opinion | Rarely has our editor Michael Hille left the cinema so distraught and shaken up as after “Evil Dead Rise”. The new film in the cult series lets the devils dance again, breaks several taboos and is likely to be one of the most bloodthirsty horror films of all time.
The horror series “Evil Dead” has a very special status among film lovers. The original “Tanz der Teufel” from 1981 developed into a cult film in drive-in cinemas – not least because the then unknown filmmaker Sam Raimi wrote the shocker about a couple of teenagers in a log cabin in the woods who are haunted by a cursed book of demons , not only for that time very bloody staged, but also a noticeable one pitch black humor allowed to flow in. In the sequels he turned it up even further: “Tanz der Teufel 2” mixes splatter cinema with slapstick humor, the third part “Army of Darkness” then left the horror genre behind and became an over-the-top, silly but glorious fantasy epic.
If you go to an “Evil Dead” movie, you don’t know what to expect. After Sam Raimi’s trilogy, a remake of the original was released in cinemas in 2013, and to this day it is likely to be one of the most brutal films of all time, which was only released with extremely heavy censorship in Germany. So “Evil Dead” can be anything: disturbing horror, brutal splatter, slapstick nonsense or disgusting cinema that pushes the boundaries. But which category does the fifth and newest part of the “Evil Dead Rise” series fall into? And should you see the film?
For newcomers: “Evil Dead Rise” shocks without prior knowledge
Warner Bros. Entertainment
Alyssa Sutherland brings out the best in the role of the possessed mother.
“Evil Dead Rise” may be the fifth part of a cult series, However, no prior knowledge is necessary. There are no characters from the predecessors and apart from a few verbal references to earlier cult moments, the film by the still young filmmaker Lee Cronin (“The Hole in the Ground”) stands on its own two feet. The plot is quickly explained: Ellie (“Vikings” star Alyssa Sutherland), a single parent, lives in a dilapidated building in Los Angeles with her children Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and Kassie (Nell Fisher) in a small rented apartment .
An earthquake opens a hole in the ground under the building and the children accidentally come across old records and the so-called “Book of the Dead”. Shortly thereafter, a demon is summoned to possess Ellie and makes them attack their own children. Luckily, Ellie’s sister, the pregnant Beth (Lily Sullivan), is visiting and is now trying to protect the children with all her might. But the demon drives Ellie to ever more blatant and violent actions. And anyone who already knows other “Evil Dead” films knows that in the last resort, the only thing that helps is to use the chainsaw.
“Evil Dead Rise” proves that horror can be so creative
Warner Bros. Entertainment
The blood is already dripping out of the screen in “Evil Dead Rise”, the film is so extreme.
So instead of a log cabin in the woods, this time it’s a shabby apartment where the devils dance. Otherwise, “Evil Dead Rise” remains true to its predecessors. Lee Cronin quickly gets to the point and starts the Demon Booth Spell – to the delight of all horror fans, because Alyssa Sutherland is a sensation in the character of the possessed mother who wants to get her own children’s leather. Cronin effectively stages them as primal force of evil. In general, the Irishman proves to be the perfect successor to Sam Raimi: With great pleasure in the morbid and in the horror of his audience, Cronin builds scenes in the comparatively cramped setting that make your blood run cold.
In the course of the 97 minutes, people are injured and killed not only with the chainsaw and the shotgun, which are simply part of “Evil Dead”, but also with a tattoo needle, broken glass, an industrial shredder and – particularly nasty – a kitchen grater. Already perhaps the most impressive cinema moment of 2023 should, however, be a breathtaking scene that takes place in the hallway of the building and is filmed exclusively through the peephole of an apartment door. It’s been a long time since a horror film has used its camera as creatively as in “Evil Dead Rise”.
“Evil Dead Rise” ignores unwritten horror laws
But if you “only” want a movie full of great moments of shock, you should reconsider the cinema ticket for “Evil Dead Rise”. The series has always excelled at not just being gory, but breaking taboos and pushing boundaries. The new part achieves this in several ways, which means: In “Evil Dead Rise” there are sometimes unbearably explicitly shown peaks of violence such as the most brutal mutilations – and these are almost exclusively aimed at a pregnant woman and underage children; So exactly the groups of people who are usually the only ones who are usually spared in horror films.
Sure: horror films of the more extreme kind are characterized by their joyful celebration of physical horror, but “Evil Dead Rise” deliberately and ruthlessly oversteps the boundaries of good taste on several occasions. One can take note of this with disgust and condemn the film for it. But the effectiveness and uncompromising approach with which Cronin operates also has to be admired. In addition, he performs more than pure provocation: He shows that even in the horror genre, whose intention is of course to create discomfort, there are now comfort zones in which horror film fans can make themselves comfortable – and then he violently breaks them open.
Nightmare without waking: “Evil Dead Rise” doesn’t let you go
Warner Bros. Entertainment
“Mommy loves you” – But not for long: “Evil Dead Rise” partly directs its violence explicitly against children. Breaking a taboo, even today.
It’s extremely disturbing that a family is being attacked here, that a mother herself is doing indescribable things to her children (albeit remotely controlled by a demon). At the same time, “Evil Dead Rise” is but a tradition-conscious “Evil Dead” film – and thus, unlike Fede Alvarez’s exaggeratedly grim 2013 remake, it’s not just dark and devastating. 6,500 liters of fake blood are said to have been used in the filming, and the breathless 97-minute horror trip escalates into one, especially in the grand finale pure splatter festthe ones pitch black irony breathes that once made Sam Raimi’s original films so special.
With all this, one could almost overlook the fact that Cronin also wants to tell something between the many moments of shock – namely about being a mother and all the responsibilities that come with it. The fight between two mothers for the well-being of the children is not just a hook, it also reflects on the roles women usually play in the horror genre and juggles with contemporary stereotypes and clichés. So for the first time there is actually a cleverly designed deeper level in a part of the series – although most viewers will of course sit in the cinema to see a few more hectoliters and decaliters of blood spilled in the crazy, effect-laden final part.
One could therefore accuse “Evil Dead Rise” of wanting too much at once. But this particular film series has always rigorously lumped everything together: psychological horror, splatter, slapstick, fantasy and now character drama. The devils probably dance best between the chairs.
“Evil Dead Rise” has been in German cinemas since April 27th.
