Classic Review: Evil Dead (2013)

Sam Raimi’s 1981 low budget horror, The Evil Dead, is a cult classic. The film saw the legendary director made up for its low budget with compelling characters, creepy imagery, surprisingly great special effects, and brilliant camerawork, presenting a fully polished horror flick. Considering how beloved the original Evil Dead is, not many fans were exactly overjoyed when a reboot hit screens back in 2013. However, Evil Dead became an instant classic. Much like the original, it is a perfect example of a reboot done right. The film not only shows the utmost respect to its original, it also refreshes the franchise. It doesn’t take anything away from the original that cemented the horror franchise as one of the greats. 

Evil Dead is, without a shadow of a doubt, one of the most visceral and terrifying horror experiences around. While not perfect, it sure is one heck of a ride. The story follows Mia (Levy), a drug addict who is determined to get rid of her addiction. Meanwhile, Mia’s estranged brother David (Fernandez) and their friends travel into the deepest darkest part of the woods to reach their family’s remote cabin to kick Mia’s addiction in the bud. However, they soon find an ancient evil has been laying in wait for some poor soul to read from the Necronomicon to awaken this evil, so they can devour their souls.

It is worth mentioning that Evil Dead is a film that is not for the feint of heart. Fans of the franchise won’t be surprised at the level of gore on display. Whilst it may not be the goriest horror film ever made, it’s certainly up there. Audiences get to witness arms being severed off, tongues being slit in two, characters get sawn apart, and there’s also a moment where a possessed character begins to skin their own face. The practical effects used to bring the horror to life are top notch. From every severed limb, to every open wound and hole in a character’s face, the effects are fully realized in such shocking detail that it only raises the overall fear factor.

As a film, Evil Dead is utterly terrifying. Combining its overt use of gore, jump scares and unnerving tension, it keeps viewers on the edge of their seats throughout. Despite its short running time, clocking in at around the 90-minute mark, there are many well executed jump scares that while many will see them coming, they will still catch many off-guard. On top of that, it is also a hauntingly shot horror film filled with tons of incredibly creepy imagery that will be cemented in the minds of viewers for a long time. Its short running time makes for an incredibly fast pace that is sure to leave a large portion of viewers exhausted as the jump scares come fly harder and faster, never allowing the time to breathe. 

What hold Evil Dead back is its fairly one-dimensional characters which was not a bad thing per se but most of them are essentially fodder. As a whole, the performances were fine, not egregious but nothing particularly memorable either. 

In the end, Evil Dead is a reboot done right, a film which pays homage to the original while also bringing something completely fresh to the table. Its short running time, rapid pace and many jump scares will leave viewers exhausted in the best way possible. It is a creepy, viscerally gory not to mention terrifying ride that should get fans excited for the upcoming sequel to the original film, Evil Dead Rise.

*still courtesy of Sony Pictures*

If you liked this, please read our other reviews here and don’t forget to follow us on Twitter or Instagram or like us on Facebook.

Olly Dyche

Journalist, Writer, Film Critic and Professional Nerd. You will probably find Olly at the cinema chomping down on some popcorn and taking in the glorious visuals of the latest theatrical release.