Review: Evil Dead

Katherine Perrington reviews the recent reboot of the Evil Dead franchise and finds that although it isn’t lacking in thrills, you can see them coming from a country (cabin in the woods) mile off…

This is the feature début of director Fede Alvarez and is the fourth instalment of the franchise, acting as both a reboot and a continuation of the series. I am so tempted to give this film a round of applause purely for ticking off half the horror tropes known to man.

Image Credit: Total Film

First, we start with the location which is an old cabin in the middle of the woods, blocked off from civilisation by a river which rises during any mild downpour. The cabin is a good staple of the horror genre offering little protection from the outside as well as hidden basements filled with sacrificial offerings.

This group of incompetent friends are here to get Mia (Jane Levy) off drugs and tensions are running high between her and her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez), as he previously abandoned her and their mother.

The next cliché we see is the creepy book made from human skin found in a basement filled with strung-up animal corpses. The book is bound in a bin bag and barbed wire (clearly a sign to leave it be, if ever there was one). But what kind of horror would it be if the stereotypical geek didn’t read from the aptly named ‘Naturom Demento’, despite the myriad warnings written in blood on the inside? Lo and behold: immediately after reciting a demonic prayer something emerges from the woods outside and quickly takes possession of Mia.

From this point we see the cast picked off one by one, first becoming possessed then being killed by the survivors. Mia is locked in the basement spewing verbal abuse as well as blood from her mouth. The possession is highly reminiscent of The Exorcist and creates a dark humour as the characters try to unravel what is going on. Snippets from the book reveal a demon called ‘The Taker of Souls’ needs five souls to release the abomination from hell.

Image credit: Total Film

To stop this, each of the possessed can be destroyed by fire, dismemberment, or by being buried alive (it’s never easy is it?). David, in an attempt to save Mia, buries her alive before resuscitating her with a car battery hooked to her chest which shockingly seems to work.

But far be it for a horror to have more than one survivor, so unlucky David soon perishes battling the last of the possessed in the cabin, which he sets on fire, killing himself and seeming to stop the demon.

It was at this point that my friend and I debated whether an arm would pop up from the ground or a sinister pair of eyes would appear in the woods, neatly rounding off the cliché check list – and I won! An arm emerges from the ground and poor Mia is left to fight the abomination while blood pours down from the sky. Mia wins the fight and all seems dandy apart from the brief flashback to the book, clearly implying that the demon isn’t done and that there is ample room to spin out the franchise.

Image credit: IMDB

Whilst there are moments of genuine terror, the film lacked originality and it wasn’t difficult to guess what would happen next. There was little emotional investment with any of the characters and their relationships with each other were not believable or well-acted.

Jane Levy did a good job as Mia but the rest were mediocre at best, and the film could have really benefited from some established names. It is enjoyable (to an extent) and no money was spared on the fake blood budget, the props department also must have had fun designing all the makeshift weapons.

Overall, it came across like a patchwork quilt of a horror without a clear pattern or design, instead pinning its hopes on borrowing from what others had done better and with a lot more style.

2.5/5

Katherine Perrington

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Not Again! The Case for Remakes

Despite ongoing arguments amongst critics and fans alike, Hollywood doesn’t ever seem to tire of rehashing the same old plots. But can this ever be a good thing? With remakes of The Crow, Carrie and Evil Dead amongst this year’s releases, Screen Co-Editor Rob Harris lists his ultimate top 5.

King Kong (2005)

Image credit: BBC

Following its release back in 2005, the film immediately became controversial between fans. After all, how could anything match the industry-defining Hollywood darling of the original? Well, Peter Jackson certainly helps. Under his direction, not only did it receive all the necessary tweaks to design, script and characterisation to effectively update it for modern audiences, but it also came out fighting armed with Jackson’s own personal brand of epic bravado. Despite not quite living up to the 1933 version, this love letter to the past still stands as an example of how to handle such a beloved series.

Casino Royale (2006)

This one may be cheating slightly seeing as it’s more a reimagining of a book than a full-blown remake, but its quality cannot be denied. The last attempt at this Ian Fleming classic was back in 1967, but took the rather peculiar angle of a satirical slap in the face to the spy genre rather than following in the same vein of the Sean Connery instalments. It was not until the series reboot 39 years later that audiences were properly exposed to story and it soon became one of the greatest Bond films of all time.

The Departed (2006)

In 2002, Hong Kong’s film industry drew a collective sigh of relief as Andrew Lau and Alan Mak’s Infernal Affairs broke through the creative deadlock to provide one of Eastern cinema’s most critically acclaimed and successful franchises. After gaining a substantial fan base across the globe, Martin Scorsese decided to bring the story to Western audiences. The result is a thoroughly entertaining, smartly written and award winning take on the cops vs. crooks formula which brings both action and a star-studded cast to the crime-riddled streets of Boston.

True Grit (2010)

As a near frame by frame remake, you would be forgiven for dismissing it as nothing more than a simple rehash of the John Wayne original. However, this could not be further from the truth. By ditching the PG-rated tone of the 1969 version, the Coen brothers succeed in producing both a darker approach to characterisation as well as an appropriately mature style. Throw in impressive performances from Jeff Bridges and newcomer Hailee Steinfeld and you are left with a movie which outdoes its predecessor in virtually every area.

Scarface (1983)

Of course, the only thing better than improving upon a concept is leaving it outclassed, trampled and forgotten. By trading the prohibition-era Chicago gangsters for the greed and power of the Miami Cartel, the 1983 version of Scarface did just this, soon becoming one of cinema’s most brutal, controversial and memorable crime films to date. The 1932 original may have been met with critical acclaim when it was first released, but nothing can compete with this cocaine-fuelled endeavour into the very underbelly of drug and crime culture.

Do you think originals are best left alone? Let us know your views on Facebook, Twitter or by commenting below.