Evil Dead: Rise, a review.
Evil Dead Rise is the newest entry into the franchise, and it has much to live up to. Changing up the placement of events from previous films, the series not so much, and we have new dangers to contend with. The family dynamic adds a vital element of threat, as the mother figure is corrupted to become the danger the children must be protected from. Being an Evil Dead film means that people die, and often in a gruesome manner. Thankfully, this film keeps to the usual visceral scenes and racks up the intensity as the movie plays out. The leads of this film are the sisters Beth and Ellie, played by Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland. With Ellie possessed by a dark spirit, it is up to Beth to protect the children from what had been their mother.
This film has an opening set with a trio of characters outside the main story. Out in the countryside in a cabin by the lake, events reminiscent of earlier entries unfold, with blood and mayhem ensuing. The film then shifts to one day earlier, to a rough-looking lady's toilet in a bar or club. Here, we meet Beth. Our heroine-to-be uses a pregnancy test while dealing with problems for the band she works for. The result is not to her liking. Now, facing this daunting life change, Beth decides to see her sister. Travelling across the country Beth arrives at the building where Ellie and her children live, and we have the stage for where this drama will play out. And that fact works in the film's favour. Keeping the action in an enclosed space gives the film a sense of claustrophobia, as the family cannot escape easily from that which hunts them. We get a brief overview of the family situation and the relationship between the sisters before events take a dire turn. Inevitably, the book is found, and phrases are recited, bringing dark forces into our world. And this is where the fun begins.
For those who have watched any of the previous entries, what comes is just what you would expect: blood, gore, and crazed antics. The formula is a familiar one that continues to work well when used here. The formula works particularly well here because of the family dynamic. We are inherently more drawn into a situation when children are at risk. With a demon-possessed mother on the loose, it is up to her sister to protect them from the thing that used to be their mother. Things do not go well, and soon it is only Beth and Kassie that are left fighting for their lives. The tension is maintained well throughout, with the threats growing as time passes, and we get to see the true horror of what Ellie has become. Making it to the building's parking, the pair are drawn into a final conflict with this horror, and Beth is forced to battle it to save Kassie.
The film is an obvious choice for any fan of the original films, or the 2013 remake. It keeps true to the original lore, with callbacks to the previous entries, and never lets up once the action gets started. I found the acting to be decent by all parties, though Alyssa Sutherland stands out as the twisted version of Ellie, and enjoyed watching them attempt to survive this madness. The film's ending does explain how the opening fits into the narrative, and I was left hoping we might one day get to see where that leads. Evil Dead: Rise is an 8 out of 10, in my opinion. It has all the gore of the earlier entries with solid performances and enough new material to separate it from what came before. I can't wait for the next entry, and I just hope it comes sooner than this film did.