Horror films were never quite the same after “The Evil Dead” first hit cinemas back in 1981. Whether intended or not, the blend of horror and uneasy humour started a movement that has spanned three films, a tv series, and a stand-alone reboot in 2013. The latter was driven by a more serious take and ‘Evil Dead Rise’ follows suit with the most invasive and intense entry into the franchise yet.

Lee Cronin has both written and directed Rise and his passion for the art of Horror filmmaking seemed to have burst onto the pages in front of him with relative ease. Branching away from the original setting that the series gravitates towards, a dilapidated and borderline condemned apartment building creates its own dynamic feeling compared to a woodland setting with a lone cabin. The same claustrophobic and isolated sensations are fully realised with a small yet devise cast who are set to experience Hell on Earth the same way Ash did all those years ago.

First and foremost. Alyssa Sutherland is the poster woman of this film with no secret that she will be patient zero, the first to fall to the Deadites. A mother fallen on hard times with three children to protect and her driven but wreck-less sister who has come back into their lives when she is at her most fragile.

The weathered demeanour she carries when trying to reign in her outspoken teenage daughter, Bridget, or her carefree son, Danny, shows how tired she truly is without letting it affect her resolve to provide for them and her youngest, Kassie. Beth, played by Lily Sullivan, is drawn to this motherly aura, especially when she is so close to her dream job while simultaneously at an impasse moment that she isn’t ready for.

In terms of world-building, the initial setup also dragged in the other tenants of their floor with enough influence to feel they belonged and withholding enough that they would be easily expendable if you know where I am going with this. The catalyst to the film was equally aloof on details as it thrust upon the viewer as Danny breaks every rule on leaving the spooky thing alone which catapulted the movie into the nightmare that is Evil Dead Rise. Considering the relatively short run time, and the fast-tracked nature of getting to the good parts thematically fit overall, it just didn’t necessarily set up a treasure trove of deeper meaning moments that can be infinitely debated for years to come.

Now when I say that from here on out in the film the viewer can feel like a hostage due to the invasive and brutal nature of the cinematography, I don’t mean that in a bad way. The audio and sound design alone was enough to provoke a primal fear and was able to cause me to inadvertently hold my breath when they would suck all sound from the environment, only for it to burst out in demonic screams and spine-chilling splashes of blood and gore.

The viscera on display with little room to process or wind down from the previous scene maintained its goal of keeping the viewer on edge but after a continuous barrage I was eventually climatized to the experience and it was beginning to lose its impact.

The feeling I was experiencing towards the end of the film came with a dynamic shift that I wasn’t expecting and came at just the right moment. The uneasy feeling I had started with was gone and the essence of Ash from the original films became prominent in a tasteful and gratifying manner that stayed true to the source material while venturing into new territories. In the end, it came together in a bloody affair that didn’t overstay its welcome and made a great stand-alone experience, which can also tie in with the history that came before it.

Evil Dead Rise is truly the most intense experience that the Evil Dead franchise has ever seen. A gripping and positively ruthless thrill ride, I am not the bravest soul when it comes to horror films but this left a mark on my soul and Lee Cronin should be proud of his achievement here.

Written by: Shane Fletcher