Evil Dead Rise (2023)
Director: Lee Cronin
Screenwriters: Lee Cronin
Starring: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, Nell Fisher
The appetite for more Evil Dead content never fades. Since Sam Raimi’s original, the franchise has held a firm place in horror culture, inspiring filmmakers and audiences alike. In 2023, Lee Cronin delivered the fifth theatrical entry, Evil Dead Rise, a film that reimagines the original premise while remaining true to the franchise’s brutal spirit. Set largely within a single high-rise building, the story centers on a family facing eviction who discover a hidden vault beneath their apartment tower. Inside lies one of the infamous Books of the Dead. When recordings and incantations accompany the book, malevolent forces are unleashed and the film unfolds as a relentless, ninety-minute descent into gore and terror.
Evil Dead Rise might have been a risky proposition. The franchise has rarely missed the mark, and a follow-up that borders on a second remake could have undermined that legacy. Instead, Rise succeeds by honoring the franchise’s core elements—visceral practical effects, a relentless tempo, and a tangible atmosphere of dread—while introducing fresh characters and a modern setting. The screenplay keeps the action confined to the building, which gives the film a claustrophobic intensity that recalls other enclosed-horror classics. Rather than leaning on overt nostalgia or overused fan service, Cronin integrates franchise iconography—the shotgun, the chainsaw, the signature color palette—so that these elements feel organic to the story, not merely decorative.
Tonally, Evil Dead Rise leans more toward straight horror than horror-comedy. Where earlier franchise entries sometimes embraced broad, comedic beats, Rise returns to the tense, unsettling style of the original and the 2013 remake. Humor appears sparingly and is earned, used mainly to puncture the tension rather than to undercut fear. The film’s emphasis on grotesque practical effects and intense body horror will satisfy long-time fans seeking visceral scares and inventive creature work.
The cast delivers committed performances across the board. Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland anchor the adult drama with emotional clarity as family members pushed to the brink. Special mention goes to the trio of younger performers—Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and Nell Fisher—whose scenes deliver both vulnerability and shock value. Fisher, in one of her earliest major roles, stands out with a blend of wit, ferocity, and resilience that suggests a promising career ahead. Playing possessed characters requires a delicate balance between grotesque physicality and tonal control; the ensemble largely succeeds, maintaining the franchise’s tightrope between horrific and oddly darkly comic moments.
Lee Cronin’s direction is economical and assured. He rarely indulges in flashy camerawork, reserving stylistic choices for moments that genuinely enhance the mood. One striking sequence uses a split diopter to introduce the first possessed character, creating an unnerving, dreamlike effect that makes the deadite’s face feel detached and otherworldly. Cronin, whose body of work includes shorts and television, demonstrates a clear command of pacing, staging, and practical effects, shaping a tight, efficient horror film that feels both modern and faithful to its roots.
If the film has a minor flaw, it’s an extraneous opening and closing scene that doesn’t integrate with the central narrative. Those bookend moments feel like studio-mandated attempts to provide immediate scares rather than contributions to the plot. Trimming that material and reallocating the runtime to deepen the main family’s arc—centering El, Beth, Danny, Bridget, and Kass—would likely have strengthened the film without losing any of its momentum.
Despite that quibble, Evil Dead Rise reaffirms the franchise’s vitality. It revitalizes the mythos for a new generation while respecting the practical-effects-driven brutality that fans expect. The film’s focus on confined terror, relentless physical horror, and a strong ensemble performance makes it a worthy successor and a standout in contemporary supernatural horror.
For horror fans seeking a fresh but faithful entry in the Evil Dead canon, Rise delivers brutal set pieces, steady direction, and a cast that commits fully to the mayhem. The result is a film that feels like an evolution of the series rather than a regression.
Score: 18/24
Recommended reading: Evil Dead Movies Ranked