Evil Dead: Rise (2023) - Okay, but kind of generic

Ever since the 80s I've been a massive 'Evil Dead' fan and love the three Bruce Campbell entries and even followed the story via later videogame entries on the PS2 and PS4.  Finally, us die-hard fan-boys were treated to the awesome 'Ash vs the Evil' dead (which was cancelled waaay too early!).  All of those felt very 'in cannon' and kept the overall original film's cheeky, crazy, gory spirit.  However, 'Evil Dead: Rise' is a decent enough, gory little horror film that clearly understands how to push splatter. The practical effects are nasty, the violence is decent enough and the film doesn’t shy away from soaking its apartment-complex setting in blood. As a straight-up possession horror movie, it works well enough, delivering a steady stream of grotesque imagery and bleak atmosphere.

Where it stumbles is in its connection to the 'Evil Dead' legacy. Without the slapstick energy and dry, charismatic humor Bruce Campbell brought to the franchise, the film feels more like a generic possession movie wearing an 'Evil Dead' name tag than a true continuation of the series. The humor is minimal, the tone relentlessly serious and while that approach isn’t inherently bad, it strips away the unique personality that once set the franchise apart from countless other demonic horror films.  And, was it just me, or did the final act have 'Aliens' vibes about it?  I felt like I was watching a reenactment of Ripley rescuing Newt from a parking garage!

That said, 'Evil Dead: Rise' is still an effective and entertaining watch for gorehounds and modern horror fans, even if it lacks the anarchic charm longtime fans may be hoping for.  The final act does use a few classic lines from the franchise, making it feel a little more part of the series.  It’s solid, bloody, and competently made, just not particularly memorable as an 'Evil Dead' entry. 

6/10