The Evil Dead franchise has shifted many times, opting for a variety of tones that sit somewhere along the horror-comedy scale. While Evil Dead Burn isn’t a sequel to 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, it’s the second in a trilogy of Evil Dead films that is being helmed by different indie horror directors in an attempt to inject a new vision into the franchise.
Part of the thrill of employing new writer/directors is getting to see how different approaches to horror and filmmaking in general blend with the Evil Dead vibe. I’m entirely unfamiliar with Sébastien Vanicek and his work, but he’s delivered a unique, blood-filled adventure with his rendition of Evil Dead. Of course there are the staple elements that make up an Evil Dead film; deadites, sweeping POV shots, sarcasm and gore, but it’s the way he presents them that makes this feel like a fresh experience. In terms of the pacing, I love how non-stop it is once all hell breaks loose. Thankfully we don’t need to wait long before shit hits the fan and we break free from the first act setup. While Vanicek may not be the greatest at applying an overall chilling atmosphere, he excels in delivering excitingly tense set-pieces that are wonderfully memorable.
There’s a number of key sequences that expertly utilise sound, score and cinematography to instil a sense of fear and awe through every frame. There’s a dinner scene that is so gripping and suspense-filled that I had no idea which direction it would go; a real pressure cooker of suspense. Vanicek even utilises a one-shot in a beautifully creative way; creating a moment that’s less scary but awesome to watch. One very small moment comes during a horror-action sequence where the camera transitions through a mirror mid-chaos; it’s a few frames, but it made for a genuinely awesome scene. There’s way more cool scenes like the above that had me in a moment of awe. While these set-pieces are tense, exciting and utilise creative cinematography, the overall atmosphere just isn’t quite as dark as I’d like. It sounds nitpicky, but the film is at times too well lit to remain scary between its key scenes. Despite nailing the gore and tension, it lacks some of the dirty, uncomfortable vibe that an Evil Dead film needs.
While it’s a fact that it’s not quite as disturbing as previous entries, there’s absolutely no shortage of gruesome action and bloody horror. It lives up to it namesake in that respect; it moves quickly and embraces the chaos more and more as time goes on. It even begins with a cold open that’s one of the film’s best scenes; which is ironic since I referred to the cold open approach in Evil Dead Rise as feeling out of place. There’s some specific kills that are beautifully brutal and gory, delivering the blood-splattering fun I was after when I hit play. I also need to credit the use of makeup and practical effects, working to elevate every horror sequence and bring an added hint of authenticity to its biggest moments. My one gripe when it comes to the blood and gore is that there’s one or two deaths that occur off-screen when they could have been some of the best in the film.
While it has the horror mostly on lock, there is the satirical comedy element it also needs to incorporate to truly be an Evil Dead film. Evil Dead Rise greatly prioritised horror over comedy, but it managed to retain the sadistic, satirical nature of the deadites. In this film however, the deadites have lost the majority of that signature wit and shit-talking attitude. It shines through in a couple of scenes, but overall the deadites just feel evil without the depth that makes them so unique in the horror genre.
In terms of characters and performances, there’s some standouts in here, as well as some that leave you wanting more. The character of Susan, the mother in the film, is played by Tandi Wright, and unfortunately there’s not an ounce of depth or development in the writing of the character. Wright is fine in the role, but the character choices make her painful to watch, let alone root for. Erroll Shand plays Edgar and has a lot to do, nailing the many layers of his role and proving to be very fun to watch. Souheila Yacoub is incredible in the lead role, making for a heroine you can root for while selling the distressing and disturbing nature of everything she’s witnessing. Meanwhile, Luciane Buchanan is really good as Thya, lending her talents to some key horror sequences that hit the mark.
In the end, Evil Dead Burn isn’t quite as unique or unified in its vision when compared to Evil Dead Rise; especially considering Rise offered a setting never seen before in the franchise and iconic characters. That being said, this is still a great follow-up that’s brutal, bloody and gory when it needs to be. With exciting horror set-pieces and memorable deaths, it’s a worthwhile watch for franchise fans. There’s even some cool easter eggs and reveals that die-hards are sure to love. It’s let down by a lack of atmosphere and absense of sadistic deadites, but the pros drastically outweigh the cons.
7.4/10
