EVIL DEAD RISE

When it comes to horror franchises, "Evil Dead" stands out for achieving something truly remarkable: every movie bearing its name has managed to avoid being bad. A significant part of this success can be attributed to the series creator, Sam Raimi, who is extremely selective about who gets to work on his blood-soaked baby. Over the span of forty-plus years, there have only been five "Evil Dead" movies. However, it's not just Raimi's involvement that makes "Evil Dead" work; there's also an inherent simplicity in its premise that resonates, except for the delightfully bonkers "Army of Darkness," of course.

The latest installment, "Evil Dead Rise," is brought to us by Irish writer/director Lee Cronin. His 2019 feature debut, "The Hole in the Ground," also explored themes of sinkholes and parental issues. Cronin's gritty style aligns more closely with remake director Fede Alvarez than Raimi's live-action cartoons, but he does share one crucial quality with Raimi—an insidious imagination.

While the marketing for the film highlights a memorable scene involving a cheese grater, "Evil Dead Rise" is packed with inventive carnage. From eye trauma to hand trauma, vomit to bugs, broken glass to broken bones, decapitation to dismemberment, stab wounds to shotgun blasts, and even sharp objects piercing through the soft palate and exiting the back of someone's head—this movie encompasses every form of bodily harm imaginable. And let's not forget the copious amounts of blood, enough to recreate the infamous elevator scene from "The Shining" and drench two of the main characters from head to toe in the final 20 minutes.

Unlike the previous films set in a cabin in the woods, "Evil Dead Rise" takes place in a dilapidated apartment building in downtown Los Angeles, inhabited by a family. When single mom Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) becomes possessed by a Deadite early on, the ensuing events become even more disturbing as she psychologically and physically torments her own children. Her youngest, Kassie (Nell Fisher), is particularly vulnerable, although the pain inflicted upon her teenage siblings, Danny (Morgan Davies) and Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), is no less agonizing. "Evil Dead Rise" effectively combines violence towards children with extreme gore, delivering the grueling experience that fans of a good "Evil Dead" movie expect.

One drawback is that the film requires more time and exposition to establish its deviation from the classic "cabin in the woods" formula, potentially disrupting the elemental simplicity that defines "Evil Dead." This issue is mainly present in the first act, which introduces Ellie's rockstar sister Beth (Lily Sullivan) and an earthquake that uncovers a hole in the parking garage floor. It is within this hole that Danny discovers an old safety deposit box containing mysterious records, triggering the chaos that follows. The building's past as a bank and several other intricate details must be presented before the film can dive into the thrilling aspects.

However, once "Evil Dead Rise" gains momentum, it refuses to let go. This is the type of movie that demands a packed midnight screening, filled with raucous excitement. Its premiere at SXSW garnered enthusiastic hollers, cheers, and genuine screams of terror from the audience. Cronin fearlessly employs jump scares and the classic "look behind you!" moments to punctuate the relentless bloodbath. A particular scene in the middle section of the film is bound to incite intense audience engagement and screams in theaters worldwide.

Not everything in the film works seamlessly. The subplot involving a pregnancy feels as though it were written solely from a male perspective

(which it was), and the cold open is so inexplicably random that an additional scene had to be appended to the end just to provide some explanation. However, considering the relatively unknown cast led by a relatively inexperienced director, "Evil Dead Rise" manages to achieve a great deal, particularly in terms of its physical performances. The intricate rigging devices and grotesque prosthetic makeups contribute to the film's overall impact and gruesome spectacle. Once it finds its rhythm and delivers what the audience craves, "Evil Dead Rise" becomes an absolute thrill ride.