Evil Dead Rise is the hottest film on the planet unless you’re a bhai fan, if so then of course it is Kisi Ka Bhai Kisi Ki Jaan. The revered horror franchise which is often is the new horror film in town. After Pope’s Exorcist received mixed reactions, there finally came a horror film which was wholesomely celebrated by horror fanatics. I have never seen a Evil Dead film in my life. So, I was new to this franchise. However, I have heard really good things about all Evil Dead films. Even the 2013 reboot. This was another film which was not on my radar but the kind of critical praise it received I was all up for it, as it was a critically acclaimed horror film. Generally, they’re roasted. Last year was an amazing year for horror films, however, this year hasn’t kicked off yet. Evil Dead Rise seems like the horror film which will be talked about all year long. So, without any further ado let’s talk about Evil Dead Rise.
Evil Dead Rise Review: How Much Gore, Is Too Much Gore?
Rating – ★★1/2
Evil Dead Rise was not going to be an all out horror film as this franchise tends to be horror-comedy along with a crazy amount of gore. At least that is what I had heard from the people who have seen all of the films. I went in expecting all of these things and I was not disappointed. The film had all of these elements in abundance. I had a lot of fun with the movie but I have my set of problems with it. Let’s discuss them. Majorly I have four issues with the film.
The Family Set-Up: Now, as I mentioned Evil Dead films tend to be horror-comedies and I can see that dark humour kicking in when the group of people dealing with this evil are friends. However, in this case, this is a family. As all of them are blood related it doesn’t allow me to have fun with the film as I’m thinking – this is their mother. There is too much emotional connect for us to enjoy the absurd violence and funny bloody scenes. If it was a group of friends, the impact of the comedy would’ve been more. A lot of times I felt tonal conflict in the film because of this reason as there were times where I wanted to laugh but then couldn’t.
Vague Rules: I have already admitted that I have not seen any Evil Dead films before this, which is why I might feel that the rules of this evil were explained well. I figured it is almost like a zombie thing, which is why Bridget and Danny getting infected with it makes sense. However, Beth and Kassie both drowned in a lift full of blood and didn’t get infected. So, does the evil pass when blood is mixed? If yes, then how did Beth survive Ellie scratching her belly?
Contrived Plot: For the film to get to its point there are a lot of contrived events that take place. For the book of the dead to reach the house there is an earthquake taking place, after which Danny climbs down a hole and finds old records in a bank vault where the book is kept. I mean there has to be a quicker and more efficient way for the book to get to the house. This was not an after thought. I was thinking about this while watching the film. It was too unbelievable for me.
Gore Use: I’m not squeamish. I don’t shy away from gore. I love violence and gore but I have a problem with how this film uses it. I think there was too much gore in the film and it didn’t make me uncomfortable as I sat through it fine but when there is gore on screen you should feel something, right? Gross out or sadistically satisfied? When I saw the gore here, I didn’t react to it because there was so much of it, so after one point, I stopped caring or enjoying it. If the gore was in moderation it would’ve been more impactful. There was little to no build-up to it. I think gore is just like eating sweet, it is savory to start with but the more you eat, the harder the flavor fatigue hits you.
That being said, I really enjoyed the film. Especially, the opening scene. The scene wasn’t something out of the world but the way it concludes and the title card pops up, really worked for me. It was one of the coolest title reveal scenes I have in a long time. Overall, I think the regular audience won’t have a problem with it. The crisp runtime of 1 hour 40 minutes never bores you. So, if you want to enjoy a well made horror movie then definitely check out Evil Dead Rise this week.
Final Verdict – I’m not a fan of this franchise so I might be a bit rough on this film. Although, I’m definitely going to check out all the other films in the franchise very soon. I’ll rate Evil Dead Rise 2.5 out 5 stars.
Evil Dead Rise is currently playing in theatres near you.
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