In the interest of full disclosure, I am a massive fan of Sam Raimi's Evil Dead trilogy. I first experienced Raimi's unique brand of DIY horror when I was a teenager, and even now, in the start of my third decade on this planet, it's still regular viewing, with my front room filled with the sound of chainsaws and Bruce Campbell's maniacal laughter every couple of months. And if I can risk sounding overly nerdy, as I type this I'm wearing my Evil Dead t-shirt, a figurine of Campbell's Ash, the hero of the trilogy, resting by the computer. So yeah, massive fan. So I really didn't know how to feel when word of a remake reached my ears. Remakes are a very mixed bag, horror remakes even more so. But with Raimi, Campbell and the originals producer Rob Tapert on board as producers, and first timer Fede Alverez at the helm, I needn't have worried, with this team delivering an over the top gore fest almost as good as the original.
Based on the first movie in the trilogy, a straight horror compared to the other two installments, where Raimi found his feet effortlessly blending over the top gore with slapstick humour, Evil Dead doesn't exactly live up to its posters bold claim of being "The Most Terrifying Film You Will Ever Experience". There is a BIG difference in hiding behind your hands because you're genuinely terrified and hiding behind your hands because someone is being mutilated in a horribly graphic manner, but Alverez put his own stamp on the movie, while still acknowledging what came before (I propose fans play Evil Dead bingo, marking down the numerous nods to the trilogy), delivering one of the better remakes in a long while. The dots are all there (the cabin, the Book of the Dead, body hopping demons), but the lines that connect them are different. The movies major difference, and this is a refreshing change from almost every other horror movie, is why the main characters are in a remote cabin in the back end of nowhere. Where the original had them going to the woods for a weekend of partying, this has our group of demon fodder venturing to the cabin to help drug addict Mia (Jane Levy) go cold turkey. It's a great change to the tired old formula, and while it is slowly forgotten as soon as the killing starts, it's a fantastic hook to get the audience to care about the characters.
Evil Dead drags a little in it's first act, but once the Book of the Dead is read from, all hell breaks loose, delivering shocking sequence after shocking sequence. This is squirm in your seat stuff, with the practical effects used effectively. This is another check in the win column, harking back to the originals, and succeeding in not taking the audience out of the movie like other CGI horror extravaganzas. The violence, ranging from an amputation with a turkey carver to perforation with a nail gun, is over the top, but that's the point really. Most horror movies need a gimmick, and this is Evil Dead's. Thankfully it doesn't rest everything on the violence, crafting a great story, with later events set up nicely in the first act. The story moves along at a great pace, leading to a fantastic finale, that literally runs red with blood.
Jane Levy steals the show as Mia, perfectly switching between fragile innocence and demon possessed monster. She is put through a lot in this, spending most of the movie covered in fake blood and prosthetics, but takes it all in her stride, delivering a truly thrilling performance. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast don't fare as well, basically boiling down to bearded victim, female victim 1, etc.
A great debut from Alverez, and a perfect example of how you do a remake, Evil Dead is not for the faint of heart. But for fans of the original (who I highly suggest stay for after the end credits), and horror films in general, this comes highly recommended.
Based on the first movie in the trilogy, a straight horror compared to the other two installments, where Raimi found his feet effortlessly blending over the top gore with slapstick humour, Evil Dead doesn't exactly live up to its posters bold claim of being "The Most Terrifying Film You Will Ever Experience". There is a BIG difference in hiding behind your hands because you're genuinely terrified and hiding behind your hands because someone is being mutilated in a horribly graphic manner, but Alverez put his own stamp on the movie, while still acknowledging what came before (I propose fans play Evil Dead bingo, marking down the numerous nods to the trilogy), delivering one of the better remakes in a long while. The dots are all there (the cabin, the Book of the Dead, body hopping demons), but the lines that connect them are different. The movies major difference, and this is a refreshing change from almost every other horror movie, is why the main characters are in a remote cabin in the back end of nowhere. Where the original had them going to the woods for a weekend of partying, this has our group of demon fodder venturing to the cabin to help drug addict Mia (Jane Levy) go cold turkey. It's a great change to the tired old formula, and while it is slowly forgotten as soon as the killing starts, it's a fantastic hook to get the audience to care about the characters.
Evil Dead drags a little in it's first act, but once the Book of the Dead is read from, all hell breaks loose, delivering shocking sequence after shocking sequence. This is squirm in your seat stuff, with the practical effects used effectively. This is another check in the win column, harking back to the originals, and succeeding in not taking the audience out of the movie like other CGI horror extravaganzas. The violence, ranging from an amputation with a turkey carver to perforation with a nail gun, is over the top, but that's the point really. Most horror movies need a gimmick, and this is Evil Dead's. Thankfully it doesn't rest everything on the violence, crafting a great story, with later events set up nicely in the first act. The story moves along at a great pace, leading to a fantastic finale, that literally runs red with blood.
Jane Levy steals the show as Mia, perfectly switching between fragile innocence and demon possessed monster. She is put through a lot in this, spending most of the movie covered in fake blood and prosthetics, but takes it all in her stride, delivering a truly thrilling performance. Unfortunately, the rest of the cast don't fare as well, basically boiling down to bearded victim, female victim 1, etc.
A great debut from Alverez, and a perfect example of how you do a remake, Evil Dead is not for the faint of heart. But for fans of the original (who I highly suggest stay for after the end credits), and horror films in general, this comes highly recommended.
