‘Evil Dead Rise’ scares up rave reviews: You will be ‘hooting and hollering through a tidal wave of blood and guts’

Vincent Mandile
·4 min read
7
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.
  • Oops!
    Something went wrong.
    Please try again later.

On April 21, Warner Bros. released “Evil Dead Rise,” the fifth installment of the supernatural horror franchise. The film written and directed by Lee Cronin currently holds a freshness rating of 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, scaring up rave reviews from critics. The consensus reads, “Offering just about everything longtime fans could hope for while still managing to carry the franchise forward, Evil Dead Rise is all kinds of groovy.”

The film stars Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols and Nell Fisher in a twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable. Read our review round-up below.

More from GoldDerby

SEE 24 most anticipated movies for April include ‘Air,’ ‘The Super Mario Bros. Movie,’ ‘Evil Dead Rise’ … [PHOTOS]

John Fink of The Film Stage notes, “Like the latest ‘Scream’ installment, ‘Evil Dead Rise’ takes its horror into an urban landscape, grappling with demonic forces––e.g. motherhood––that are sometimes just as horrific as the kills in Lee Cronin’s twisted black comedy.” He adds, “Though short on plot (a flesh-eating demonic force eventually inhabits Ellie), Rise more than over-indexes in the style department, creating a funhouse of horrors in the dilapidated former bank building that still has some of its antiquities left behind by depositors, including vinyl records of demonic possession unearthed and played by Danny.” Fink concludes, “For horror fans particularly dedicated to this franchise, the character development might not matter as much as the horror sequences, which are extraordinarily well-executed, drawing upon the art deco aesthetic of an aging building filled with secondhand vintage furniture and random found objects. Suggesting a more polished version of ‘Terrifier 2,’ Cronin and his technical team––including director of photography Dave Garbett––know exactly what they’re doing and deliver all the bloody cheese grater scrapes, demonic strangulation by wire, and jump scares that are to be expected.”

Katie Rife of RogerEbert.com writes, “In terms of horror franchises, ‘Evil Dead’ has accomplished something miraculous: There has yet to be a bad movie bearing its name.” Saying that, the review makes it clear this film is far from perfect. “The downside is that more time and exposition are needed to set up the film’s deviations from the classic ‘cabin in the woods’ formula, threatening to throw that elemental ‘Evil Dead’ simplicity out of whack.” Rife concludes, “Once it gets out of its own way and gives the audience what they came to see, ‘Evil Dead Rise’ is an absolute blast.”

SEE Box office preview: ‘Evil Dead Rise’ and Guy Ritchie should have very little effect on ‘Super Mario Bros.’

Al Horner of Empire Magazine raves, “With a brilliantly unhinged performance from Alyssa Sutherland, and a note-perfect ending that unlocks more tales to come, ‘Evil Dead Rise’ revives the dormant franchise more effectively than the ‘Necronomicon’ itself.”

Jeffrey Zhang of Strange Harbors has a review that includes some minor spoilers, but notes the past success of the franchise. “Splitting the difference between Raimi’s playfulness and Álvarez’s brutality, Cronin finds a sweet spot in the middle that is – surprisingly – anything but ambivalent: ‘Evil Dead Rise’’s uproarious Deadite splatterfest had its SXSW audience yelping through its wince-inducing violence and demented humor.” Zhang concludes, “Embrace its ‘anyone can die’ miasma of suspense, because by its outrageous third act, ‘Evil Dead Rise’ will have you hooting and hollering through a tidal wave of blood and guts, beckoning you with the immortal words of Ashley J. Williams: ‘Come get some.'”

PREDICT the 2023 Emmy nominations through July 12

Make your predictions at Gold Derby now. Download our free and easy app for Apple/iPhone devices or Android (Google Play) to compete against legions of other fans plus our experts and editors for best prediction accuracy scores. See our latest prediction champs. Can you top our esteemed leaderboards next? Always remember to keep your predictions updated because they impact our latest racetrack odds, which terrify Hollywood chiefs and stars. Don’t miss the fun. Speak up and share your huffy opinions in our famous forums where 5,000 showbiz leaders lurk every day to track latest awards buzz. Everybody wants to know: What do you think? Who do you predict and why?

Best of GoldDerby

Sign up for Gold Derby's Newsletter. For the latest news, follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Click here to read the full article.