L'opéra de la terreur: Renaissance

Ellie is a single mother living with her three children- Danny, Brigit and Kassie- in a rundown apartment block. Her sister Beth- a guitar technician for a rock band- comes a-calling one evening. She's just discovered she is pregnant, and needs her sister's advice and company if she's to deal with the news. However, after an earthquake splits the floor of the apartment garage open- revealing an ancient bank vault- all hell literally breaks loose. Danny steals a book and a record from the vault, unwittingly summoning an army of deadites to their door, one of whom possesses his mother. Will Beth and the kids survive Ellie's undead machinations, or will the evil dead win the day?

Written and directed by Lee Cronin, 'Evil Dead Rise' is a wickedly bloody horror that is a worthy addition to Sam Raimi's iconic series. Though not as funny or as bizarre as the original three films, it is a good deal closer in tone to them than Fede Álvarez's comparatively bleak 2013 version, benefitting from bits of humour throughout. The narrative- once the first twenty minutes of exposition is out of the way- is engaging and full of cleverly implemented and inventive gore. Confined to one location, Cronin's game of deadite cat and mouse is thrilling and chilling in equal measure.

Conversely, other than Beth, all of the characters are quite one-note, with little development or backstory. The children are basically just plot devices with forgettable personalities and those outside the apartment are hardly more than shadows; ill-defined when examined under the light. Furthermore, despite a couple of unexpected moments, narratively 'Evil Dead Rise' is pretty linear and predictable. Though Cronin approaches gore with the hand of an auteur, he doesn't make his characters feel special or give us many compelling reasons to care for them. Ash Williams, none of them are.

However, on the other hand, the film really is an eyeball-popping, jaw-dropping display of bloodshed and carnage so over the top you can't help but be impressed. Cronin shares Raimi's spark for creative violence, and 'Evil Dead Rise' boasts some truly grisly scenes, involving all manner of objects. Cheese-graters, chainsaws and electrical wiring are but a few of the cleverly implemented items of destruction Cronin utilises to great effect in the film. And as in any good 'Evil Dead' project, there's a ridiculous amount of blood on screen- the karo syrup and red food-colouring budget must have been in the millions.

Under Cronin's direction, cinematographer Dave Garbett makes the most of the limited space of the apartment, capturing the brutality and carnage crisply and clearly. His use of f-stops and wide-angle lenses is immersive, while his dynamic camera movements add suspense and excitement. Garbett had cut his teeth on 'Ash vs Evil Dead,' and so was well used to capturing deadite violence and gargantuan blood levels on screen; as his consummate and assured work in the finished film shows. Additionally, the film relies on practicality over C. G. I., which makes the incredible effects throughout all the more impressive.

'Evil Dead Rise' features a fine cast, though some make more impact than others. Lily Sullivan does strong work as Beth, although the role is ultimately one-dimensional and lacking in personality. Gabrielle Echols, Nell Fisher and Morgan Davies face a similar fate, giving solid performances as bland, forgettable characters- though Fisher should be commended, really, given how young she is and how well she handles the material. The real stand out is Alyssa Sutherland, giving an intense, wildly entertaining performance as Ellie full of a diabolical vigour and energy. Scary, funny, crazy- not even Ted Raimi could have played this deadite as well, and that's saying something.

Although 'Evil Dead Rise' might not be in the same league as Sam Raimi's original trilogy, it's a roller-coaster of bloody chaos that's entertaining and exciting nonetheless. While the narrative isn't particularly special, director Lee Cronin's inventive use of gore throughout should have audiences enthralled. Furthermore, Alyssa Sutherland's performance as the villain of the piece is giddily over the top and utterly memorable, while Dave Garbett's cinematography is commendably stylish and the practical effects on display are awesome. To cut a long story short, 'Evil Dead Rise' is a frenzied festival of blood and guts that should leave viewers everywhere hungry for more.

Wow, what an insane movie! In fact, I think it was a little better than Evil Dead (2013).

First of all, I thought the story idea was excellently written. Once it makes you realize what kind of situation it is, it adds a lot more fun than you'd think. The plot worked much better and was more fun than Evil Dead (2013).

The opening scene was decent, with possibly one of the greatest movie title cards in modern horror days. It started well, but later it just got more and more insane. The cast of not-so-well-known actors was really great, with performances that felt like real people who became possessed. Alyssa Sutherland, who played the lead role, absolutely killed it; she was terrifying. I also really liked the night and rainy vibe, which added to the atmosphere. The kills were very fun and gory, exactly what I expected from a movie like this. The special effects were incredible. Although nothing beats the ending of Evil Dead (2013), I thought the ending was decent and cleared up all loose ends. It also added some comedy elements that reminded me of Evil Dead II.

Overall, I was honestly entertained by this movie, which made me feel tense and impressed. I thought it was a very well-done horror movie.

How would I compare this movie to Evil Dead (2013)? I think Evil Dead (2013) was more brutal and gory, with lots of blood, while Evil Dead Rise was more insane and creepy, with a better plot.

For those who have never watched any movies in the franchise, note that you absolutely don't need to watch any of the other movies to understand and enjoy this one.

Groovy!

**Mom gets possessed by demon**

**Entire family and room full of neighbors standing there watching**

**Spine contorts to impossible shape**

"Mom? You okay?"

**Crab-walks up the side of a wall and onto the ceiling**

"Mom? Is everything alright, Mom?"

**Projectile-vomits twenty gallons of blood**

"Are you okay, Mom?"

**Speaks ancient language in hideous demonic voice, eyes rolling around in their sockets**

"Mom, it's me. What's wrong, Mom?"

**Grabs shard of broken glass, proceeds to dig it into arms and face**

"Mom, listen. I hope you're okay. You're starting to worry me."

**"I WILL MASSACRE ALL OF YOU AND FEAST ON YOUR GUTS. NO ONE WILL SURVIVE THE NIGHT. YOU ARE ALL GOING TO DIE!!!!!"**

"Mom, are you feeling okay? It seems like something might be wrong."

**Bites through neighbor's jugular vein, cackles maniacally while covered in the arterial spray**

"Guys, I think something might be wrong with Mom. I don't know, she's acting weird. What should we do?"

I really liked Evil Dead 1 and the 2013 version. The acts/sections were good, overall they were solid, and had scary moments especially the 2013 one. I was expecting this to be the same level or near it, but it was not. It's okay on its own, but just break-even compared to the films in the franchise I watched.

Maybe I just expected much. Some of the kills/gore were good but it isn't really a big criteria to films that aren't slashers, and to me personally. Some of the acting were wanting, too, and the main characters weren't presented in a way where you'll really root for them. The kid was cute and I wanted the lead to survive because of her baby but there was just something missing with these characters. I think I cared for the neighbors more, actually.

The setting also was kinda weird. Cabins and the woods just match seamlessly with these types of stories. How and where they discovered the book and recordings were questionable, too, but that was something a viewer can let slide. Like the other reviewers here, there was just something missing for me, or maybe it was just insufficient in a lot of areas.

It's not bad. It may even be good for someone whose first film in the franchise is this. It was just pulled down by high expectations.

Most horror-movies have a slow build-up. This movie does not. S*** hits the fan after about three minutes and does not stop hitting it. If your horror checklist consists of gore, disturbing images and creepy dialogue this would be a nice watch. It offers some real creative angles in these areas.

However, the fast pace comes with some issues. In many other horror movies, you are experiencing wonder. What is happening? What could be happening? Which character would I like to survive most? This movie skips this process entirely. Perhaps this is intentional, to create space to further work out some of the most violent, creepy and gross scenes I have ever seen.

Still, the lack of wonder is a big disappointment for the viewer. It does not feel like the protagonists have a way to survive, it is often questionable to what rules the demon is bound and the characters are making some weird choices (I would´ve done some window throwing). However, you dont care to much because of the gore spectacle that occurs in front of your eyes.

To summarize, I dont think this movie is for everyone. Even amongst horror enthusiasts, since it lacks some exploration and story. If a bunch of shocking scenes would be enough to entertain, however, you will definitely like it.