The Cruelest One Yet? Evil Dead Burn Review (Spoiler-free)

The 1980s, home to never-ending horror hits, saw budding filmmaker and horror movie enthusiast Sam Raimi, alongside lifelong friend Bruce Campbell, create 'The Evil Dead' (1981), a nail-bitingly tense, tongue-in-cheek demonic horror that would stand the test of time. Since then, sequels, remakes and franchise 'rebooters' have continually adapted the maddened world of deadites, chainsaws and gallons of gore and guts, and with quite decent success. Now, the latest venture comes from French filmmaker Sébastien Vaniček, who promises an extreme take on the already brutal film series. With co-writer and frequent collaborator Florent Bernard joining Vaniček, does the highly anticipated 'Evil Dead Burn' live up to the incredibly beloved reputation of this cult franchise...?  

Evil Dead Burn sees Alice (Souheila Yacoub) reunite with her in-laws at their remote home after the tragic passing of her husband Will (George Pullar). As tensions arise and the mood darkens, the family becomes gradually possessed by relentless evil spirits. 

Premiering only weeks ago, Evil Dead Burn is already securing quite the reputation for being completely vicious, with dozens of scenes going particularly hardcore, pedal to the metal, especially for a wide theatrically released film in a major franchise. Mutilation, evisceration, decapitation, amputation, stabbings, torture, dismemberment, maiming, mangling and full bodily desecration are just a few of the buzzwords floating around in discussion of the bloodshed that the film dives right into. It goes without saying, but for the easily squeamish, Evil Dead Burn is best watched through peaked fingers, ears partially covered and possibly with a nearby barf-bag; however, for those with a slightly more hardened disposition who crave scenes of depravity, the film is riotously fun and reminiscent of why the entire franchise is so enamoured by genre fans. During the promotional phase of the film, Vaniček declared that this would not be the bloodiest of all the Evil Dead films, but incredibly violent in the sense that each injury is so richly infused with what would be an unbearable level of pain, turning the wince-factor all the way up. It does not hold back and treats its irreverent excessiveness as a distinctive badge of honour. With all that being said, there is one scene involving a poor pooch whose deadly fate is nearly unbearable to watch for animal lovers. 

The paradox of displaying gore is a continually evolving concept in horror. Practical effects supply an innate rawness that makes the visceral abjectness of it all truly come to life. On the other hand, CGI allows for an endless scope of possibilities; any situation is possible. Whichever end of the spectrum viewers prefer, Vaniček's mix of 90% practical, 10% CGI hits a sweet spot that delivers those brutal hits with an air of genuine coarse vulgarity. The director has discussed his process of extensively drawing and storyboarding out the kill scenes to emulate the visuals and decipher which weaponry and actions would deliver the biggest gut punch. It is here where Evil Dead Burn shines. Every instance of chaos is delivered with the maximum in mind, in turn affecting the viewer right down to the bone. This idea of physicality first and prioritising the guttural over the sensical is a modus that Vaniček led with in his debut, previous feature, 'Infested' (2023). 

Infested gained rapid attention after its premiere in its native France, soon gaining attention from horror streaming giant 'Shudder' and fellow filmmakers, including none other than Sam Raimi, who, like us all, admired the stylisation and subtext that the film built itself upon. Vaniček has described the experience of being handpicked by Raimi himself as not only surreal, but also favourable enough that he was trusted to adapt his entire vision for the film, essentially being allowed carte blanche to run wild with the Evil Dead storyline. One of the elements that Vaniček really wanted to home in on is making the film an emotionally and physically draining experience, with all the intensity of the film being akin to a sensorial overload. 

Lending credence to all of the above are the performances from every character, particularly Souheila Yacoub and Luciane Buchanan, who both take these polar roles and lead with a tenacious physicality that keeps the ante thriving throughout. Next are the countless titbits and easter eggs that are scattered across the entire film paying homage to the franchise. Instances include pure crimsoned grounds and red lighting reminiscent of Fede Álvarez's bold 'Evil Dead' (2013) or a blink and you'll miss it glimpse of Ash's beloved car from the original Evil Dead, the infamous yellow Oldsmobile Delta 88. With all that being said, it may have been a welcome twist for the film to lean into its directorial European roots and set the film outside of the US; although the likes of Skegness or Essex might not conjure the same emotion… Alas, one can dream. 

Evil Dead Burn is a rip-roaring entry into a beloved series, fitting right in amongst all the other films and earning its stripes as one of this year's most solid entries. And for those who stuck around for the post-credit scene and its hints of narrative continuation, the next Evil Dead, announced as 'Evil Dead Wrath' (2028), is sure to have some big shoes to fill. 

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