SXSW EXCLUSIVE: 'Evil Dead Rise' Spoiler-Free Review [SXSW 2023]
‘Rise’ manages to find a new brand of camp to call its own, WHILE TRAUMATIZING A NEW GENERATION AND RUINING THE CHEESE GRATER INDUSTRY.
The biggest issue with the facing the revival of the Evil Dead franchise was how to reinvent itself without alienating the rabid fanbase. One only needs to look at the frosty reception to the 2013 Evil Dead and Sam Rami’s foray into the Marvel universe to see that what was once new and innovative is now landing among the tropes and cliche category despite being Rami’s original work. So Rami took a step back and brought in a fresh take on the franchise in Irish Director Lee Cronin. Cronin took a franchise so steeped in a specific brand of camp and managed to twist it into a deformed, gross, and bloody amalgam of Rami’s and his own personal style, those are compliments by the way. Evil Dead Rise is filled with all the expected gore, deadites, and practical effects that one would expect from the franchise but excels with two awesomely twisted performances from it’s leads.
One of the most important aspects of any good horror is isolation - give your characters no chance of escape and a minimal chance of survival. The film accomplishes this by setting the bulk of the film in an apartment complex after an earthquake destroys the means of escape and a storm muffles their cries for help. Cronin and his production design crew were very meticulous in creating an area that has as much character as the any of the actual characters. The rooms were all lit dimly with a few fluorescents thrown in to give an industrial modern tinge to the rooms. The hallways and accents of the building were old and wooden making the building itself feel decrepit and ancient which factors in to the story a bit. Every set piece was set up before hand making each kill feel anticipated if not expected.
As mentioned, the leads carry this film with great performances. Lily Sullivan plays the movie’s Ash as Beth. Sullivan’s performance is bookmarked across the film as different degrees of manic distress. She provides a perfect distressed yet strong lead and looks great when covered head to toe in blood, as required. Alyssa Sutherland is the lead Deadite of the film and she is absolutely terrifying. From her piercing eyes and blood curdling smile to her physicality and body language, Sutherland puts in a memorable and almost iconic performance. The film is built around these two incredible performances but there is another who is a surprise MVP of the film. The young Nell Fisher steals a lot of the scenes with her natural comedic timing and sometimes deadpan delivery. She is very talented for her age and worth taking note of.
The events of the film are very straight forward. Step 1: Find the Necronomicon, Step 2: Summon demons, Step 3: Profit. It is more or less the same plot as most of the films in this franchise with one large, grotesque twist at the end. Not much can be said about the finale without spoiling it but it adds a great punctuation and memorable moment to an already storied franchise
The goal of any soft reboot is to reintroduce a franchise to a new generation. This film not only introduces itself, but it may carve a dark little hole in the brains of an entire generation and live there forever. Aside from slight traumatization, the film is some of the most fun to be had in a theater in some time and when you leave you will never look at a cheese grater the same again. Bring your friends, siblings, their friends and watch it together… but maybe leave anyone with a heart condition at home.