Evil Dead Rise

**Mom gets possessed by demon**

**Entire family and room full of neighbors standing there watching**

**Spine contorts to impossible shape**

"Mom? You okay?"

**Crab-walks up the side of a wall and onto the ceiling**

"Mom? Is everything alright, Mom?"

**Projectile-vomits twenty gallons of blood**

"Are you okay, Mom?"

**Speaks ancient language in hideous demonic voice, eyes rolling around in their sockets**

"Mom, it's me. What's wrong, Mom?"

**Grabs shard of broken glass, proceeds to dig it into arms and face**

"Mom, listen. I hope you're okay. You're starting to worry me."

**"I WILL MASSACRE ALL OF YOU AND FEAST ON YOUR GUTS. NO ONE WILL SURVIVE THE NIGHT. YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!"**

"Mom, are you feeling okay? It seems like something might be wrong."

**Bites through neighbor's jugular vein, cackles maniacally while covered in the arterial spray**

"Guys, I think something might be wrong with Mom. I don't know, she's acting weird. What should we do?"

After all the hype, the rave reviews, the revealing trailers, and the silly reaction videos (God, how I hate those), Evil Dead Rise turns out to be exactly what I expected: a serviceable sequel, nothing more, nothing less. Like the remake before it, it delivers on the gore, but is lacking in originality and likeable characters.

The film takes place in a rundown apartment building, home to single mother Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her three obnoxious brats, Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), Danny (Morgan Davies) and Kassie (Nell Fisher). After an earthquake hits the area, Danny discovers a secret vault below the building's underground car park where he finds an ancient book and three old records. Playing the discs unleashes an ancient evil that possesses his mother and spreads to other people in the building. On hand to protect the kids and fight the evil is Ellie's sister Beth (Lily Sullivan).

Writer/director Lee Cronin conducts matters in a workmanlike manner, ladling on the blood and slime, killing off characters that might reasonably be expected to survive many a horror movie, and throwing in a few nods to the original movies to appease long-time fans of all things Evil Dead (I particularly enjoyed the EDII flying eyeball scene); unfortunately, the film wastes its promising locale by confining most of the action to one apartment and doesn't generate much in the way of atmosphere or genuine scares (I didn't jump once).

What the film sorely needed was more imagination and creativity (in both story and direction), and characters that I could actually care about -- exactly the qualities that still make the original film the best of the franchise.

5.5/10, rounded up to 6 for IMDb.

I haven't seen any of the previous Evil Dead movies. I judged this solely on its own merits. It's well made in many ways. It starts with a really cool opening scene that had my jaw dropped. And an epic opening title shot that reminded me of Fury Road's.

The entire movie is so loud and bombastic. You could say the same about the violence. It's brutal. I love that they take full advantage of the R-rating. It doesn't hold back. I liked all of the kill scenes and carnage.

So why didn't I like this more? I have no idea. I was having a decent time. But I wasn't fully engaged or attached. My mind wandered a couple times. I didn't care about the wellbeing of the characters. It doesn't feel like something I will revisit. There are a few dumb moments but nothing too egregious. I just wasn't that into it.

(1 viewing, opening Thursday UltraScreen 4/20/2023)

I really liked Evil Dead 1 and the 2013 version. The acts/sections were good, overall they were solid, and had scary moments especially the 2013 one. I was expecting this to be the same level or near it, but it was not. It's okay on its own, but just break-even compared to the films in the franchise I watched.

Maybe I just expected much. Some of the kills/gore were good but it isn't really a big criteria to films that aren't slashers, and to me personally. Some of the acting were wanting, too, and the main characters weren't presented in a way where you'll really root for them. The kid was cute and I wanted the lead to survive because of her baby but there was just something missing with these characters. I think I cared for the neighbors more, actually.

The setting also was kinda weird. Cabins and the woods just match seamlessly with these types of stories. How and where they discovered the book and recordings were questionable, too, but that was something a viewer can let slide. Like the other reviewers here, there was just something missing for me, or maybe it was just insufficient in a lot of areas.

It's not bad. It may even be good for someone whose first film in the franchise is this. It was just pulled down by high expectations.

Nothing special or original,filled with tired & overdone clichés.

1. Story begins in present day to discover it was (yawn) showing events,that will follow after it rewinds hours to days before.

2. People suffer their fates due to a curse,such a boring theme after awhile.. Plus of course was an earthquake that opens,the ground or portal for mayhem to soon follow.

3. The people are trapped in someplace,where no exit seems to exist suddenly.

4. It's college kids or a single parent basically poor & in crisis,needing to survive more.

5. It's only scary if it's dark,to poorly lighted or with music to cue the movie watcher. If a movie is good,it can provide proper suspense regardless of location,lighting or music.

6. Corny dialog between characters,basically as mentioned clichéd.

7. Tons of blood or gore scenes,doesn't always mean good or creative.. It sometimes is a blinding way to cover-up garbage,so the viewer sees it as otherwise.

8. The plotholes during this,gave me a headache in basic logics.. Eg: Why did mom get attacked first? She didn't find the hidden items,bled on the book or played the records.

Because the demon was taking the elevator instead of the stairs,while traveling to the apartment? Lol.

The overall effects to make-up was ok,but have seen it all before.. Could of skipped half the movie,yet still have known all that went on.

You never got decent character development for caring about anyone,by the time things really got going the credits rolled.. But again,without fresh ideas maybe it being fast-paced was good.

I guess.. Actors to acting was ok to also feeling over-the-top,but how are you supposed to act dead or scared.

If bored or needing a mindless popcorn flick,give this a watch otherwise find another option.