(NOTE: The following review will contain minor spoilers necessary solely for the discussion of plot and/or characters. If you’re the type of reader who prefers a review entirely spoiler-free, then I’d encourage you to skip down to the last few paragraphs for the final assessment. If, however, you’re accepting of a few modest hints at ‘things to come,’ then read on …)
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.”
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: structurally, the entire Evil Dead franchise kinda/sorta escapes me.
You see, I’ve always been of the mindset that in order for Horror to work on me cerebrally is that I have to understand its universe. Unlike many others, I need to know how and why some spectral entity does what it does because that informs precisely how and why its release is so treacherous on the potential victims. Whether it be simple possession or merely the ability to pluck hallucinations out of thin air which drive the sufferers a bit batty, the procedures matter because then I’m in on exactly how these unfortunate souls are being driven not only out of their minds but also out of breath. When I have to fill in those blanks on my own, I grow personally frustrated with the process mostly because I’ll always find instances wherein developments make little narrative sense. At its worst, such an effect has me shutting down entirely.
Well … this brings me back to trying to quantify in simple terms why I’ve always struggled with the Dead films: rarely can I admit to understanding what’s taking place.
Of course, proponents of these films insist that that’s the sheer beauty of the franchise, that not everything taking place unfolds logically because logic wouldn’t, couldn’t, and shouldn’t exist in authentic Horror. The flaw in such a position is that nothing should make sense; and, yet, there are many occurrences that do. A young boy finding some hidden subterranean church – opened up by some earthquake – as happens in Evil Dead Rise (2023) is both logical and illogical simultaneously. I mean … who builds anything on top of an old religious crypt? But also … urban sprawl often sees big cities building new structures atop of old ones in the rush to keep up with growth. See what I mean? The core foundation of how the Dead is where it is both makes sense and doesn’t; and, frankly, each installment into this franchise operates in much the same way.
Beth (played by Lily Sullivan) finds herself at a curious crossroads: while pursuing her preferred life as a ‘high tech’ roadie for a rock’n’roll show, she’s aghast to find herself out of wedlock and pregnant, an occurrence that while might be morally objectionable also means her career on-the-road arguably needs at least a temporary overhaul. Mildly despondent, she takes the night off to visit with her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her children Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and Kassie (Nell Fisher). Before the two mildly estranged siblings can really have their shared heart-to-heart, the dilapidated building grows even more chaotic when a chance quake unleashes an unseen force which possesses Ellie into pursuing a life of murderous crime on both her family and neighbors.
Like its predecessors, Rise dispenses with mostly following any specific formula for its frights and, instead, just shifts into fourth gear as quickly as humanly possible and starts ratcheting up the body count in ways more creative. Possibly to the surprise of watchers, Rise eventually even makes casualties of a few children – possessed and bloodthirsty kids are always creepy – leaving absolutely no doubt to whether or not the central demon so much as thinks twice about whose life gets destroyed along the way. Evil here is unquestionably evil, and writer/director Lee Cronin arguably gets delight out of reaching for the unexpected in ways that should terrifying all God-fearing types. Once blood is spilled, only more (and more and more and more) spillage should be accepted in subsequent killings; and – come the big finish – I’ve no doubt a small fuel tanker filled with red-tinged corn syrup was required to bring this closing to life … and death.
Seriously: I’ve never seen this much blood in a motion picture. Ever. That deserves to be said; and – yes – it deserves to be seen.
Alas, where this Dead doesn’t quite Rise for me is the fact that – like a great many Horror chillers – its central entity is quite ignorant of the ways to accomplish the necessary ends in the most expeditious ways. When the audience is eventually shown that the demon can possess multiple decedents simultaneously, I can’t help but wonder why it didn’t do that earlier. When possible, why not occupy as many bodies and bring them back to life? Certainly, that would make quick business of getting inside Ellie’s locked apartment instead of standing outside and putting on a show via the peephole, wouldn’t it? Using a small squadron of Deadites earlier would definitely have brought a great deal of these festivities to a quick end. Granted, using such a zombie platoon would’ve eliminated the need to meld all of the undead into the chimerical what’s-it of the big showdown, but I’m still not quite certain how the Evil Dead thought that creature was a good idea to begin with. I mean … just who exactly is in charge when four or five or six people are blended together? Is there one mind, or are there six?
See what I mean? I can overthink a puzzle.
There’s also the confusing set-up and epilogue – Evil Dead Rise is sandwiched between a kinda/sorta flashback involving some even more greatly expendable characters whose Fate we already know from the introduction. Some kids at a cabin find themselves overrun with the central dark spirit, and – for the life of me – the only central reason for these segments to be here is because Cronin apparently wanted a throwback to the original The Evil Dead (1981), meaning he wanted it set in a quiet and secluded forest. Otherwise, there’s no reason for this side story to even be in here; and I wonder if others watching felt the same.
However, kudos to the director for amping up the entire picture with some of the most spirited cinematography I’ve seen in Horror in quite some time. Stylistically, he gets great mileage out of a creepy old tenement building – who couldn’t? – but he manages to squeeze a great many extra design elements into the frame that others might’ve deemed – ahem – superfluous if not downright gratuitous. There’s a fabulous set of scenes rendered entirely through the peephole to Ellie’s flat, and I can’t help but wonder if some budding auteur might pick up that little technique and figure out a way to conceive a whole motion picture from the perspective. Like demonic possession, I would figure the opportunities are endless.
Evil Dead Rise (2023) was produced by Ghost House Pictures and Wild Atlantic Pictures. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that -- wow -- Rise both looks and sounds damn incredible from start-to-finish. If it’s a visual spectacle you behold, then you’ll not go wrong with Arrow’s 4K upgrade. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This is Arrow, and they never disappoint. The disc is chocked full of just about everything possible – a commentary, cast interviews, etc. – but for my money the best time spent is with the film first and then the individual actress interviews: Sullivan and Sutherland’s reflections are keen, and both share the type of insider moments that fans are always hungry to hear about.
Recommended … but only for its mindless gratuitousness, which only makes it worth a single viewing at least.
Folks, it isn’t that I dislike the whole Evil Dead franchise because despite my confusion I’ve seen every installment at least once if not twice. My disillusionment with it is that it’s a Horror universe I’ve yet to fully understand the mechanics of. Things either happen or don’t happen that defy narrative logic – I know, I know, it’s only a movie – so routinely that I can’t help but chalk a lot of it up to a screenwriter’s contrivance (one of the things I’ve always hated passionately). Still, it’s all accomplished with such aplomb that I do find it hard to look away. What can I say? Buckets and buckets and buckets of blood can do that to a person.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Evil Dead Rise (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
From the film’s IMDB.com page citation:
“A twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.”
I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again: structurally, the entire Evil Dead franchise kinda/sorta escapes me.
You see, I’ve always been of the mindset that in order for Horror to work on me cerebrally is that I have to understand its universe. Unlike many others, I need to know how and why some spectral entity does what it does because that informs precisely how and why its release is so treacherous on the potential victims. Whether it be simple possession or merely the ability to pluck hallucinations out of thin air which drive the sufferers a bit batty, the procedures matter because then I’m in on exactly how these unfortunate souls are being driven not only out of their minds but also out of breath. When I have to fill in those blanks on my own, I grow personally frustrated with the process mostly because I’ll always find instances wherein developments make little narrative sense. At its worst, such an effect has me shutting down entirely.
Well … this brings me back to trying to quantify in simple terms why I’ve always struggled with the Dead films: rarely can I admit to understanding what’s taking place.
Of course, proponents of these films insist that that’s the sheer beauty of the franchise, that not everything taking place unfolds logically because logic wouldn’t, couldn’t, and shouldn’t exist in authentic Horror. The flaw in such a position is that nothing should make sense; and, yet, there are many occurrences that do. A young boy finding some hidden subterranean church – opened up by some earthquake – as happens in Evil Dead Rise (2023) is both logical and illogical simultaneously. I mean … who builds anything on top of an old religious crypt? But also … urban sprawl often sees big cities building new structures atop of old ones in the rush to keep up with growth. See what I mean? The core foundation of how the Dead is where it is both makes sense and doesn’t; and, frankly, each installment into this franchise operates in much the same way.
Beth (played by Lily Sullivan) finds herself at a curious crossroads: while pursuing her preferred life as a ‘high tech’ roadie for a rock’n’roll show, she’s aghast to find herself out of wedlock and pregnant, an occurrence that while might be morally objectionable also means her career on-the-road arguably needs at least a temporary overhaul. Mildly despondent, she takes the night off to visit with her sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her children Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), and Kassie (Nell Fisher). Before the two mildly estranged siblings can really have their shared heart-to-heart, the dilapidated building grows even more chaotic when a chance quake unleashes an unseen force which possesses Ellie into pursuing a life of murderous crime on both her family and neighbors.
Like its predecessors, Rise dispenses with mostly following any specific formula for its frights and, instead, just shifts into fourth gear as quickly as humanly possible and starts ratcheting up the body count in ways more creative. Possibly to the surprise of watchers, Rise eventually even makes casualties of a few children – possessed and bloodthirsty kids are always creepy – leaving absolutely no doubt to whether or not the central demon so much as thinks twice about whose life gets destroyed along the way. Evil here is unquestionably evil, and writer/director Lee Cronin arguably gets delight out of reaching for the unexpected in ways that should terrifying all God-fearing types. Once blood is spilled, only more (and more and more and more) spillage should be accepted in subsequent killings; and – come the big finish – I’ve no doubt a small fuel tanker filled with red-tinged corn syrup was required to bring this closing to life … and death.
Seriously: I’ve never seen this much blood in a motion picture. Ever. That deserves to be said; and – yes – it deserves to be seen.
Alas, where this Dead doesn’t quite Rise for me is the fact that – like a great many Horror chillers – its central entity is quite ignorant of the ways to accomplish the necessary ends in the most expeditious ways. When the audience is eventually shown that the demon can possess multiple decedents simultaneously, I can’t help but wonder why it didn’t do that earlier. When possible, why not occupy as many bodies and bring them back to life? Certainly, that would make quick business of getting inside Ellie’s locked apartment instead of standing outside and putting on a show via the peephole, wouldn’t it? Using a small squadron of Deadites earlier would definitely have brought a great deal of these festivities to a quick end. Granted, using such a zombie platoon would’ve eliminated the need to meld all of the undead into the chimerical what’s-it of the big showdown, but I’m still not quite certain how the Evil Dead thought that creature was a good idea to begin with. I mean … just who exactly is in charge when four or five or six people are blended together? Is there one mind, or are there six?
See what I mean? I can overthink a puzzle.
There’s also the confusing set-up and epilogue – Evil Dead Rise is sandwiched between a kinda/sorta flashback involving some even more greatly expendable characters whose Fate we already know from the introduction. Some kids at a cabin find themselves overrun with the central dark spirit, and – for the life of me – the only central reason for these segments to be here is because Cronin apparently wanted a throwback to the original The Evil Dead (1981), meaning he wanted it set in a quiet and secluded forest. Otherwise, there’s no reason for this side story to even be in here; and I wonder if others watching felt the same.
However, kudos to the director for amping up the entire picture with some of the most spirited cinematography I’ve seen in Horror in quite some time. Stylistically, he gets great mileage out of a creepy old tenement building – who couldn’t? – but he manages to squeeze a great many extra design elements into the frame that others might’ve deemed – ahem – superfluous if not downright gratuitous. There’s a fabulous set of scenes rendered entirely through the peephole to Ellie’s flat, and I can’t help but wonder if some budding auteur might pick up that little technique and figure out a way to conceive a whole motion picture from the perspective. Like demonic possession, I would figure the opportunities are endless.
Evil Dead Rise (2023) was produced by Ghost House Pictures and Wild Atlantic Pictures. DVD distribution (for this particular release) has been coordinated by the fine folks at Arrow Films. As for the technical specifications? While I’m no trained video expert, I can still assure readers that -- wow -- Rise both looks and sounds damn incredible from start-to-finish. If it’s a visual spectacle you behold, then you’ll not go wrong with Arrow’s 4K upgrade. Lastly, if you’re looking for special features? This is Arrow, and they never disappoint. The disc is chocked full of just about everything possible – a commentary, cast interviews, etc. – but for my money the best time spent is with the film first and then the individual actress interviews: Sullivan and Sutherland’s reflections are keen, and both share the type of insider moments that fans are always hungry to hear about.
Recommended … but only for its mindless gratuitousness, which only makes it worth a single viewing at least.
Folks, it isn’t that I dislike the whole Evil Dead franchise because despite my confusion I’ve seen every installment at least once if not twice. My disillusionment with it is that it’s a Horror universe I’ve yet to fully understand the mechanics of. Things either happen or don’t happen that defy narrative logic – I know, I know, it’s only a movie – so routinely that I can’t help but chalk a lot of it up to a screenwriter’s contrivance (one of the things I’ve always hated passionately). Still, it’s all accomplished with such aplomb that I do find it hard to look away. What can I say? Buckets and buckets and buckets of blood can do that to a person.
In the interests of fairness, I’m pleased to disclose that the fine folks at Arrow Films provided me with a complimentary Blu-ray copy of Evil Dead Rise (2023) by request for the expressed purpose of completing this review. Their contribution to me in no way, shape, or form influenced my opinion of it.
-- EZ
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