EVIL DEAD BURN - Flaws a flawless franchise?
A Review of the latest Evil Dead entry - Evil Dead Burn!
WARNING: THIS REVIEW HAS SOME SPOILERS!
Released on July 10—just one day after this author’s birthday—is Evil Dead Burn, the latest installment in the legendary Evil Dead franchise. Over the last 45 years, we’ve been treated to the original trilogy, a 2013 reimagining that wasn't actually a remake at all (in my opinion), the spectacular Starz series Ash vs Evil Dead, the urban nightmare of Evil Dead Rise, and even the rare, pre-fame short film Within the Woods. Remarkably, every single entry has been excellent. Even if some primitive screwheads out there beg to declare Rise a bad film, I disagree; while it wasn’t my favorite Dead film, it was in no way a misstep.
So, how is the Evil Dead franchise still kicking ass after nearly five decades? What makes this series so incredibly consistent?
Every other popular horror franchise has its absolute stinkers. Halloween had Resurrection, Child’s Play and A Nightmare on Elm Street suffered from horrid remakes, and Children of the Corn had… well, every movie after the original. Yet, Evil Dead has never had a single failure. Why? Simply put, the franchise has remained in the hands of its original creators since day one: Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and the legendary Bruce Campbell. Evil Dead is their baby, and they refuse to let it go to ruin. Thank God for that.
Does Burn blemish this perfect record? Nope, absolutely not.
Like the past two entries, Burn is gory, brutal, bloody, and wild. In fact, it easily stands as the most brutally violent entry in the entire series. Animal lovers, consider yourselves warned: you might have a hard time sitting through a highly distressing scene where a dog is repeatedly stabbed with a fork. That doggy death scene is so brutal it makes the inciting incident of John Wick look like a G-rated forgivable accident. The film will also make sure you safely put your utensils into the dishwasher properly - sharp side down!
So, what is this latest nightmare actually about?
The story follows Alice (played by Souheila Yacoub), a grieving widow who seeks solace with her estranged, highly dysfunctional in-laws at their secluded lake house following the tragic, fiery death of her husband, Will. People get possessed and things get bloody from there!
And speaking of how this nightmare kicks off, finally, we have some continuity!
Yes, Army of Darkness was a direct continuation of Evil Dead II, but beyond that, the franchise has largely avoided direct threads. Evil Dead II famously retconned the original film in its first ten minutes, while Evil Dead (2013) and Evil Dead Rise were standalone stories. Burn, however, boldly picks up right where Rise left off: at the lake, with the Deadite-possessed Jessica still lurking in the water. While the movie eventually transitions into a fresh story with a new cast of characters, having that bridge to connect Rise and Burn is incredibly satisfying. Plus, there’s a post-credits scene that ties the universe together even further.
Burn also resurrects a crucial element of the lore: the Kandarian Dagger. Its design has changed drastically—which might perturb some purists—but its presence is a massive win. In previous films, the Deadites never had much of a motive beyond sheer, chaotic rage for having their "ancient slumber" disturbed. Here, they target Will’s family with a specific, driving purpose: to obtain and destroy the only instrument capable of sending them back to hell. This introduces a refreshing, high-stakes plot element to the story. Will they succeed? I think that’s enough spoilers for one review.
Evil Dead Burn is a phenomenal horror film that easily earns its place alongside its legendary predecessors. I'd say it's the second-best instalment of the Ash-less movies (2013 still being the best).
Rating: 9/10
