EVIL DEAD BURN

Evil Dead Burn unleashes a mean spirited, morbidly hilarious, and bloody entertaining horror film that benefits from the unrelenting drive of writer-director Sébastien Vaniček who both challenges the Evil Dead formula and embraces the hallmarks of the long running horror series, even if the film as a whole never feels as gruesome or brutal as the preceding films.

Utter the language of the Naturom Demonto, summon Kandarian demons. Six films into the Evil Dead franchise and audiences know the carnage that is about to unfold from one of the horror genre’s most notoriously gory series, as it has routinely followed a set formula for four of its five films. But Evil Dead Burn does a first for the series: it breaks the narrative formula despite having a similar story as the other films in the series. No character fully speaks the cursed words and summons the demons, this time they’re already here. And they have a mission, and that is the premise that sets the events of the film into motion as the Deadites descend upon the Price Family. The mechanics of the story itself remain firmly rooted in the Evil Dead DNA, with the family being stuck in their home, surrounded by the Deadites as they one by one claim members of the family and expand their numbers through some truly gnarly kills. Under the direction and writing of French filmmaker Sébastien Vaniček, there is a brutality to the Deadite attacks that not only fits perfectly within the world of Evil Dead, but challenges North American viewers with one of the nastiest films of the year… and I mean that in the most complimentary way possible. The set pieces are wild, never shying away from the franchise's trend of turning ordinary objects into deadly tools of chaos, such as the unforgettable dishwasher scene or the vehicle attack, offering up the right amount of blood and chaos to make audiences squirm in their seats.

Bringing to life the entire film is the dynamic and breathtaking cinematography of Philip Lozano, which is the secret weapon of the entire film, as his camera work is unparalleled. Beyond the iconic point of view aerial shot of the demons being summoned by the Naturom Demonto that has become a staple of the series, Lozano has some impressive camera work that gives unbroken footage to the set pieces, prolonging the torturing of the audience to ensure maximum damage to their emotional wellbeing, notably with that insane house fight one take shot in the film’s second act which is unequivocally the best moment of the film and the wild aerial shots during the car scene in the first act. Maxime Caro’s editing is great at keeping the energy high throughout the film and the strain on the relationships within the Price family at an all-time high, especially during the first act’s lunch scene which is one of the most uncomfortable moments caught on camera this year that kicks off the film in a gruesome fashion. And while the last two films have been light on humour, Vaniček and Florent Bernard’s screenplay brings back the Sam Raimi humour that defined the original trilogy and ensures big (albeit uncomfortable) laughter throughout the film that calls back to the tone of the Raimi films, even if none of the cast can deliver the humour as effortlessly as Bruce Campbell did as Ash.

Evil Dead Burn is familiar enough to the rest of the Evil Dead films in form, but Vaniček and Bernard’s thematic exploration of domestic abuse which lies at the heart of the film’s story is somehow more chilling than the bloody mutilation that occurs on screen. Following the death of her husband, the audience slowly learns that not only was Will Price a hotheaded dick, but an abusive monster. The silent processing of being freed from her abuser while still feeling victimized by his behaviour gives our final girl Alice a strong narrative arc over the course of the film, tackling the horrifying realities that abusers are not born but nurtured as you see the controlling and cold Price family in action as they turn on Alice. It’s powerful writing that voices that unsettling truths of abuse that many people do not want to acknowledge, and not something you would expect out of an Evil Dead film, but Vaniček and Bernard handle it with the utmost care as they balance it against the gnarly violence of the Evil Dead franchise. This results in an empowering and cathartic character arc for Alice, helping to create another memorable final girl for the long running franchise.

The Evil Dead franchise has had a spotless record of strong leading actors with Campbell, Jane Levy, Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland, and that trend continues with Souheila Yacoub as Alice. Capturing the inner torture of being haunted by her abusive recently deceased husband, terrified of his family’s reaction to her plans to move forward in life, and hunted down by the Deadites, Yacoub gives a fierce performance that is courageous and vulnerable, giving the audience a character to care and root for amongst a cast of unsavoury individuals to say the least. Hunter Doohan makes Joseph a truly detestable and snivelling character by removing any spine from him, creating a character with no strong moral compass through a committed performance that both captures the terror he faces and the appeasing coping mechanism he has used to survive his family’s wickedness for years.

Erroll Shand is intimidating from the second you meet him, long before the Deadites arrive and helps to build the nurture thread of the domestic abuse plotline, while Maude Davey helps to create some of the film’s funniest moments as the Grandma Polly with her forgetful and spiteful remarks. Though it is the great turn from Luciane Buchanan as Thya that more often than not steals the show. Reveling in the chaotic and twisted nature of the Deadite and becoming a gleeful, unpredictable force to be reckoned, Buchanan brings the terror of the Deadites to life every second she is on screen, making the audience sigh in relief when she is not on screen but also incredibly fearful of when she is going to jump out at them next.

But, there is something that holds Evil Dead Burn back from being as horrific as the previous two entries in the series. Part of this is attributed to the film’s lighting, washing the entirety of the film in a monochromatic grey which softens the intense gore at times and downplays the great make up and special effects work used to bring the Deadites and their gnarly (and sometimes fiery) carnage to life. There are moments where the camera pulls away from the violence that is happening, trying to create a more sensory experience with the audience only hearing what is happening… but that is not what viewers want from an Evil Dead film. But it largely feels like none of the set pieces were as daring or vomit inducing as the previous films: there was no unforgettable cheese grater moment like we had in Evil Dead Rise, and nothing as grotesque as Jessica Lucas’s character self-mutilating her own face with a piece of a broken mirror in Fede Álvarez’s Evil Dead. There is no question that Vaniček makes Evil Dead Burn relentlessly mean, but he never reaches the previous gruesome heights of the series, which ultimately makes Evil Dead Burn the least evil film of the series.

While Evil Dead Burn may not be the goriest and most disturbing entry in the franchise, as that title still belongs to Fede Álvarez’s Evil Dead, there is no doubt that Evil Dead Burn is a wicked entry to the series that proves this franchise shows no sign of slowing down anytime soon. Featuring exception practical effects to bring to life the Deadites’ reign of terror on the Price family, even if it is dampened by the poor lighting choices of the film, and exceptional and energetic cinematography from Philip Lozano, Sébastien Vaniček delivers a truly mean spirited film in Evil Dead Burn that will delight all sicko horror fans with its unrelenting carnage and scares while featuring a wonderful lead performance from Souheila Yacoub, though it is sadly missing that gruesome spark that has made the previous entries in the franchise stomach turning, nightmare inducing horror films.