Evil Dead
Starring: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Jessica Lucas, Lou Taylor Pucci, Elizabeth Blackmore
Director: Fede Alvarez
Rating: 3/5
The Evil Dead will always be remembered as a film so grisly and vicious that it was at the centre of the ‘video nasties’ period of the eighties. Since its release though, it’s become one of the most beloved horror movies of the period, if not all time, and launched the career of Sam Raimi that is still on the rise three decades later.
Now, as is inevitable in the world of horror, we have the modern version of the tale, helmed by first time director Fede Alvarez and with a cast of relative unknowns that looks to capture the magic of the original in its own way. Unfortunately, in this regard it fails to live up to the greatness of its namesake.
Here we see five young things heading up to a cabin in the woods not for a getaway and a good time, but to help one of their number Mia (Jane Levy) to get over her rather strong drug problem. Along with her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez), his girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore) and their friends Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) and Olivia (Jessica Lucas), they decide that a trip to the woods is the best way to go cold turkey.
However, when they discover a mysterious book in the basement, wrapped in barbed wire and bound in skin, things all start going terribly, terribly wrong, especially when Eric reads out a passage and unleashes terror onto the group.
While a remake should never simply be judged by the original, Evil Dead never lets you forget about the 1981 classic, constantly nodding in the other films direction either through props, camera cuts or even lines of dialogue.
The trouble is that this only brings the new film’s shortcomings to the forefront, as this new version is bereft of the character and charm that has made the original such a long lasting classic. This is most apparent when it comes to the cast of characters that we’re going to be spending this nightmarish night with.
Absolutely none of this new quintet has the charisma that made Bruce Campbell’s Ash so incredibly likeable and an icon in the horror scene. Mia is by far the most interesting of the new bunch, but she’s not on screen for more than half the movie. This is just made worse by Jane Levy’s fantastic performance, making you miss her even more when she’s not on camera.
Apart from her, the rest of the characters barely register as that, with Natalie in particular having only a handful of lines and barely any time spent on her. She might as well be named ‘Meat’.
While the film depends on its gore and special effects, in this regard it truly excels. The practical effects are truly outstanding, with the films horrific action looking suitably grimy, nasty and squirm-inducingly painful. It may not be overly inventive, but it easily makes up for that in execution.
The film’s climax is an absolute cracker as well, with the film’s sole survivor embroiled in thrilling showdown with a monstrosity summoned from the underworld that looks utterly stunning.
While it won’t have the same legacy as the original film, the new Evil Dead at least feels like it’s in the same spirit as it’s forebear, and with some great grim moments making this at least an enjoyable slice of brutality with more claret on show than the average wine festival. If only it had been able to crack a smile once in a while, it could have been so much more.
Evil Dead is in cinemas now and make sure to read our interview with the film’s star Jane Levy.
Tagged in Jane Levy