EVIL DEAD RISE 🧟‍♀️ 🩸 mini review:

Moving the action out of the woods and into the city, "Evil Dead Rise" tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sutherland and Sullivan, 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. Director Lee Cronin somehow manages to breathe new life into the Evil Dead franchise in a film that doesn’t have Bruce Campbell as the lead, a creepy cabin in the woods, or a Sam Raimi to direct (both Raimi and Campbell produce). Evil Dead Rise works as an anthology film taking place in the same world as the previous installments in the franchise. We are introduced to a new family of characters, with Ellie played by Alyssa Sutherland struggling to take care of her three kids all while her estranged sister Beth played by Lily Sullivan shows up bringing her own personal drama into the mix. I will admit, Ellie’s children kind of bothered me during the first 15 minutes and I was honestly not sure if I would even like the movie. Without giving anything away though, I was very relieved that my reservations were put to ease once the bloody mayhem began because of just how entertainingly it was all executed (literally). Alyssa Sutherland is outstanding as Ellie, and once a certain demonic episode happens to her, she was utterly terrifying, wreaking havoc on her family in the most horrifying ways possible. The incredible makeup and practical effects mixed with a pinch of CGI and Alyssa’s magnetic performance are pretty much everything an Evil Dead fan can want in a possessed antagonist. Like I said, I wasn’t sold on Ellie’s kids at first, but as soon as the inciting incident happens, I was really satisfied with the way Gabrielle Echols as Bridget and Morgan Davies as Danny were utilized. I also would like to give lots of credit to Nell Fisher who plays Ellie’s youngest kid Kassie, and her along with Beth had some of the best lines of the entire movie. The dark green color palette and use of Ellie’s disgusting rundown apartment made the atmosphere all the more chilling and creepy. The sound mixing is astonishing, with every demonic shriek and bone crack sounding scarily realistic. The final act is genuinely one of the most violent, gory, gruesome, and grotesquely fun climaxes of any mainstream horror film probably ever and is worth the price of admission alone. It almost goes without saying, but if you aren’t as numb to excessive guts and gore as I am, I would definitely pass on this movie. I am biased in saying this, but I do wish there was some more of the trademark 80’s campiness to match the film’s super self serious tone. The movie also falls into the predictable ‘character turns around and boo’ jump scare trap a few times which may bother some viewers more than others. Despite those issues and my personal bias towards the campy silliness of the Raimi/Campbell trilogy, I would say that this entry will satisfy a vast majority of hardcore Evil Dead and horror movie fans. Overall, while it does miss the campy charm and memorable characters of the original trilogy, Evil Dead Rise for the most part successfully subverts the Evil Dead franchise with a haunting new location, a relatable working class family dynamic, gallons of blood/gore, and one hell of a freaky performance from Alyssa Sutherland that will surely give nightmares to even the most immune viewers. I would like to thank Miami movie critic legend Rene Rodriguez for hosting this awesome event last night, and this is definitely a movie that hardcore horror fans will want to see in a packed theater next weekend.