Carl Roberts 
“Evil Dead Burn, while being nasty, violent, gory, and scary, feels like a step back from the previous film. Something is missing, and it suffers from a lack of depth”
After the quite brilliant Evil Dead Rise, we now get a standalone sequel. This is the sixth film in the long-running horror franchise, Evil Dead Burn. The new film is directed and co-written by Sébastien Vaniček and Florent Bernard. Furthermore, it features a cast that includes Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, and Maude Davey. The film slots into the franchise well, even without any ties to what’s gone before. But can the film be another groovy outing for the deadites? Or is the film (Evil) dead by dawn?
THE PREMISE
Following the death of her husband, Alice and her late husband’s family come together at a secluded house. The gathering becomes a “family reunion from hell” as members gradually turn into Deadites.
THOUGHTS
Ok, as you would expect, the film contains enough blood, guts, gore, violence, and horror to fill a bucket or two. Many of the violent scenes are certainly not for the squeamish. If you faint at the sight of blood, then this certainly isn’t for you. Some are so stomach-churning that the audience may well be retching into their popcorn. However, these scenes mask the fact that the film is a step back from the previous installment. It’s hard to put a finger on it. In fact, the film lacks any real depth.
Something is missing that would elevate the film above the usual horror fare. And that is a real shame, as the film has almost everything going for it. There is great acting, great direction, and terrific production design. Additionally, there are incredible makeup effects and several jump scares that will jolt the audience. But with these in mind, the film doesn’t reach the heights it should.
THE HORROR
The horror comes pretty thick and fast. Fans will lap up the gore. They can look forward to scenes involving scalding, fishhooks, and line, immolation, impalement, and even a nasty and graphic scene where a character is killed by a car headrest through the head and mouth. There are a few throwbacks to the classic Evil Dead movies, and even a very brief appearance from a chainsaw. But with the lack of any real connection to the greater story of the franchise, these shock scenes come across as a good horror movie, just not an Evil Dead one. Sure, there is enough here to make us feel like we have dipped a toe into a new chapter of the franchise.
Yet it leaves us with a sad feeling that we have seen it all before. What’s even sadder is that we feel like we have already seen some of the horror earlier this year, in the horror movie Whistle. And anybody who’s seen the red-band trailer for the film has already seen a chunk of the surprises and the film’s ending.
THE CAST
All the cast play their part in making the film what it is. Souheila Yacoub as Alice is a fine lead, giving her all in having much of the film’s storyline resting on her shoulders. Tandi Wright as Susan is also good as the matriarch of the family. Although she doesn’t have much to do except pout and cry. Hunter Doohan as Joseph is great as the young son and brother of Alice’s late husband, Will. Will makes a brief but vital appearance from George Pullar. Erroll Shand as Edgar, Susan’s husband and father to Joseph and Will, is creepy, scary, and downright nasty.
Maude Davey as Polly, Susan’s mother and grandmother to Joseph, gets most of the comedic lines, making her a fun aspect of the film, while Luciane Buchanan as Thya is superb in her role as Will’s girlfriend, giving us some really nasty and wince-inducing scenes. The problem is, outside of Alice and Thya, and in certain scenes, Polly, the family all come across as unlikeable, meaning that as their eventual fates are revealed, we find ourselves indifferent to them. And dog lovers will watch the scene with Edgar and what he does to the family pooch, be revolted, and want him to suffer and die horribly.
VERDICT
Despite great directing from Sébastien Vaniček and a brave and enjoyable screenplay by himself and Florent Bernard, Evil Dead Burn, while being nasty, violent, gory, and scary, feels like a step back from the previous film. Something is missing, and it suffers from a lack of depth. While the film is good enough to be a larger part of the Evil Dead franchise, and a good attempt at being a standalone film set in the same universe, it comes across as inferior. Sure, there are callbacks to things we have seen in the franchise before (you’ll know them when you see them), and they are welcome, and with Lee Cronin (director of Evil Dead Rise) onboard as an executive producer, alongside Bruce Campbell, the film should be a solid entry. Instead, it feels like a throwaway chapter, a filler before we return to the world we know and have come to love.
Now, I’m not going to go into spoiler territory, but don’t leave your seat as the end credits roll. There is a mid-credits sequence that will answer a question we have as the film ends. This gives us a chuckle, something we should have expected. But the real kicker comes in an after-credits stinger, one which had me smiling. Again, no spoilers, but it could show us in what direction the next sequel will go after the next film, Evil Dead Wrath, which is a prequel, hits screens next year. If it does, then I’m all for it. For all its faults, Evil Dead Burn is still a quality horror film and a fair chapter in the franchise. It is just a shame that it leaves us with an empty feeling as we depart the cinema. For something that promises so much and delivers a fair chunk of it, the lack of depth drags it down. While not being groovy, it shows the Evil Dead franchise will certainly not be dead by dawn.
Evil Dead Burn is in UK cinemas from tomorrow and in U.S theaters from Friday.
Introducing Carl! As the News Editor at Future of the Force, Carl has been an invaluable member of our team since early 2016. His expertise and dedication have made him an integral part of our editorial staff. Beyond his professional role, Carl is a fervent supporter of Liverpool F.C. and an avid follower of pop culture. He has a deep passion for Halloween, Friday the 13th, and the iconic movie franchises Star Wars and Star Trek.
He can be found either at his neighborhood cinema, enjoying the latest releases on the big screen, or at home streaming the newest blockbuster movies.
