The Evil Dead franchise has been one of the most revered cult favorite horror franchises by many fans ever since Sam Raimi began his career by introducing the original film that started it all in "The Evil Dead" way back in 1981. That supernatural horror flick brought the world of demons and deadites into the big screen, as well as the Necronomicon/ The Book of the Dead and the recurring protagonist who has to face it all in Ashley J. Williams as played by the legendary Bruce Campbell. Two sequels followed in "Evil Dead II" and "Army of Darkness" that centered more on action and horror camp, and in 2013 a reimagining/ remake came to life in "Evil Dead" that did away with the laughs and introduced pure terror to the masses who were expecting blood, guts, and demonic possessions. They weren't disappointed one bit.
Fast forward 10 years later to 2023, a new follow-up has arrived that aims to revive the spirit of the last film and bring more terror, gore, and horror to the big screen. That new film is "Evil Dead Rise" - which once again digs up the lore of Deadites and The Book of the Dead and unleashes it on an unsuspecting family that lives in a worn down apartment complex.
Evil Dead Rise | Only in Cinemas May 10
I got to see this highly anticipated new entry in the franchise last week, and I was absolutely blown away and driven by the plot where a young woman named Beth visits his sister Ellie in her home where she lives with her three children. Their peaceful and heart to heart reunion is cut short by a sudden earthquake that unleashes an evil long buried under the complex, and soon Ellie becomes possessed by an evil force - turning everything into a horrible nightmare that Beth and her family must endure if they are to stand any chance of surviving. It was absolutely a fresh change of pace for the franchise and something that I've only seen tackled in the "Ash Vs Evil Dead" television series, and to see it in the big screen and with all the gore, chainsaws, and mania unleashed? This is definitely Evil Dead back to form and a necessary new ingredient to keep things interesting for the series to evolve and draw new fans in!
Moving the usual setting from an isolated cabin to the urban jungle that is Los Angeles, director Lee Cronin masterfully weaves together a tale that introduces a new generation to the horrors from the world created by Sam Raimi, and it will absolutely leave you craving for more once the credits roll up. While there are no familiar faces like Ash in this story, expect some nuggets, lines of dialogue, and easter eggs from the series to appear that should please longtime fans of the series. I can't say enough about the performances and special effects too - the cast was on their A-Game, and Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland were just dynamic playing Beth and the possessed Ellie respectively. This was originally a film intended for streaming, but thankfully Warner Bros. picked it up and released it to theaters, and if you love the world of Evil Dead and horror movies in general you must go and see this for yourselves!
Check out my reactions on Evil Dead Rise below from the special screening held last April 27th by Warner Bros PH!
Rating - 4/5
Evil Dead Rise has sneak peeks up on May 1 and 2, and will open in theaters in the Philippines c/o Warner Bros. PH on May 10 - exclusively on Ayala Malls Cinemas!
No comments:
Post a Comment