So, I have a confession – I’ve never watched Evil Dead.
Sure, I’ve seen bits and pieces of the movie here and there, but I’ve never fully sat down and watched one all the way through. As much as I love horror movies, the Evil Dead franchise was one that never really stood out to me – mainly because, for a long time, I didn’t know if I could handle the gore that everyone talked about when it came to it.
Gore in horror movies is something I can handle, but to a certain level. I like gore, but when I feel like it’s used too much, it turns me off. It’s a big reason why I’m not the hugest fan of the Saw movies even though I have seen those and can admire the puzzles that Jigsaw put his victims through.
However, Evil Dead Rise got such great reviews, and since I was lacking in any serious horror right now, I decided to give the movie a shot, without seeing any other Evil Dead movie before it, hoping I didn’t make a huge mistake – and thankfully, I don’t think I did. Here’s why:
(Spoilers from Evil Dead Rise ahead!)
The Gore Is Legit On Another Level – Like I Expected
Like I said in my introduction, I know the Evil Dead movies are known for their gore. It’s a very standard thing to understand about the horror franchise, as it’s really one of its defining features. Even so, I still found myself staring in shock when the opening minutes of the movie featured an intense amount of blood on the screen.
But for the first time in a while, it didn’t really bother me. I felt like the gore sort of fit with the plot of the movie considering these creatures, the Deadites, as I have learned, are pretty psychotic and demons who thrive off of violence and fear.
I will say that the gore only got more intense as the movie went on, and sometimes, it was hard to watch as someone who is not primarily used to horror movies filled with blood – but it was still enjoyable nonetheless.
One of my co-workers said that the older movies are somehow even gorier, and I genuinely don’t know how that could be – but I suppose I'd have to dive deeper into a franchise to find out.
And The Cinematography Was Really On Point
I can not get over how skillful the cinematography was in this movie. That opening shot was, hands down, the best opening sequence I have ever experienced in a horror film. Jessica, hovering over the water, an evil look in her eye after she just decapitated one of her friends, while the title rises in the background – god, so good.
Somehow, Dave Garbett, the cinematographer behind Evil Dead Rise, was able to make gore and the scariest situations look utterly stunning. Horror movies can truly become perfect in the way they are filmed and this movie had some excellent shots that had me impressed, from that first shot of Ellie stepping out of the bath and screaming, to that final moment with the chainsaw, to everything else.
There’s a lot to love about this movie’s cinematography, and it’s currently in my book as one of the best recent movies that has some amazing shots.
But The Acting Was Also Extremely Good, Too – Especially From Alyssa Sutherland
Acting in horror movies can either be really good or really campy. I’ve seen some truly terrible performances, and then ones that should have been nominated for Academy Awards, such as Keke Palmer in Nope, or Toni Collette in Ari Aster’s horror movie, Hereditary. I know that people can bring the talent when it comes to horror movies.
The acting in this film is so good. So good. I swear, it felt like every actor was having the time of their lives while filming Evil Dead Rise. It really takes a lot from an actor to act utterly evil in one moment and terrified in the next, and the whole Evil Dead Rise cast truly brought so much to the table.
Specifically, I have to give props to Alyssa Sutherland. I’ll be honest – before Evil Dead Rise, I hadn't seen her work, just because she primarily was in smaller roles in movies and/or in television shows that I never had the chance to watch. But God, does she show off her acting skills in this movie. Her portrayal of Ellie was on another level the whole entire time.
Sutherland captured the perfect vision of terror before switching over into evil so quickly, and somehow did it while making it feel realistic as well. She was what kept me watching this movie because it was so good. I loved it.
The Story Was So Much Fun – And I Genuinely Want To Learn More About That Book
Okay, again – I know practically nothing about this franchise, so I went into this movie completely blind and unaware of how any of this was going to go down. I knew there was a book from the franchise that basically summoned all the evil forces that cause issues as time goes on, but other than that, I knew nothing else. But of course, that book – called Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, was there in this movie.
First off, I just have to say this – who the hell would open up a book with fangs on the edge? I would be out that door in an instant. That’s just begging for something bad to happen.
But if we’re being honest, I really want to learn more about it. The story was so much fun because the book is what made these characters into intense demons that truly killed every last thing in front of them. It’s a miracle Beth survived. Watching this movie really made me want to learn more about the book, and see just how dangerous it can be. The story was a lot of fun and truly brought the horror, but that book is even more interesting.
I’m Sure There Are Plenty Of Easter Eggs I’m Not Getting – Which Makes Me Want To See The Others In The Rest Of The Franchise
I do want to watch more movies in this franchise. Evil Dead Rise made me a fan.
I’m sure there were plenty of Easter Eggs in this movie that I didn’t get because I’ve never seen any other Evil Dead movie, but now, I genuinely want to watch more to learn about them. I want to see if the older movies are truly gorier like my coworker said. I want to see just how far this rabbit hole goes.
I don’t think I’m ever going to be an Evil Dead fanatic, just because it’s still not my cup of tea in terms of horror – I tend to stray more towards the ones that mess with you psychologically – but it’s still intriguing, and my curious mind is telling me to check it out more.
But curiosity killed the cat, so I guess check on me in a few weeks?
Evil Dead Rise was truly a fun time and I enjoyed the heck out of it – and I’m also very glad I watched it early in the morning before I ate anything because good lord, it was almost too much for my stomach to handle. Either way, it was enjoyable, scary, and everything I was expecting, so there’s nothing to complain about here. On to the next horror movie.
