Review | Horror film ‘Evil Dead Rise’ is worth its weight in blood

The fifth installment of the “Evil Dead” franchise puts plot on the backburner in favor of impressive production design, accomplished performances and creative carnage. Photo collage by SIMRAH AHMAD, staff photographer

With a budget of $19 million, one must wonder how much of that lumpsome was set aside for the 1,717 gallons of fake blood used in “Evil Dead Rise.” Characters vomit up, bleed out and swim through the viscous liquid, at some points fully submerged in the crimson concoction which plays as both comedic and terrifying. 

Though not for the faint of heart, the real gallons of fake blood, which pay homage to the tone of the original "Evil Dead" films, are a testament to the film’s efforts in going the extra mile and consistently raising its own bar. 

“Evil Dead Rise,” which was released to theaters on April 21, is the fifth installment of the “Evil Dead” franchise and is directed by Irish filmmaker Lee Cronin. The story takes place in a decrepit apartment unit, home to Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her three children — Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and Kassie (Nell Fisher). On the night Ellie’s estranged sister Beth (Lily Sullivan) arrives for a visit, an earthquake strikes, leading the children to discover the Book of the Dead. 

When Danny opens the classic Necronomicon — a staple MacGuffin of the franchise — a Deadite demonic entity is summoned, possessing Ellie. Beth is tasked with protecting the children from their own mother who is transformed into a decaying vessel of violence and carnage.

It seemed as though expectations for “Evil Dead Rise” were low, even among its own distributor Warner Bros. Pictures, who originally planned for a straight-to-streaming release on HBO Max. 

With a relatively unknown director and an unproven cast, their hesitations weren’t entirely unwarranted. But with the reliable Sam Raimi (father of the original trilogy) serving as executive producer and positive test screenings, the studio opted for a theatrical release. After grossing $24.5 million on opening weekend, their risk turned to reward and proved that horror devotees are still willing to show up in this post-pandemic climate of moviegoing. 

Speaking of the pandemic, “Evil Dead Rise” was filmed during 2021 which subsequently resulted in a strict production that takes place entirely within the confines of the apartment. The film never feels limited in its space and relies on the claustrophobia. Even before the possession, the apartment feels supernatural simply based off of its dilapidated, rickety upkeep. 

However, once Ellie’s possession begins to intensify, the apartment mirrors her escalating paranormal status through blue, ghostly lighting and harsh shadows. 

Accompanying the production design is some innovative camera work, especially through several fisheye, peephole shots where the poor bystanders of the apartment meet their demise. Inside the room, the cinematographer creates a symbiotic relationship between the foreground and the background, where the foreground assists in blocking the lurking images in the shadows. This relationship keeps the viewer weary at all times as to where their eyes should be on a frame. 

Although the special effects are well done, the most unsettling factor of “Evil Dead Rise” is the deprivation of that maternal figure of comfort for the children and watching them try to connect with their mother through her possession. 

As her skin turns pale and her eyes glow a shimmering gold, she declares in a distorted voice, “I’m free now. Free from all you titty-sucking parasites” — almost euphoric that she no longer has to endure motherhood.  

This falls in line with other horror films such as “Hereditary” and “The Babadook” where the mothers unleash their pent up wrath upon their children. This film takes it a step further with Ellie hunting her own children, muttering how she wants to slice them all up. 

However, this notion of the rogue mother wouldn’t be as successful if it wasn’t backed by such convincing performances. Sutherland gives a fantastic physical performance, tasked with crawling from the ceiling and violently banging her head against doors. The makeup team deeply accentuates the bone structure of her face to resemble a skull and her jerking, backwards body movements complete her terrifying zombification. 

Davies, Echols and Fisher all hold their own with devastating reactions, but a minor drawback comes with Sullivan's performance of Beth. While the circumstances test her limits and push her to become a chainsaw-wielding badass that nearly everyone in the theater was cheering for, a small subplot of hers attempts to contrive sympathy out of thin air. 

The situation of protecting her nieces and nephew is more than enough to garner support and more focus on the severed relationship between her and Ellie could have been far more impactful for her development.  

Additionally, the cold open of several teens at a lake house finds a way to twist that classic horror trope but, in the process, offers a roadmap for a much different movie, both tonally and stylistically. I was waiting for the connection between the first scene and the movie we got and when the answer came, it was a bit underwhelming. The film would have worked perfectly fine without it, however, that would be depriving us of one of the greatest title cards in movie history. 

Following the cold open, the film takes its sweet time before launching full throttle into nonstop sequences of mutilation. The set-up of the children finding the Necronomicon feels a bit recycled, and it's evident they needed to get the structural formalities out of the way before getting to the juicy stuff. Although it does skew the pacing, it’s forgivable given that these scenes plant a lot of miniscule elements that pay off in amusing ways. 

However, in films like these, plot is secondary. Once the film passes its possession threshold, prepare for a ceaseless series of entertaining brutality including a cheese grater, a tattoo gun, broken glass, liquid from nearly every orifice and a horrific final monster. 

While no amount of therapy is going to help poor Kassie heal from the atrocities she witnesses throughout the night, “Evil Dead Rise” is a treat for both fans of the original “Evil Dead” trilogy and those who have never seen it before. It is refreshingly uncomplicated, knows exactly what kind of film it wants to be and completely owns it. 
With a tagline like “Mommy Loves you to Death,” it’s no wonder Sullivan claims, “Laughter is medicine and blood is God in this film.”