A genuinely disturbing movie overflowing with gore, “Evil Dead Rise”  while lacking an intricate plot or endearing characters delivers on the true horror that has come to be expected of the Evil Dead franchise. “Evil Dead Rise”  was released in theaters on April 21st, 2023, and is the fifth addition to the Evil Dead series. However, it should be noted that it can be watched and enjoyed just as much as a stand-alone film that both old and new fans can enjoy.  

“Evil Dead Rise”  follows a family trapped on the top floor of their apartment building as the discovery of a demonic book leads to the release of demons who are determined to possess and kill everyone inside in the most horrifying ways possible.  While the location change from the Cabin in the Woods from the original movies to an apartment building in L.A. removed one of the most iconic parts of the franchise the eerie feeling of being trapped with nowhere to go remained just as strong even in new territory. 

The visual effects in this movie were very well done making the gore look terrifyingly real and the camera angles uncomfortably disturbing. This was a very hard movie to watch without constantly wanting to look away. A constant feeling of immense anxiety didn’t falter until the end credits hit the screen, and maybe not even then. This movie was a truly hard watch in the best way possible. 

Unfortunately while delivering on horror “Evil Dead Rise”  lacked almost any likable characters. While the gore and scares were plentiful the lack of connection to any of the characters made it a lot less disturbing than it had the potential to be. It also doesn’t help that some of the characters were just straight-up unlikable, making comically stupid decisions time and time again, leaving me less scared and more baffled about how they had made it that far in life thus far. While most horror movies rely a little on characters’ airheadedness the usage in “Evil Dead Rise” was over the top to the point it was distracting. 

The plot was also extremely simple with almost everything spelled out for you along the way. This definitely isn’t a movie that leaves you guessing or digging deeper. Personally, I like movies that leave you a little bit confused because they leave you thinking long after the movie ends. But for people who prefer a simple slasher horror movie with good scares and lots of gore, this film is your cup of tea. 

“Evil Dead Rise”  is a rare horror movie that delivers just what it promises: true unrelinquished horror. I’d like to stress that it is definitely not for the faint of heart if you don’t like gore you won’t like this movie. However, if you like horror and do fine with all things gruesome and disturbing it’s definitely worth the watch.