“Evil Dead Rise”: A Must-Watch For “Evil Dead” Fans

BY MATTHEW CAESAR Staff Reporter

As I sat in the theater hearing gasps from the audience during the cold open of Lee Cronin’s “Evil Dead Rise,” I immediately knew I’d be getting exactly what I wanted from the new “Evil Dead” film. The cold open was a near perfect tone setter: immediately establishing the brutal demonic possession which the series is known for. But the most memorable part of the opening was the killer title card, showing a deadite rising out of a lake, with the film’s title following. Right away, I was hooked.

“Evil Dead Rise” is the fifth installment in the “Evil Dead” series, and the first new film from the franchise in ten years.The film places the series’s staple demonic conflict into a claustrophobic apartment complex, opposing the usual forest setting. What creates an even greater change from the norm, however, is the cast of characters being a family as opposed to a group of friends. As a big fan of not only the series but the original trilogy’s filmmaker, I found his new spin on the franchise creates a refreshing look at the world of Evil Dead. Despite this novelty, the film still pays respect to the originals’ style with just as much bone- believe he’d go through the multistep process needed to unleash the demon. Once Ellie is possessed, becoming a deadite, the rest of the family are forced to defend themselves against the unkillable demonic presence. The family dynamics are the largest emotional pull of the movie, as the children are forced to defend themselves against their demon-possessed deadite mother.

The theme of motherhood is prevalent in the film, with the catalyst for Beth’s return being her finding out she’s pregnant. Her fears of motherhood are realized as she is in charge of taking care of Ellie’s children while their mother tries to kill and possess them. Her relationship with the kids, particularly the youngest girl Kassie, grows stronger throughout the film as Beth becomes more and more of an action hero. It’s hard not to feel a sense of excitement as Beth prepares to fight the demon’s final form with nothing but a chainsaw.

What made the original “The Evil Dead” and its two sequels iconic was Sam Raimi’s sense of style. This film pays respect to that style from the very beginning, with the camera flying through and around the film’s settings. Many shots utilize creative framing, stunned through simple stabbing, which can start to give the impression you’re watching the same things happen time and time again.

There was also a small cast of side characters that felt as though they only existed to be fodder for gross kills. While some sequences with them are fun, many were introduced with only one or two scenes before dying. Most of them felt like they only served to have more dead bodies.

Despite this repetition, the film never loses its horror. The setting of a claustrophobic and near-vacant complex floor creates a hopeless and stressful atmosphere throughout the film. There’s a stressful tone from the very introduction of the family, who are on their last legs before the building is to be shut down, with no plans for where they’ll live after.

The biggest source of terror, however, is the scenery-chewing performance from Alyssa Sutherland as Ellie. Her deadite portrayal is both over the top but also grounded enough for the threat to always feel real. Whenever she is around other characters, particularly children, the tension rises massively. Sutherland steals the show as one of the most memorable horror villain performances I’ve seen in recent memory.