Evil Dead (2013) – Film Review

Director: Fede Álvarez
Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci
Certificate: 18

By Roger Crow

In this blood-soaked reimagining of Sam Raimi’s 1981 cult classic, five friends retreat to an isolated woodland cabin to help Mia (Jane Levy) overcome her drug addiction. But when curious Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) discovers a mysterious book bound in human flesh, he unwittingly unleashes a demonic force that turns their peaceful getaway into a living nightmare.

As Mia’s increasingly disturbing behaviour is dismissed as withdrawal symptoms, her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez) struggles to distinguish supernatural possession from psychological torment. Unfortunately, by the time the truth becomes apparent, escaping the cabin is the least of their worries.

“Visceral”

Raimi caused a sensation with the original movie; one of the key ‘video nasties’ of the early 1980s. Director Fede Álvarez swaps the original’s mischievous humour for relentless terror, delivering a brutally visceral experience packed with gory practical effects, shocking violence and lashings of blood.

Jane Levy’s Mia is an attractive protagonist whose addictions and mental health issues add a fresh spin to the story, and that third act is terrific. But if you really wanted to help a friend go cold turkey, a filthy old cabin in the woods is not an ideal destination.

Produced by original Evil Dead creators Raimi, Rob Tapert and Bruce Campbell, I was amazed how little I remembered from my first screening in 2013. However, fans will have a great time spotting all the nods to the original, including Raimi’s recurring car that has popped up in many of his movies.

“New life”

The colour scheme is around 80 per cent inky blacks, and mostly red in the finale. It’s frankly too dark, but Álvarez does a good job breathing new life into the saga, as he did with Alien: Romulus a couple of years ago.

Picture and sound quality is terrific in this 4K UHD version, and first time viewers should have a great time with this Halloween treat. But if you fancy more giggles than thrills, make it a double bill with Raimi’s low budget schlock horror masterpiece Evil Dead 2. The latter is more ‘groovy’ than gory, ‘baby’.

Roger Crow( Writer )

Adopted Yorkshireman Roger Crow developed a passion for film and TV in the 1970s and 1980s. He has been a published film and TV reviewer since the 1990s; a world travel and restaurant critic since the noughties, and for the past decade has assessed the pros and cons of live gigs and theatre productions around the UK. His ideal day would involve reviewing a performance of Bat Out of Hell, followed by a Pad Thai while being serenaded by Texas on a cruise around Europe.
crowsfeat.com; nostalgiahhh film podcast

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