“Evil Dead Burn”: A Brutal, Intense Installment of the “Evil Dead” Franchise
So, even though my Stream & Scream review series for the spooky season technically ended with the 10/28 edition of the Examiner, there were a couple recent releases that I wanted to add to the series, but couldn’t really fit them in. Let’s get started with a couple of post-Halloween reviews, starting with “Evil Dead Burn.”
“Evil Dead Burn” unleashes the franchise’s most savage and terrifying ride to date, blazing onto screens with an all-new chapter of carnage and mayhem. After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws in their secluded family home.
As one by one they are transformed into Deadites - turning the gathering into a family reunion from hell - she comes to discover that the vows she took in life live on … even in death.
The “Evil Dead” franchise has always been a cult favorite since it began and is easily one of those franchises that isn’t for everyone. After taking a break with “Army of Darkness,” the series came back with a 2013 reboot/remake that is a good entry and a 2023 follow up “Evil Dead Rise” (which ended up being better than I expected). And, let’s just say “Evil Dead Burn” can get really intense and savage!
While “Evil Dead Burn” proved to be highly divisive for its bleak, mean-spirited tone, horror fans really enjoyed the movie and generally praised its relentless extreme gore, its exceptional use of practical effects and its high-octane pacing.
Let’s just say if you get squeamish easily, this is definitely not the movie for you! “Evil Dead Burn” does a great job sticking with the old-school practical effects and this is easily the most violent entry of the series so far.
There are definitely a few moments that could make your stomach churn just a bit. I’m not going to go into a lot of the gory details, but I’ll just say that some of those moments involve a car seat headrest and a dishwasher door (if you have seen the movie, you know what I’m talking about). I really commend the production team for favoring physical creature effects for the Deadites and the bloody moments over reliance on CGI as that can easily take the fun out of a scary movie.
Another aspect that made “Evil Dead Burn” more intense and thrilling is the movie’s visual style. There are some moments that utilize POV tracking shots through narrow hallways and
overgrown grounds that feel violently erratic and puts the viewer directly in the path of the approaching entity. Rather than relying on rapid-fire action cuts, several key horror sequences are shot in extended, uninterrupted takes, which also adds to the intensity of the grueling moments.
“Evil Dead Burn” is packed with highly intense, shocking, and even a couple darkly comedic set pieces that will have horror fans talking, including the intense opening that is actually connected to “Evil Dead Rise,” a disturbing family dinner scene involving a family member whose slow Deadite transformation begins there, a kitchen brawl involving a dishwasher door and a few moments involving the Grandma Polly. There’s also a post-credits surprise that makes me curious to see what is being planned next for the franchise.
“Evil Dead Burn” received a generally positive but highly polarized response, with critics and audiences widely agreeing that it’s the meanest, nastiest, and most relentlessly brutal installment in the franchise to date. The overarching response highlights a clear division within the horror community.
Viewers who prefer the campy, slapstick horror-comedy of the Ash Williams era found the movie too mean-spirited and detached from the original DNA. Conversely, defenders argue that “Evil Dead Burn” is an authentic return to the franchise’s ultra-violent, uncompromising 1981 roots.
MPA: Rated R for strong bloody horror violence and gore, and language (running time 110 minutes)
Initial release date: July 10, 2026
Streaming: HBO Max/various PVOD services (as of working on this review)
Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert selected Sébastien Vanicek to write and direct the project, announced February 5, 2024, following Sébastien Vanicek's work on Infested (2023), his feature directorial debut. Infested (2023), a French-language spider horror film, premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, won Best Film and Best Director at Fantastic Fest, received the Special Jury Prize at the 56th Sitges Film Festival, and earned a 49th César Award nomination for Best First Film.
Sébastien Vanicek stated his intention with the film was to, "create a visceral, sensory experience that punches the audience in the gut. I want people to feel physically drained when they leave the theater, like they've been through an emotional and intense journey."
Bruce Campbell, who previously portrayed Ash Williams in every previous installment of the franchise, has a cameo appearance on two photographs depicting Benjamin Price.
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