Evil Dead is a remake of the 1981 cult horror film directed by Sam Raimi and starring Bruce Campbell and sees 5 close friends head to a remote cabin where they discover the Book of the Dead, that summons demons living in the nearby woods. The evil posses each of the teens until one is left to fight for survival.
Evil Dead, is one of the best remakes of recent years and features a fresh faced, young cast and some stand out special effects that put the original to shame.
Evil Dead: The Good:
The cast where great and are all newcomers and not big stars, who just wanted the chance to be part of this iconic franchise and they all deliver both as individual characters and as deadites.
The standout is probably Jane Levy as “Mia”, who is the reason the kids go to the cabin to make her quite her drug habit. She is great as the vulnerable and wrong lead and the transition from being normal to possessed is creepy and effective and one of the most memorable characters in a horror movie for some time.
Shiloh Fernandez [Red Riding Hood], is great as Mia’s brother, “David” and plays the support character throughout the movie.
Lou Taylor Pucci [Carriers], plays “Eric”, a school teacher, who should know better than to open a book with barbed wire around it, his character is straight from the 80’s and offers some nice twists throughout the movie.
Evil Dead 2013, shows off some of the best special effects make-up and prosthetics seen in a horror movie in the last decade, most remakes now result to CGI in order to cut corners, but this movie doesn’t there is no CGI everything is hand made or practical, including the cabin, which was remade to resemble the original and fans will notice some similar features when they see it.
Another highlight is the gore and violence and this remake doesn’t fall short and isn’t afraid to push it to the limit. The film offers some gloriously gory moments that are so over the top you will feel yourself nervously laughing at some scenes because the kills are so outrageous. They certainly are effective and serve there purpose as they stay with you after the movie. The tree scene for example is taken to a whole new level in this movie, as well as other scenes that involve a carving knife and a nail gun.
Evil Dead 2013 Poster
Evil Dead: The bad:
Evil Dead 2013, isn’t perfect some of the dialogue is cheesy, and some of the characters have little impact and backstory, including Elizabeth Blackmore’s character, “Natalie” who only shines and comes to life when she is dead. The same with Jessica Lucas as “Olivia” who is great as a deadite and showcases one of the film’s nastier scenes involving a piece of glass
Also, whilst Evil Dead may make for a great date movie it is not for the squeamish or faint of heart as it will test people with even the strongest stomachs.
Evil Dead: Conclusion:
Overall, Evil Dead 2013, is a superior remake as well as being one of the best horror films in recent years, there is already a sequel in the pipeline. It offers a game cast who give great performances, especially Jane levy, who is disturbing and creepy as evil “Mia”. Remember to stick around after the end credits as there is a nice nod to fans of the original.