is a claustrophobic nightmare. The sound design alone is enough to send chills down one’s spine. Ellie’s return to her family has to be one of the creepiest moments in horror cinema. Alyssa Sutherland as Ellie is evil incarnate. She is sardonically funny, unsettling and frightening all at once. She is right up there with the very best scream queens.
Sutherland’s descent into hell and determination to take her children with her is a rare scare fest that could affect some adversely. So, even though this is just a movie, there are undertones like The Babadook that could easily upset some audience members. A good part of the movie takes place in the condemned apartment complex which is unto itself a disturbing character with its stark shadows, pipes, stairwells and bloody elevator.
To add tension to it all, there is the sister angle and Beth trying to get out alive with her unborn baby. She’s also been saddled with suddenly becoming the caretaker to her sister’s children and keeping them as far away from crazy Ellie as possible. Then there is the matter of how many Ellie will infect in the building before Beth and the kids can escape. If they ever do.
This 4K presentation is the best way to distinguish all the remarkable black levels in the film. It is a dark movie that is highly accentuated when the blood and ooze arises. The detail in the demonic flesh tones are outstanding. The Blu does a presentable job, but the 4K highlights all the horror of this new masterpiece.
The Dolby Atmos mix goes above and beyond as far as jangling the nerves and capturing every shriek and screech. The surround effects whiz around and will catch you off guard with some of the intended jump scares. The entire sound design is used as a powerful tool to completely engulf you into the terror of it all and never let up. It’s both fun and exhausting.
Writer/director Lee Cronin has upped the ante on this latest Evil Dead not only with violence, gore and chuckles but along with clever dialogue that makes you squirm and laugh at the same time. What was missing from the last Evil Dead movie was the laughs and nostalgia that so many flocked to. That’s not to say it was bad. It has its fans, me being one of them, and I love the idea that the very funny and talented Jane Levy from Zoey’s Extraordinary Playlist was out chainsawing her way through Deadites in that film. Evil Dead Rise has included the dark laughs and a wink of nostalgia that makes us want to cheer at the end and demand one more go of it. After all, we have one more Book of the Dead to explore.
Visit Ray’s blog at themonsterinmyhead.com
Directed by: Lee Cronin
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Run Time: 96 Minutes
Rated: R
Country: U.S./New Zealand/Ireland
Distributor: Warner Brothers
