Evil Dead Review

Director: Fede Alvarez

Starring: Jane Levy, Jessica Lucas, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Elizabeth Blackmore

Running Time: 91 minutes

Certificate: 18

Synopsis: Five friends head to a remote cabin where the discovery of a Book of the Dead leads to their inadvertent summoning of evil demons lurking in the nearby woods. The evil presence possesses them until only one is left to fight for survival.

In light of the recent trend of needless and below-par horror remakes such as THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE, FRIDAY 13TH and NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET, we at The Hollywood News didn’t have high hopes for Fede Alvarez’s effort. The original EVIL DEAD trilogy has such a strong cult following and is so revered by horror fans that the possibility of the remake falling short was all too real.

However our fears were quickly quashed, as EVIL DEAD successfully captures the spirit of the original trilogy and is lovingly sprinkled with tasteful homage, never straying into cheap pastiche or clumsily overt post-modern winks to the audience. There are subtle nods to the original’s knowing dialogue, as well as some nice twists on the possessed hand, the sanctuary provided by a wall cavity and the sexual misadventures of wandering tree roots. To the ardent EVIL DEAD fan, the references are elegantly present throughout without ever becoming distracting.

The setup is simple but inspired, as the group aren’t staying in an eerily remote cabin for a relaxing getaway. Instead there to support Mia, a drug user going cold turkey, her friends are convinced she is beginning to see things. Once they realise her visions are more than just spooky hallucinations, the film becomes a no holds barred gorenographic bloodbath that will leave you wincing, shuddering, hiding, and very possibly looking for something to be sick in. Raimi’s airborne plasticine eyeballs are nowhere to be seen, but make no mistake, this is body horror at its most gruesome and no character is safe from the horrors unleashed as every scratch, bruise and dismemberment they suffer is shown in its full, graphic glory.

The film’s biggest pitfall is its neglect of the slow burning spookiness that sent chills down the spines of viewers of the original film, which is tossed aside in favour of a modern thirst for relentless bone crunching and blood puddles. Alvarez could perhaps have held back on some of the self mutilation, skin boiling and blood puking in favour of some good old-fashioned suspense, but some would argue that the film’s hurtling pace is its trump card. It’s also difficult to tell whether the first act’s simple exposition and sometimes wooden acting is a nod to the original film or merely poor work, but once the film hits its stride you’d be hard pushed to care.

With so many of Sam Raimi’s brilliant flourishes skillfully utilised and referenced in this film, there’s a lot to admire. It just remains to be seen whether fans of the originals will appreciate these as much as a younger audience enjoying them for the first time.

  EVIL DEAD is released in UK cinemas on April 19^th and US cinemas on April 5^th.