Film Review: Evil Dead: Rise

Film Review: Evil Dead: Rise

Directed by Lee Cronin

Starring Alyssa Sutherland, Lily Sullivan, Gabrielle Echols, Morgan Davies and Nell Fisher

In the fifth Evil Dead film, a road-weary Beth pays an overdue visit to her older sister Ellie, who is raising three kids on her own in a cramped L.A apartment. The sisters’ reunion is cut short by the discovery of a mysterious book deep in the bowels of Ellie’s building, giving rise to flesh-possessing demons, and thrusting Beth into a primal battle for survival as she is faced with the most nightmarish version of motherhood imaginable.

It’s 1 hour and 36 minutes/ Horror/Fantasy

Evil Dead: Rise premieres on April 21, 2023. It’s also premiering at Panic Fest 2023.

Evil Dead: Rise was written and directed by Lee Cronin (Ghost Train, The Hole in the Ground, Minutes Past Midnight). We meet Teresa (Mirabai Pease) and Caleb (Richard Crouchley). They are staying at the cabin watching over Jessica (Anna-Maree Thomas). What could possibly go wrong? Teresa is watching over Jessica and right away, shit gets weird.

Per usual, it’s bloody, wild, and keeps you on the edge of your seat. The special effects. The floating out of the water scene is EPIC.

Stephen McKeon did the music. Dave Garbett did the cinematography. Nick Bassett, production design, art direction by Nick Connor, and Bryan Shaw did the editing.

Beth (Lily Sullivan) is going to stay with her mom, Ellie portrayed BEYOND amazing by the talented Alyssa Sutherland. She is indeed, mom of the year to Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), Kassie (Nell Fisher).

There is an earthquake, this isn’t good. A hole opens up, and Danny is going in. I would want to go in the hole too but I would also want to haul ass, and get out of there. Danny is too busy searching through stuff to notice all the weird shit in this vault. Beth is Ellie’s sister.

We meet the strange neighbor, the helpful neighbor. Bridget, Danny, and Kassie make it back to Ellie. The earthquake and all this stuff is weird but this is EVIL DEAD, so, I expect nothing less.

Danny finds some information out about The Necronomicon – Ex-Mortis is the ancient Sumerian text which is the Book of the Dead. The Book of the Dead was quite the hellraiser for Ash when they found it in the cellar. The Deadites are the demons that need bodies to possess. They found the first one with Ellie.

Evil Dead: Rise has no Ash Williams and it’s not in a cabin. It’s in Los Angeles. It’s always strange to not see Bruce Campbell in Evil Dead but there is a cameo… OH THERE IS A CAMEO!!! Danny takes the book. I want to scream, put it back but it’s too late. Bridget gets it, put that book back.

Evil Dead: Rise is one of those movies that you have to see in theaters. “It’s called the book of the dead for a reason.”

Ellie is the first to experience the book and what it’s capable of. They made it creepy; they added stuff that would not completely expect. There are hints of comedy and that lurking darkness that fans might love. During Ellie’s possession scene, the effects are excellent.

Ellie is twisted, contorted, feeling this entire experience. I grew up watching horror movies. Possessed Ellie is a nightmare. There isn’t as much of a comedy aspect with this one. There is a darkness, Ellie is possessed by a demon who wants to kill everything in sight. The demon is beating the shit out of her body.

Beth is in a stressed-out situation. She is watching all of this horror while dealing with her own life stuff. It just so happens that no one is around, no one can help. They might as well be in a fucking cabin. Bridget is pissed, she blames Danny for “stealing the book.” Now the have to figure the book out. You know what Beth needs??? If you’re an OG, you know.

I was excited to get the email to do this interview, and find out that I would be able to watch the movie despite the fact that YES, I will be going to see it. Kassie is trying to figure out what’s wrong with her mother. Alyssa Sutherland is giving Reverend Kane a run for his money as one of the creepiest characters.

Oh shit, Kassie had to go and do that. Beth has reached her breaking point. She is sick of this shit. These kids are scared, and this is their mom. WELL, there is another problem. OH SHIT…. OH SHIT…. The grater, not the cheese grater. Is there anything that Evil Dead hasn’t used. I cannot even imagine the traumatic therapy they are going to need.

Beth needs to fix all of this. She needs to listen to the vinyl that Danny was listening to. YUP! There it is, “COME GET SOME!” The effects are insane. Just insane.