Evil Dead Rise

Evil Dead Rise is a solid horror flick, but if you're familiar with the franchise, you'll just be mentally ticking off a list of must-haves. The setting of an old tenement house is not as atmospheric and interesting as a cabin in the mountains, and while the filmmakers attempted to bring evil to a new cramped location, they didn't miss the tried-and-true cabin, giving the film a framing device that's quite impressive but completely unnecessary to the main story (but at least it brought the best reveal of the film's title in years). The 2013 remake was far more impressive, engaging and entertaining in its reinterpretation of a well-worn formula; this one is just OK. (04/28/2023)

The nod to Raimi is clear right from the title, so expect more than just a monster under the bed. We're talking decapitations and characters going through medieval levels of bodily torment. It's brutal, twisted, and bloody — but in a way that’s traditionally entertaining for this horror franchise. (06/29/2023)

So here everything is absolutely fine. Anyone who has seen Evil Dead in its original versions (and it certainly left an impression on them, just like me) knows what they're getting into and applauds. Those who have never seen this film before not only miss out on that applauding heart and butterflies in the stomach right at the beginning when the 'demon' is making its way through the woods and over the water, but in the end, they're probably just disgusted by the visual appearance of all the scenes :D I have to say that I was completely satisfied. 90% of the film is in the spirit of Evil Dead (literally lol), it's cool, it's scary, disgusting, gloomy, muddy, bloody, crazy, relentless - the only thing that was slightly exaggerated was the ending, but then again, it was exactly the kind of ending you'd expect from Evil Dead, so why not :D I liked it! (05/15/2023)

Evil Dead Rise honors the classic trio of Tapert, Raimi and Campbell and is unrelenting in its intensity, amount of blood and high technical level. For the first time outside of a cottage in the forest, but in the no less inhospitable environment of a social housing complex without a functional elevator or fire escape. The diabolical make-up and behavior of the demon-possessed victims are a proven fan-service trademark of the franchise. The characters don’t act as stupidly as they did last time and their casting and “rock-emo” stylization are properly unconventional and bring to mind the ensemble cast of the last Hellraiser. The mysteriously beautiful Alyssa Sutherland was born for her role as a demon. And we are well aware that this franchise has the most cunning demons ever. And this time, even a little girl is exposed to them! It’s a pleasure to see such an outstanding genre treat made with so much love on the big screen again. (04/23/2023)

It's hard to believe a "rookie" like Lee Cronin could do this. He's pulled off a horror film that has managed to please 80% of the audience after God knows how long, is heading for massive numbers in the ratings, and is not just another generic entry into the genre, but the ultimate pleasure for die-hard fans of the franchise and the average viewer alike. Evil Dead Rise may not be as great as I would have liked, nor is it significantly more sophisticated or specifically its own, but it doesn't bore from start to finish, serves up great gore that in terms of quality and quantity and torrents of blood makes you feel almost disgusted, and visually wades into waters where other horror films fear to tread, and therefore scores full marks in terms of explicit scenes. Likewise, the soundtrack is nifty, and I wouldn't believe I'm about to say this, but the acting is top notch as well, as, exceptionally nobody here runs around like headless chickens, but behaves (within reason) quite rationally. I'm saving my fifth star for minor details like the characters' occasional sentimental "you'd be a good mom" talk while being chased by a knife-wielding psychopath (damn, I'm really waiting in vain for a movie that spares us these clichéd unconvincing chatterboxes... ) or the heroic monologues of the heroine while she's hacking the monster to bits, but outside of that and the fact that the curse jumps on whoever it wants to and how it suits it, I can't really complain in any significant way, because I can't remember a horror carnage this cinematically sound, purposeful and satisfying. A satisfying and I would say almost perfect first date movie. (04/20/2023)