The critic finds that the film refreshingly reinvents the series by moving it to an urban LA apartment building while retaining its schlocky spirit of gore and humor. It singles out the inventive scares, strong sisterly character work, and Alyssa Sutherland's unhinged performance for praise.
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Evil Dead Rise (2023)
22 reviews from 22 publications. Critics’ score 76: 12 positive, 2 mixed, 1 negative.
The critic praises it as a welcome return to the franchise's blend of humor, genuine scares, and creepiness. It singles out the abundant gore and blood, engaging characters, goofy comedy, and the shift to a high-rise setting as putting the series back on solid footing.
Read the full review →It's a relentless, wince-inducing gorefest with clever references and strong performances, particularly Sutherland's monstrous turn, making it horror at its finest.
Read the full review →The film is a strong return to the franchise that mixes demonic elements with fresh setting and escalating gore. It succeeds in scaring viewers through strong performances and terrifying effects.
Read the full review →The film delivers inventive gore and chainsaw action in a claustrophobic apartment setting, with strong performances especially from Alyssa Sutherland as the possessed mother. It's recommended for fans of the franchise's bloody thrills.
Read the full review →The critic says the franchise is back in gory glory, delivering creative, gruesome kills in a claustrophobic apartment setting that surpasses the 2013 reboot. It praises the contained intensity and overall energy while noting it falls short of the original Raimi entries in humor and camera work.
Read the full review →The critic finds the film a blood-drenched, effective entry in the franchise that shifts the action to an urban high-rise apartment building. It stands out for centering a family story with a tattoo-artist mother turned demon-possessed and a chain-saw-wielding aunt as the funny hero.
Read the full review →The critic dismisses it as an anonymous gorefest delivered with monotonous, po-faced earnestness. It singles out the lack of Raimi's gleeful splatter-comic soul, personality, tactile textures, and inventiveness, along with anonymous characters and setting, as the chief flaws.
Read the full review →The critic views it as a desecration of the series' goofy, inventive spirit, settling into a drab possessed-mom chiller. It singles out the lack of new ideas beyond elevated gore and the failure to embrace playful creativity as the main complaint.
Read the full review →The movie delivers plenty of gore and franchise staples but feels repetitive without the wit or invention of earlier entries. It will satisfy dedicated fans but lacks broader appeal.
Read the full review →Cronin's confident addition updates the franchise with genuine scares and unapologetic gore in a claustrophobic apartment setting, focusing on motherhood as a bloody nightmare while nodding to the series' roots.
Read the full review →The critic praises the intense gore and sound design in Lee Cronin's update, which relocates the action to an LA apartment while exploring family tensions through demonic possession. They note it dials down comedy for more unnerving horror.
Read the full review →The critic calls it a bloody good homage and effective corrective to the franchise. It highlights the director's twisted mind, strong performances by Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan, plentiful gore, and jittery style as making it a worthy entry.
Read the full review →The critic calls it an imaginatively scary franchise extension that effectively moves the horror to a rundown Los Angeles apartment building. It is praised for its claustrophobic tension, shocking set pieces, jet-black humor, and strong performances from the lead actresses.
Read the full review →Evil Dead Rise is a bloody, funny, and intense revival that successfully expands the franchise without relying on Ash, delivering practical gore and dark humor in spades. Lily Sullivan's Beth emerges as a compelling new heroine in a fresh urban setting.
Read the full review →Cronin's entry is a fast-paced, funny rollercoaster with inventive, savage gore and likable family characters that stand on their own. It pays homage to the series while refreshing the formula with an inner-city setting and doesn't require prior knowledge.
Read the full review →The critic calls it a worthy successor that understands the franchise's core appeal and delivers effective scares and gore for both fans and newcomers. The family dynamics and committed cast, especially Alyssa Sutherland as the possessed mother, provide emotional stakes rare in horror.
Read the full review →The critic calls it the most 'Evil Dead' movie yet, praising its extreme body horror, creature design, and darkly comedic energy that turns family destruction into a wild ride. Cronin is commended for delivering a hyper-violent, funhouse-style tour that stays true to the franchise while making a fresh mark.
Read the full review →The critic finds it a fantastic update full of unhinged glee, brutal kills, and clever humor that mixes Raimi-style fun with Álvarez-inspired gruesomeness. The shift to a family in an apartment building and Sutherland's standout performance as the Deadite mother add fresh edge and emotional weight.
Read the full review →The film delivers plentiful gore and some fun, Raimi-style moments but lacks real emotional connection or originality beyond callbacks. It feels like a glossy studio extension of the IP rather than a passionate new entry.
Read the full review →The critic finds the film a return to form for the franchise, praising its gory, absurd, funny and bleak tone along with strong practical effects, makeup and the cast's physical performances. Some annoyance is noted at standard horror tropes that make characters act foolishly.
Read the full review →The critic calls the film a bloody and barbaric good time that delivers rivers of blood, unrelenting evil and ingenious weaponry while highlighting strong performances, especially Alyssa Sutherland as the possessed mother. Minor notes include some cheesy lines and it not quite matching the 2013 reboot's shock value.
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