The Evil Dead movies are considered by many fans to be the greatest horror movie franchise of all time for its uniquely grotesque depiction of demonic possession, cheekily cartoonish approach to gore (in some cases), and — most of all — being one one of the few series in the genre without a single disappointing installment. As far as I (and most critics) are concerned, the intense fifth entry, Evil Dead Rise — which sees writer and director Lee Cronin take over from executive producer and franchise creator Sam Raimi — continues that bloody streak and, quite frankly, I would really like it to stay that way.
Considering how well the latest chapter did at the box office in its opening weekend, there is a good chance that the “ultimate experience in grueling terror” is far from over. Such a possibility has me positively ecstatic, but also cautiously optimistic, because, if we are going to see more Evil Dead movies, I would want them done right. So, if I were Raimi, or Bruce Campbell, or whoever they choose to helm the next installment, this is how I might handle it.
Stick With The Anthology Route
From the moment when the sequel was first announced, Evil Dead Rise already marked a major milestone in the franchise by going where no installment had gone before: a Los Angeles apartment complex. With the exception of 1992’s medieval adventure fantasy, Army of Darkness, of course, and the bulk of the spin-off TV show, Ash vs. Evil Dead, the series has typically been set in a cabin in the woods, which made the urban setting a very welcome change of pace in my eyes. In fact, I would not mind if future installments continue to stay out of the woods, among other more refreshing elements.
That being said, I do like the idea of another movie set in the past — not necessarily another time travel movie like Army of Darkness, but a prequel to the original classic from 1981 that goes even deeper into the lore of the Necronomicon and sees characters forced to use more primitive weaponry against Deadites — a la Prey — instead of chainsaws and boomsticks. A key factor in my pitch here, as well, is the involvement of new characters — an element of both Fede Alvarez’s 2013 reboot and Evil Dead Rise that I also really enjoyed and crave more of in the franchise.
My point here, essentially, is that I believe the world of the Evil Dead franchise is one of great versatility with potential to tell many different stories involving new characters, new tones, and in a variety of interesting places that do not need to be a woodland vacation home. Seeing the franchise evolve into an anthology, with each installment set in the same universe, is an idea that really excites me if it becomes true. Of course, it would require a certain sacrifice that I already know would have some fans pissed off.
Keep Ash Retired
I remember seeing a lot of preemptive grumblings over the announcement of 2013’s Evil Dead — not just because of the reputation for horror movie remakes (even though it just barely counts as a definitive remake), but because it would not be starring Bruce Campbell as Ash. As I recall, Evil Dead Rise came under fire from some die-hard fans of the horror movie icon for the same reason. Well, I can tell you that I was certainly not one of those people and, in fact, the absence of the chainsaw-handed hero had me even more excited for the new horror movie.
Now, let me make something clear: Ashley “Ash” J. Williams is my favorite horror movie character of all time — one whom I quote endlessly and, just a few years ago, dressed up as for Halloween, complete with a battery-powered chainsaw hand with realistic sound effects. However, I recognize the fact that Campbell officially retired from the role following Starz’s cancellation of Ash vs. Evil Dead in 2018 and I have since made an effort to respect that decision, especially because — and I think we can all agree — no one else can or should play the role like him.
I think that — for Bruce’s sake, especially — it is only fair that the franchise continue without its flagship character, unless Campbell voices him in more video game adaptations or the animated series that is supposedly in development, according to Bloody-Disgusting. As for the movies, I am perfectly satisfied with having Campbell involved from behind the scenes. I think it give the franchise more of a reason to evolve and be able to stand on its own two legs.
Go Easier On The Easter Eggs
Speaking of being able to stand on its own two legs, I must admit that I actually think this is an area in which the Evil Dead movies still have some room to grow. What I mean by that is, for example, there came a point during Evil Dead Rise when the umpteenth reference to one of the previous installments came up and I almost found myself asking, Are all of these really necessary?
I am certainly not anti-Easter-Egg and I really enjoyed picking out all the ways the Evil Dead Rise Easter Eggs paid tribute to previous films — especially Campbell’s vocal cameo and how the chainsaw Beth (Lily Sullivan) uses is the same color as Ash’s car (which is also in, just about, every one of Sam Raimi’s movies). I also love the way Jane Levy’s Mia wears a Michigan University T-Shirt (similar to Linda’s sweatshirt in the original) and reimagines key scenes from the franchise in very inventive ways. Yet, what I admire about these homages is their subtlety and the way they fit into the story organically.
I do not feel that all of the Easter Eggs in Evil Dead Rise land in that way — such as how Beth almost randomly utters the Army of Darkness quote “Come get some!” at one point. Thus, I think it might be in the franchise’s favor to put more attention towards each forthcoming film’s own subject material and less in how they can wedge in a few familiar quotes and hints.
Go Darker
As for what I admired the most about Evil Dead Rise: I think it perfectly nails the tone of the original from 1981 by being yet another viscerally horrifying and relentlessly gory work of art, while also intensifying the emotional trauma by making it a family story involving a possessed mother preying on her own children. The last film in the franchise to stick the landing like that for me was, well, the last film in the franchise: the 2013 reboot, which I think is still is the darkest and most brutal of the bunch. That being said, I would honestly love to see them up the ante a little bit.
You see, as much I love Evil Dead II as one of the best horror-comedy movies ever made (if not the best) and think Army of Darkness is an absolute blast of cartoonish fun, I still prefer the more earnest films in the series so far over both of them. In fact, if Ash vs. Evil Dead was the last sign of any overt humor in this franchise, I would be more than OK with that.
I recognize and respect that I am more in the minority with this issue and a part of me is open to see the Evil Dead movies bring back that “splatterstick” tone. However, I would rather Raimi be the one to handle that and that would mean bringing Campbell out of retirement and I do not see that happening for a a live-action film, at least. Therefore, I think it is best to follow in the footsteps of Alvarez and Cronin and continue to plunge the series deeper into darkness on the big screen.
With each new installment, the Evil Dead movies continue to prove that they are the greatest horror movies of all time, for my money. I will spend the rest of my years watching these thrillers on streaming on various occasions and I look forward to seeing the marathons grow longer and longer. Let’s see how groovy the next experience in grueling terror turns out to be.
