Evil Dead Rise, written and directed by Lee Cronin, is the fifth in the Evil Dead franchise and first for a decade. Alyssa Sutherland stars as Ellie, a single Mum living in an apartment in a dilapidated old building in Los Angeles with her kids, Danny (Morgan Davies), Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and Kassie (Nell Fisher). Just Ellie’s sister Beth (Lily Sullivan) visits, Danny discovers a strange old book that unleashes demons.
There are some things that work well with Evil Dead Rise, particularly the creepy building and how the family become trapped there after an earthquake hits. Gorehounds should be satisfied with the gallons of blood on display, and some will get a thrill from the sight of Sullivan drenched in blood whilst wielding a chainsaw!
I found, though, the more over the top the film went, and the less realistic it became, the more I felt detached from it. The most effective moment was near the start of the carnage involving a cheese grater. Also, apart from one errant eyeball, it lacked the humour that made the best of the franchise, Evil Dead 2, stand out.
The effects are all fine and Cronin keeps things moving swiftly enough, setting up the inevitable sequel, but it is pretty unremarkable.
Rating: 5.5 out of 10