Movie Review: ‘Evil Dead Burn’

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Review by Adam courtliff

The Evil Dead franchise has rightfully cemented itself as one of the most iconic horror rites of passage for generations of fans. Whether it’s the original 80s and 90s classic trilogy or the new reboot that has delivered two more stellar films for audiences to sink their teeth into, it’s safe to say Evil Dead fans have been feasting. And that doesn’t change with the latest installment, Evil Dead Burn, which, despite treading familiar ground narratively, packs in a fair few surprises to ensure this is yet another horror spectacle.

This time round, Evil Dead Burn follows Alice (Souheila Yacoub), a young French woman trapped in an abusive relationship with her husband, Will (George Pullar). To make matters worse, Will’s family, made up of brother Joseph (Hunter Doohan) and parents Edgar (Erroll Shand) and Susan (Tandi Wright), are all troubled in their own ways, with Edgar and Susan in particular refusing to accept Alice’s relationship with their golden boy.

Their worlds are turned upside down, however, by Will’s untimely death in a car accident caused by a Deadite, with the family about to learn that dead never really means dead in these movies. The Deadites are on a mission of vengeance against a family who are more important to the Evil Dead franchise than first meets the eye, with some impressive lore woven into the story that will have fans chomping at the bit. It’s now up to the survivors to stay alive, uncover the truth behind that lore, and somehow find a way out of the nightmare.

As with previous Evil Dead movies, Evil Dead Burn has a new director at the helm and it’s all the better for it. This time round it’s the turn of French filmmaker Sébastien Vaniček, who does his very best to leave a lasting mark on the franchise. It’s always interesting to compare and contrast these films against one another because each director’s style is so distinct, and with Vaniček’s approach, audiences are treated to an impressively crafted horror with brilliant visuals, incredibly slick editing, and some French flair and panache for good measure, making Evil Dead Burn a chaotic but hugely entertaining time.

While the story is certainly very similar to what we have seen from previous Evil Dead movies, never really deviating from the already trodden path, Vaniček’s script, alongside fellow writer Florent Bernard, does at least try to inject something a little different. It explores deep-rooted trauma and how one secret could be enough to tear a whole family apart, especially when it comes to those pesky toxic in-laws. That aspect is handled fairly well, adding a little emotional weight to proceedings that helps separate it from some of the franchise’s previous outings.

Not to be outdone by previous entries, Vaniček has ensured the grossness of Evil Dead Burn is amped up to the very max. Quite literally from the opening sequence until the very end, the film will have audiences wincing and squirming in their seats as some of the most gruesome scenes in the franchise to date play out before their eyes. There’s more than a few moments that will require audiences to look through their fingers at the very least, if not look away from the screen altogether, with one particular moment bound to become a huge talking point in the days to come because of just how shocking and disturbing it truly is.
Evil Dead Burn is also extremely impressive with its inventiveness. Everyone knows deaths are going to occur and just when you think the franchise might be running out of ideas for new and exciting ways to dispatch its characters, it throws a curveball out of nowhere to completely catch the audience off guard. Because of that, it’s almost impossible to ever feel comfortable in your seat, with the anxiety of when the next gory moment could arrive becoming increasingly gripping.

All of those sequences are made even more impressive by some of the most creative make-up you will have seen so far this year. It is impeccable throughout, adding a sense of realism that becomes completely unnerving because of how revoltingly convincing it is. That, coupled with a stellar use of practical and visual effects, ensures Evil Dead Burn has some of the most memorable kills the franchise has delivered and provides more than enough excitement to leave audiences baying for more in future installments.
The technical elements behind Evil Dead Burn are equally impressive. The score and sound design almost perfectly match the crazed energy of the movie, while the practical set design is made to look even more stunning by Philip Lozano’s astute cinematography. Together, they make Evil Dead Burn as immersive as a horror movie can be and will have audiences constantly peering into the corners of the screen, waiting for something to come creeping out.

Souheila Yacoub, who is trusted with the leading role, proves she is more than capable of carrying a horror flick with a strong performance. The whole supporting cast also rise to the occasion, with Erroll Shand being completely terrifying in his role. But it is undoubtedly Maude Davey who steals every scene she is in, providing all the comedic relief the film has to offer while showcasing impeccable comic timing to make sure each and every moment lands exactly as intended.

For all that is good about Evil Dead Burn, and there’s a lot, there are still some seriously frustrating moments along the way. More than a few times, characters make inexplicably stupid decisions that are bound to infuriate most watching and, the more they happen, particularly towards the climax, the more frustrating they become. They almost take you out of the film entirely for certain sections as the eye rolls will more than likely begin.

Speaking of the characters, the vast majority of them are extremely annoying. Vaniček either doesn’t develop them enough for you to care about them or, for the ones he does develop, they are the kind of people you actively root against. That’s not necessarily a bad thing per se, as audiences will be able to celebrate a lot of the untimely deaths and leave feeling satisfied, but there’s always that desire to have someone to truly root for. Even the main character, Alice, isn’t quite a slam dunk when it comes to being a protagonist audiences can fully get behind.

While Evil Dead Burn is, for the majority, paced extremely well, with a runtime of 110 minutes it is 17 minutes longer than any other entry in the franchise and you can really start to feel that in the final act. There are a few scenes during those closing moments that feel a little clunky and would arguably benefit from being trimmed ever so slightly to ensure the movie never runs out of steam. As it stands, though, that may only prove to be a complaint for some of the more critical audience members.

That said, Evil Dead Burn is unquestionably another fantastic addition to what is fast becoming one of my favourite horror franchises of all time. Thanks to Sébastien Vaniček’s exemplary filmmaking and some scenes that are likely to haunt many people’s nightmares for weeks to come, Evil Dead Burn more than matches its predecessors and is well worth a trip to the cinema this weekend.