Last night (March 15) at SXSW, people got to watch Evil Dead Rise, and those reactions were overwhelmingly positive. Critics have cheered for its gory, wild nature. It seems safe that fans of the franchise will be happy to enjoy another good time with Deadites and a chainsaw.
The Lee Cronin-directed and written film is a sequel to the original films and canceled TV series while maintaining a balance of tone between Evil Dead 2 and the 2013 remake. A family reunion is cut short as Beth (Lily Sullivan) must save her family from her possessed sister, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland). The film also stars Morgan Davies (The End), Nell Fisher (Northspur), and Gabrielle Echols (Reminiscence).
Evil Dead Rise reactions are off to a gory good start
Having someone new take up the director’s chair might have fans apprehensive, but it sounds from some of the Evil Dead Rise reactions that Cronin manages to make it his own while paying respect to the Sam Raimi-directed films. Plenty of things are to spot as trademarks to the franchise, from a chainsaw to a Bruce Campbell cameo. Bloody Disgusting’s Meagan Navarro wrote that Cronin “pays tribute” with “iconic camera work, quotable lines, hero shots, beloved weaponry, and an admirable commitment to spilling the most blood possible.” Slash Film’s Jacob Hall also applauded the film’s determination as the director “means business, and he’s not above letting a family destroy itself to make that clear.”
While gore and cheese graters ripping flesh is entertaining, the heart of the film, its family dynamic, gives it substance. For one of the Evil Dead Rise reactions about this subject, Collider’s Perri Nemiroff found the film to be more than just “gnarly and wild” due to its “weight’ of the blood-soaked family. She applauded Sutherland as “a damn delight as mama Deadite” and Sullivan being “a sheer force trying to protect her nieces.” Inverse’s Ryan Scott also clapped for both the mama-turned-demon and the sister-turned-final girl as Sutherland was “phenomenal” and Sullivan being “equally admirable.”
The film did not work for everyone. The Playlist’s Jason Bailey grew tired of the LA apartment setting “around the half-hour mark.” The critic also wrote that most of the film’s pieces felt “tacked on” as things were put together to “keep the Evil Dead IP alive.”
Some Easter eggs are hinted at that fans may miss. Of the Evil Dead Rise reactions, Kingcast co-host Eric Vespe clapped in the middle of the film due to a “nod to The Shining.” He also thinks he could spot Campbell, which he tweeted at Cronin for $50, which the director said he would pay if someone caught the cameo.
You can see for yourself how Evil Dead Rise holds up to the rest of the franchise when it rips into theaters on April 21.