DVD Corner

Evil Dead Rise 4K UHD Review

“Evil Dead Rise” perfectly resurrects the beloved horror franchise.

In 2023’s “Evil Dead Rise,” a pregnant guitar tech (Beth) visits her sister (Ellie) and 3 children (Kassie, Bridget and Danny) at a rundown L.A. apartment complex. While there, an earthquake occurs leaving Danny to discover a record and an old book (you know the one). Shortly thereafter, all hell breaks loose as the Deadites begin to wreak havoc on both the family and the apartment inhabitants (and perhaps outside of that?).

After the abysmal 2013 remake, “Evil Dead Rise” goes back to the roots of the franchise with a new story that combines horror and dark comedy (and a whole lot of blood). Writer/director Lee Cronin gets the tone just right and ups the ante by creating a very intense, claustrophobic, and high-stakes horror story about family and motherhood. Cronin pulls no punches here as he makes it quite evident that no one is safe (not even the children). Even though Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are executive producers on this project, Cronin puts his own stamp on this film and opens up the franchise in new ways. Of course, there are nods to the past including a little cameo that just might involve a certain character whose name begins with an A. 

As mentioned above, this movie is a real gore fest. There’s a ton of body trauma, body horror, nasty scenes (including one involving the highly publicized cheese grater), and even a new monster monstrosity (no spoilers about that). Horror fans are sure to be in heaven here. 

The cast doesn’t include any big names, but there are several performances here worthy of praise. Alyssa Sutherland knocks it out of the park as Ellie. Not only does she deliver a good human performance, but she is arguably the best Deadite we have seen to date. A hero is born with Lily Sullivan as Beth. Hopefully we see more of her character down the line. The 3 actors who play the children (Morgan Davies as Danny, Gabrielle Echols as Bridget and Nell Fisher as Kassie) are all memorable with Fisher turning in an especially impressive performance. The character of Kassie goes through hell here and Fisher is an absolute trooper for enduring what was surely a taxing production.

Video/Audio:

Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? This  print is so pristine you can notice every little bloody detail.

Audio Track: Dolby Atmos. How does it sound? From Stephen McKeon’s score to the crackles of the record playing, this Atmos track delivers the goods.

Extras:
* Blu-ray copy
* Digital copy

June 22, 2023 - Posted by nicklyons1 | 4K UHD Review | Bruce Campbell, Evil Dead, Evil Dead Rise 4K UHD Review, horror, Horror Movie