The reviews split almost evenly, and the spread is wide. Most critics agree on the ingredients: the practical effects and the inventiveness of the violence are praised repeatedly, as is Philip Lozano’s restless camerawork and Souheila Yacoub’s central performance. The disagreement is over what all the gore is for. Roughly a third find it a worthy, nastier new chapter that gives the series a darker purpose; the middle group find the set pieces strong but the relentless cruelty numbing and the pacing slack. The most persistent complaint concerns the film’s treatment of domestic abuse, which many call heavy-handed or literal-minded, along with the loss of the humour and mischief of earlier entries. The harshest verdicts, from The Times and Vulture, call it grim and miserable, with the brutalisation of women dwelt on to no purpose. Collider and The Wrap dissent in the other direction, calling it a frightening, funny successor and the series at its most vicious.
S
Sight and Sound
9 July 2026
75*
The critic welcomes the film as a grisly new chapter that delivers everything Evil Dead fans could want and need. It singles out DP Philip Lozano’s restless, canted camerawork and the inventive use of domestic weapons for praise.
Read the full review →S
Slant Magazine
8 July 2026 · ★★★/4
75
The critic calls it a personal if literal-minded schlockfest that is relentlessly cruel and makes prior entries seem like Sunday school. It praises Vaniček’s scare-making and inventiveness in bloodletting but complains that the meditation on gendered abuse feels uncomfortably literal-minded.
Read the full review →V
Variety
8 July 2026 · Owen Gleiberman
70*
The film is an effective piece of gross-out guignol that keeps the evil dead spirit alive through thematic, nonstop violence rooted in family rancor. It praises the practical effects, strong performances especially from the supporting cast, and the shift to darker family drama over comedy.
Read the full review →The film goes harder on gore and family drama than prior entries but still feels overshadowed by Sam Raimi's originals, with clever technical flourishes amid the violence.
Read the full review →L
Little White Lies
8 July 2026 · 4/3/2 · Billie Walker
60
The critic finds the film a disappointing addition undermined by clumsy pacing, a heavy-handed abuse narrative and lack of the director’s distinctive vision. It singles out the exhausting and insincere handling of generational trauma and domestic violence for complaint.
Read the full review →R
Radio Times
8 July 2026 · ★★★ · Patrick Cremona
60
The critic describes a relentless onslaught of horror set pieces that can become numbing at times. It singles out the inventive staging of the many violent, blood-soaked sequences and franchise lore nods for praise.
Read the full review →A
The AV Club
8 July 2026 · C · Monica Castillo
57
The critic finds the film a misfit entry that struggles to balance domestic violence themes with undead chaos, losing the Evil Dead spirit of guilt-free fun. It praises the dynamic camera moves and stylish tricks but complains that the somber tone and literal approach interrupt the rollercoaster horror.
Read the full review →N
The New York Times
9 July 2026 · Beatrice Loayza
55*
The latest Evil Dead installment unleashes nasty thrills in bursts but never feels fully in control of its chaos, delivering inventive violence mainly in contained set pieces. It singles out the grim family dynamics and contained face-offs for praise while noting the director falls short of the previous reboot.
Read the full review →L
Los Angeles Times
10 July 2026 · Joshua Rothkopf
50*
Evil Dead Burn offers slick but diminishing returns as extreme horror that finds glee in destruction, pushing R-rating boundaries with gory set pieces. It complains about the muddy gray palette, show-offy and ill-considered gore, and narrative impatience while noting the loopy grandma scene as a highlight.
Read the full review →The critic concludes that the film has lots of gore but little substance and makes less of an impact than its predecessors. It singles out the inventively schlocky setpieces and strong central performance from Souheila Yacoub for praise.
Read the full review →R
RogerEbert.com
8 July 2026 · Brian Tallerico
40*
The film is remarkably dumb and for completists only, with some clever set pieces undermined by incompetent filmmaking like flat visuals and clunky editing. It praises the inventive car sequence as a standout but criticizes the relentless cruelty and lack of personality.
Read the full review →T
The Telegraph
10 July 2026 · ★★ · Ed Power
40
This spin-off drains all the fun from the franchise, delivering a bleak, plodding parade of slaughter focused on familial dysfunction instead of Raimi-style splatter-punk energy.
Read the full review →T
The Times
9 July 2026 · Kevin Maher
20*
The film turns the franchise into an ill-advised issues-based drama about domestic abuse and toxic masculinity, devoting excessive time to the brutalisation of women in an unholy spectacle that glorifies violence.
Read the full review →The review deems it a grueling hell that doubles down on misery and graphic nastiness without emotional payoff. It singles out the relentless brutality, ear trauma and graphic dog murder for complaint while noting the camerawork often distracts from the flow.
Read the full review →E
Empire
8 July 2026 · Ben Travis
The critic finds it a bold and brutal but gruelling ride that cranks the series darker with inventive Deadite purpose and strong craft in extended takes and gore, while noting it occasionally becomes too unpleasant and dour with slack pacing.
Read the full review →I
IndieWire
8 July 2026 · Alison Foreman
The review calls it the single strangest Deadite movie yet, an oddly emotive gorefest in which organized French cinema chaos collides with brutal in-law drama. It praises the distinctive blend of styles and emotional undercurrents while noting its departure from franchise norms.
Read the full review →H
The Hollywood Reporter
8 July 2026 · David Rooney
The critic sees it as an orgy of unmodulated mayhem that gives gorehounds what they want while sticking to the formula. It singles out the practical effects, inventive weaponry and Souheila Yacoub’s resilient performance for praise while complaining about the lack of humor, character depth and antic spirit of the originals.
Read the full review →T
Total Film
8 July 2026 · Brad Hanson
The critic describes the film as a relentless endurance test of blood-and-bile soaked nightmare fuel.
Read the full review →C
Collider
8 July 2026 · 8/10 · Aidan Kelley
80
The critic praises it as a frightening, funny, worthy successor to the franchise, highlighting the director's skillful direction, strong third act, mix of horror and comedy, and practical effects. The one singled out for praise is the unforgettable third act.
Read the full review →The film is the evilest entry in the Evil Dead series, with spectacular violence and dizzying camerawork that underscore the ugliness in its characters’ hearts and a family history of abuse. It piles on brutality and inventive gore until the house and everyone in it is obliterated, delivering peak Evil Dead showmanship.
Read the full review →D
Digital Spy
8 July 2026 · Ian Sandwell
75*
The critic praises the disgusting set pieces, darkly funny beats, striking cinematography and the way new director Vaniček brings his own style while keeping the franchise creatively alive. It is memorable and distinct despite a somewhat flat ending.
Read the full review →/
/Film
8 July 2026 · 7/10 · Chris Evangelista
70
The critic praises the film's blend of body horror nastiness and surprising humor, noting it avoids being unrelentingly grim like previous entries while delivering creative gore. They single out the director's visual flair and inventive camera tricks for keeping the action lively and fun.
Read the full review →N
NME
8 July 2026 · ★★★ · Lou Thomas
60
The film has solid pacing and ingredients for a good horror yarn but never quite catches fire, lacking sufficient scares or brutality compared to the previous entry. It remains entertaining in isolation but is slightly disappointing as a follow-up.
Read the full review →P
Polygon
8 July 2026 · Maria Loreto
40*
The critic finds the film caught between horror and camp, trying to blend elements but ultimately falling flat; praises technical aspects like camera work and sound design but complains about underdeveloped story, weak character connections, and lack of tonal control.
Read the full review →D
Den of Geek
8 July 2026 · 2 out of 5 · David Crow
The critic finds the film crude, cruel and misanthropic, lacking the mischief and visual flair of prior entries and resembling unpleasant torture porn more than fun horror. The toxic family metaphor is rote and the experience is an endurance test with little to redeem it.
Read the full review →Ordered by the weight we give each publication, then by score. Scores are normalised to 100; * means inferred from an unrated review. Summaries are ours, not quotations; follow the links for the reviews themselves. How we rate