Evil Dead Rise

Evil Dead Rise continues to prove how strong of a franchise Evil Dead is with its fifth film, and the first entry since Ash vs Evil Dead ended in 2018. Unlike the usual setting of most of the past films taking place in a cabin in the middle of the woods, this one mainly takes place in a dilapidated apartment complex in Los Angeles. Centering on the residents of the very top floor, things start to go wrong when one of them finds a strange book and recordings from the 1920s underneath the basement parking lot after an earthquake uncovered them. Upon the recordings reading the contents of the book aloud, the Deadites are once again unleashed, praying on the top floor residents when the elevators, stairs, and fire escape are inaccessible. You'd think that after four films and a show that lasted three seasons, that this franchise that began back in 1981 and deals with incredibly bloody and over the top violence. gore, and death would get stale but you'd be wrong. Original creator and director Sam Raimi and original star Bruce Campbell are still involved in this one so at least it's an assurance that the same vision is kept. Especially with Campbell providing a lot of the kill sound effects himself and briefly being heard a bit in the recordings. Director and writer Lee Cronin injects a mixture of the typical Raimi and his own style that fits smoothly while giving us some unique aspects that the franchise hasn't done before. The writing for the characters all manage to let us connect with them and the unique setting is handled perfectly. Dave Garbett's cinematography is astounding and helps elevate the horror, enhanced even further by Stephen McKeon's score. All the while the effects and the makeup, especially for near the end of the movie, prove that the Deadites are still as terrifying as they were in the early '80s. But, all of that wouldn't matter if the cast chosen for this movie didn't give as strong a performance as needed. Fortunately, everyone in here is phenomenal with Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland having a strong chemistry as siblings while the kids of one of the siblings are played to perfection by Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and child actress Nell Fisher who surprisingly manages to be the strongest out of all of them. It's rare for a franchise, let alone a horror based one, to have lasted so long with all of its entries being so acclaimed, and Evil Dead Rise is a testament to why this is one of those rare ones. Over all: 100%

2023 top list so far:

1. Air

2. Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves

3. Creed III

4. John Wick: Chapter 4

5. Evil Dead Rise

6. Scream VI

7. M3GAN

8. Cocaine Bear

9. Knock at the Cabin

10. The Super Mario Bros. Movie

11. Renfield

12. Shazam! Fury of the Gods

13. Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania