Evil Dead Burn

I've been a fan of these movies for the last couple decades. The original is iconic and a masterclass in horror writing and filming on a budget. The great Bruce Campbell is awesome in the role as Ash and though the films changed a bit in the two proceeding sequels, it was always a good time. The third is my favorite because it's the perfect blend of horror and comedy without going too far into the blood and gore.

Then, not so long ago, we got a remake. Horror evolved over the decades between this one and the OG in the 80s. Horror could be more than just jump scares and blood and violence. There could be a subtleness in themes. The remake was about addiction at it's core and the trauma it inflicts on those around them. While it went harder than the past couple Evil Dead movies, you did have people you could root for. Wanted to see them survive.

While it did well, it didn't bring in more sequels. It would return with Evil Dead Rise. Bringing it out of the cabin in the woods format, this one went to a high-rise apartment building that's being condemned soon. Which suited the dark aesthetic of the film. Though the fact it centered around a mom and her kids, including a pregnant older daughter, you really didn't want to see things go sour here. Kids were involved man.

Thankfully, the standalone sequel Evil Dead Burn, returned some of the elements that made the other ones good. The main action takes place on a farm house in the middle of nowhere, so it leaves the cabin behind while still being isolated in the middle of nowhere. There were themes of abuse and trying to get away from that kind of violence.

The main protagonist, Alice, was clearly being abused by her husband Will. You saw in the beginning how antagonized her and treated her horribly. I sat there in the theater hoping he would die first...got my wish! No One Wish Willow needed. But, it wasn't over for her. The family isn't so great.

Will's parents, Susan and Edgar, clearly favored Will over the younger, less confident Joseph. Alice attends the cremation ceremony and they are hard to connect with because they blame her for Will's death. She was looking for an out before, but the sudden death pulled her into the family's drama.

Alice comes across Joseph's research on his grandfather's secret society and reads a passage that brings forth the Deadites. The anger and violence begins and Edgar goes all Evil Dead. Though the way he was acting before, it was hard to tell when it started.

One by one the family goes evil and Alice must survive the night and find the one weapon that can kill them.

Overall, it was a decent movie. The underlying themes weren't forced and Alice was a likeable character. I was hoping that Joseph would have been able to make it out unscathed. His father thought less of him and though he was possessed at the time, Edgar's outright anger to Alice for not wearing her wedding ring and Joseph for daring to sit in Will's seat...you wanted him dead.

There was a setup to the sequel because you have to keep the franchise going. I will of course be going to see it because I enjoy these movies. They're not great, but they will give good scares and have you cringing in your seat.

I won't hope to see Bruce show up as Ash in future movies. He's getting too old for that stuff. Besides, Ash had its time. Let these movies move forward without him. The series he was in was a great close to the character.

In the end, these movies are just okay. You know what you're getting into when you go see them. Blood. Violence. A jump scare or two. Creatures that will swallow your soul. Given the landscape of horror these days, these movies do need to try more. Obsession and Backrooms (haven't seen this one yet) are being made by indie content creators while Evil Dead is big budget horror. The restraints were simple in this, but not much was done in innovating. It needs to grow and change if it's going to keep up.

3/5