Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland, Vikings, The Mist) lives in a rundown apartment building with her three children—teenagers Bridget (Gabrielle Echols, Reminiscence) & Danny (Morgan Davies, The End, The Girlfriend Experience) and their younger sister Kassie (Nell Fisher, My Life is Murder). Her husband abandoned the family a few months earlier, and their home is going to be demolished in about a month. With their lives falling apart, Ellie’s estranged sister Beth (Lily Sullivan, Barskins, Picnic at Hanging Rock)—a guitar technician who has been traveling with a band—suddenly shows up out of the blue with some problems of her own. However, the reunion is quickly interrupted by an Earthquake that takes out the power in the building. The quake also reveals an old bank vault under the building, containing the Book of the Dead and some old record recordings of its passages being read aloud. Not knowing the danger they possess, the records are played, and soon flesh-possessing demons are released into the building, and the possession quickly starts to spread. With the stairs and elevator taken out by the quake, the family finds themselves trapped, not knowing who will succumb to this evil next. Will any of them survive this nightmare that has been unleashed?!
I am one of those rare people who has never actually seen the original Evil Dead films, just the 2013 remake. While there are certainly Easter eggs and other references to those films, I didn’t feel like I was missing any of the story. In many ways this is a more of a standalone story (or a setup for a new franchise), reintroducing viewers to this Book of the Dead and the things that it can unleash. When these demons take over a body, they have access to all of its memories, which it tries to use against its other potential victims, to lure them in and spread their evil.
Evil Dead Rises is an engaging thriller that is constantly dialing up the tension and putting the viewers on the edge of their seats. There is some dark humor mixed in with the horror to give some moments to catch your breath, but there seems to always be something lurking in the shadows preparing for the next gruesome attack. (Some of these scenes had me uncomfortably squirming—you will never look at your cheese grater the same ever again!) You never know who this demon is going to infect and take over next, and when they do, there’s usually lots of blood and gore to follow. The demon is cunning and manipulative, playing off the various family members’ worst fears and insecurities, using these and the voice of its host body against them. While Ellie was always the more responsible one of the sisters, this situation forces usual screw-up Beth to step up and take charge like she hasn’t had to before. Each of the children also have their own unique personalities and insecurities that the demon will try to take advantage of, so they will need to help protect one another.
The family soon enters into a primal quest for survival, but these demons have a hard time staying dead.
The cast is excellent, especially Alyssa Sutherland, who is so deliciously creepy as the primary demon who takes over and tries to manipulate the others—I can still hear her chilling “Mommy’s with the maggots now” line from the trailer. The apartment building is also a bit of a character of its own. It is rundown and falling apart, and brings a sense of claustrophobia to the situation as the family finds themselves trapped with no way out, and they can see the demon looking for any way in.
Warner Bros. has released Evil Dead Rises on both 4K and Blu-ray disc—we were sent the Blu-ray version for review. Much of this film takes place in the dark as the power has gone out, and things are just lit by flashlights or emergency lights. However, the picture remains quite clean, clear and detailed throughout, and the darkness helps add to the creepiness and tension. The Atmos audio track is an aural masterpiece, providing a chillingly-immersive experience. Right from the opening scene, I did a double take, thinking there was some kind of buzzing insect flying behind me—I had to rewind and listen again to assure myself it was just coming from the movie! Throughout the film, you can hear distorted voices, echoes and growls coming from every direction. The rain storm outside can be heard overhead, and you also hear every bone crack, bang and chittering as the demons try to make their way in or are attacking a victim in another room. The audio track provides the perfect constant uneasiness for a horror movie.
The Blu-ray release comes with both a Blu-ray and a DVD disc packed on either side of a standard HD keepcase, along with a cardboard slipcover and an insert with instructions on how to redeem an HD Movies Anywhere compatible digital copy. Unfortunately there is no bonus material included on this release.
What’s Included:
Film: (1:36:27)
- 1080p / Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English Dolby Atmos, English 5.1 Dolby Digital, English Descriptive Audio, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Chinese Simplified, Chinese Traditional, Korean, Spanish
- 480i / Anamorphic Widescreen 2.39:1
- Audio: English 5.1 Dolby Digital, French 5.1 Dolby Digital, Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital
- Subtitles: English SDH, French, Spanish
- HD Digital Copy (Movies Anywhere compatible)
Blu-ray:
DVD:
Digital (code may not be valid after 6/30/2024):
Extras:
-
There is no bonus material included on this release.
Final Thoughts:
As someone who hasn’t seen the original Evil Dead films, I had no issues fully enjoying this latest addition to the franchise. It is a creepy and tense horror movie that will put viewers on the edge of their seats and keep them there. Warner Bros.’ Blu-ray release looks great and sounds amazing, but unfortunately doesn’t include any bonus material whatsoever. That said, this is still an easy recommendation based on the quality of the film itself, for any fans of the franchise or of gruesome horror films in general. For those on the fence about a blind buy, the film is currently streaming on Max, so you can try before you buy if you are a subscriber.
Evil Dead Rise (4K Ultra HD + Blu-ray + Digital) [4K UHD]
32% Off $33.99 $19.99 (as of June 24, 2024 14:13 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Evil Dead Rise (Blu-ray)
44% Off $22.98 $11.99 (as of June 24, 2024 14:13 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Evil Dead Rise (DVD)
50% Off $19.98 $9.96 (as of June 24, 2024 14:13 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
Evil Dead Rise
$3.99 (as of June 24, 2024 14:13 GMT -04:00 – More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)
