Evil Dead Rise (2023) – Review/Summary (with Spoilers)

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Two estranged sisters are reunited, but the visit is interrupted by a most nefarious evil that takes hold of the family and reshapes their reality into a nightmarish Hell.

Film Summary/Review 

Director Lee Cronin of “The Hole in the Ground” and Sam Raimi score with another bloody gorefest feather in the cap for the “Evil Dead” franchise. All the normal ingredients are there in this ghoulish stew with jump scares, body contortions, icky bugs, creative yet disgusting body maiming and dismemberment, and of course, the staple acerbic repartee.

Beth (Lilly Sullivan), a touring guitar technician for rock bands, discovers she is pregnant and decides to renew her family ties by visiting her estranged sister Ellie (Allysa Sutherland). Unbeknownst to her, Ellie is now divorced and struggling to raise her three children Kassie (Nell Fisher), Danny (Morgan Davies), and Bridget (Gabriele Echols) alone. She is overwhelmed with stress as she also has to find a new place to live, as the dilapidated apartment building she lives in is scheduled for demolition.

Ellie’s son discovers the “Book of the Dead” in an underground bank below their apartment building that is unearthed after a quake and brings it home to explore. The action revs up from there in normal “Evil Dead” fashion as the Deadites possess Mom Ellie, and she now “loves her children to death.”

Although the setting has been changed from an isolated cabin in the woods that worked so well to an apartment building, the writers still give that confined, constricted feel as most have abandoned the building, and the lighting is low, lending itself to an ominous, shadowy, and grim setting. There is much to please horror fans as the deadly deranged Mom twists her body in disturbing contortions and climbs walls to pursue her loving family. The ensuing kills are creative, with three seen through a peephole with garish lighting that adds a supernatural glow. There is an awesomely depraved scene where the younger sister no less impales her possessed older sister.

There is much for the “Evil Dead” franchise fans to love in gnarly, ghoulish, blood-soaked delights, especially towards the end with a blood-soaked elevator bath. The monstrosity with many heads spliced and diced in a wood chipper should satisfy those looking for that elevated kill. For all the good, there should have been more explanation and detail on “The Book of the Dead,” which was left rather ambiguous. It was a good horrific ride, but not top-notch. Sullivan and Sutherland are the celebrated new sister queens of horror. Sullivan’s Beth wielding the chainsaw was a nice and exhilarating nod to Ash.

Things To Note

Why Is “Evil Dead Rise” Rated R

• Dialog: There are eight sexual expletives, 16 scatological curses, and occasional uses of mild profanities and terms of deity.
• Violence: The violence is extreme, with many blood-soaked moments.
• Sexual Content:  There are brief images of nudity not sexually related.
• Miscellaneous: Brief images of adults smoking and drinking.

Character Descriptions

Please Note: This character guide is not an exhaustive list of every cast member, and character descriptions may contain what can be considered spoilers.

Beth

Sister to Ellie, who has long been away working as a touring guitar technician to rock groups but needs a return to family amidst the discovery of her pregnancy.

Ellie

Sister to Beth struggling with raising three kids in a dilapidated apartment building due for demolition.

Kassie

The youngest child of Beth who is sweet and funny.

Danny

Second to the oldest child of Ellie, who is too curious and inquisitive for his own good.

Bridget

The oldest child of Ellie who is practical and well-grounded.

Gabriel

Helpful religious neighbor to Ellie in the apartment building.

Mr. Fonda

Older neighbor to Ellie in the apartment building.

Jessica

Ellie’s neighbor featured in the opening sequence of the movie.

Teresa

Friend to Ellie’s neighbor, Jessica, also featured in the film’s opening sequence.

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Evil Dead Rise (2023) – Review/Summary (with Spoilers)

Overall

Evil Dead Rise delivers plenty of gore with ghoulish delights in jump scares, disgusting bugs, and blood everywhere laced with acerbic repartee which is the signature of the Evil Dead franchise for delivering rollicking horror fun.

Highlights

The hideous combined head monstrosity that bites the dust by being engulfed and shredded through a wood chipper.

Beth chainsaw in hand ready for carnage like Ash before her!

Disputable

Needed more detail and explanation of the "Book of the Dead."

Took some time to get into the action, but delivers what you would expect from the Evil Dead franchise. It's worthy, but not great.

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