Evil Dead (2013)

 

Genre: Horror/Thriller         Time: 1h 30mins        Director: Fede Álvarez

Quick Summary: Five friends decide to spend a weekend in a remote cabin located deep in the forest. When they accidentally summon a dormant demon, they strive to survive its evil ploys.

All I'm going to say is this is mostly comprised of traditional practical f/x work that delights in showering the screen with amounts of blood and gore. I'm loving it.

I honestly really loved this remake/sequel. Jane Levy’s amazing performance is at the centre of that. She delivers arguably the most traumatizing performance I have ever seen. What she does with her face, how she says her lines, and how she performs are one of the most spine-chilling I have witnessed. The use of Special effects makeup just elevates this whole performance, as well as the film overall. It's just so well done it's uncanny. 

The film’s only fault is that besides Levy’s Mia, none of the actors or characters grabs your attention and by the end of the film you will want to kill the character of Eric yourself. He is frankly one of the stupidest characters I have ever seen in a horror movie, acting really recklessly and dangering other characters, although he does get a small redemption in the end I really disliked him.

Otherwise, this is one of the most unrelentingly intense horror films I’ve ever seen, with scenes of terror that go on well past the usual comfort zone. These scenes are incredibly effective: perfectly shot, edited, and choreographed, giving us a perfect sense of time and setting, of where characters and objects are in relation to each other, and exactly what horrible, horrible things are happening.

The ending of the film is terrific, without giving anything away, it is super duper bloody and it is pretty terrifying.  It was over the top and I love it.  To me, it was a return to some of the classic 70s grindhouse-style horror, with good effects and gore galore. The film takes a turn into chaos and crazy as blood rains from the sky and the last remaining characters fight to the death for the fate of mankind.As with the very start of the film, it’s here that we see some real flair and frightening fun and the true essence of The Evil Dead seems to be finally captured in all its bat shit crazy, blood soaked brutality.

Fans of the classic will love the various tips of the hat to the original and new fans will be rocked by their visceral dose of old-school horror. I see it as appealing to both groups. “Evil Dead” worked for me not only as a solid modern-day remake but as one of the better horror pictures to come around in years. 

9/10

"Go back to Hell, bitch."