Before The Odyssey and Spider-Man: Brand New Day arrive this month to dominate cinemas for the near future, this week sees two major franchises release their latest instalments to vie for your attention. One is a soulless horror that'll leave you horrified, and the other is Evil Dead Burn.
We kid, of course. Disney's Moana might leave you terrified for the future of cinema if it proves to be a hit, but it's Evil Dead Burn that will actually horrify you as it turns household items like a dishwasher and a fountain pen into objects of dread. This time around, it's rising French director Sébastien Vaniček given the reins to Sam Raimi's iconic horror franchise to bring his own style to the gory proceedings.
And what style it is. In a summer where Obsession and Backrooms have made more noise than the likes of Star Wars and Supergirl, Evil Dead Burn deserves to leave its own bloody, scorched mark on cinemas.
As with Evil Dead Rise, the new movie puts the focus on a family rather than a group of friends at a cabin in the woods. The house that provides the main setting for Evil Dead Burn might as well be a cabin in a woods though, isolated from the local community and falling apart from years of neglect as though its rotting from the inside.
Enter Alice (Souheila Yacoub) who unfortunately has to spend time at this house, following her abusive husband Will's (George Pullar) untimely death. Nobody really wants her there, including Will's sharp mother Susan (Tandi Wright) and his distracted father Edgar (Erroll Shand). But it's the right thing to do – even if Alice also doesn't really want to be there.
And Alice really doesn't want to be there when, one by one, Will's family all start to transform into Deadites, turning an awful family reunion into one that'll forever make you grateful for any future awkward family reunions of your own.
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Before we get to that though, Evil Dead Burn has a lingering plot point from the previous movie to sort out in an attention-grabbing opening sequence. The new movie is otherwise largely standalone (except for a must-see credit scene), but as with Evil Dead Rise, there are connections and Easter eggs to spot for fans that otherwise won't impact your enjoyment if you don't spot them.
Vaniček – who co-wrote the movie with Florent Bernard – has very much been allowed to do his own thing. For some fans, it might not be the Evil Dead they know and love; the Deadites, though mischievous at times and constantly taunting their victims, are darker than before. And while there is blood, it's more brutal than outrageously gory. There's no blood elevator or blood rain here, although there is a sort-of blood chimney.
As the title suggests, there's also a lot of fire going around, plus a general hot, sweaty vibe to the whole thing which, when you think about the current heatwave in Europe, kind of makes it perfectly timed as escapism. You might be sweating, but at least you're not dealing with a Deadite, so, could be worse.
For long-running franchises to thrive, it's not a bad thing to bring new filmmakers into the fold and let them roll with it, rather than have to strictly follow the rules. It worked so well for the Mission: Impossible franchise initially until Christopher McQuarrie kept returning, notably to diminishing returns over the last two movies.
Evil Dead Burn still has that classic Evil Dead blend of disgusting moments – a head-smash that rivals Obsession's and a painful moment with a pen, among others – and darkly funny beats, including an outstanding visual gag with a stairlift and a Deadite. There is one aspect that feels unnecessary with the family dog though, but it's a minor blemish given how strong the other set pieces are.
Working with cinematographer Philip Lozano, Vaniček has made sure those set pieces have their own style too. The incredible one-take shot has been seen in the teasers and remains a stand-out on repeat watches, but there's other striking moments like a frenzied attack in a car and some excellent perspective trickery.
Despite the fact that the ending falls flat to the highs of before, Evil Dead Burn is another memorable and distinct entry in the series. If it's not to your particular taste, then maybe the '70s-set Evil Dead Wrath next year might be more your vibe. But, either way, it proves Evil Dead is one of the most creatively alive franchises around.
Evil Dead Burn is released in UK cinemas on 9 July and in US cinemas on 10 July.
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Movies Editor, Digital Spy Ian has more than 10 years of movies journalism experience as a writer and editor. Starting out as an intern at trade bible Screen International, he was promoted to report and analyse UK box-office results, as well as carving his own niche with horror movies, attending genre festivals around the world. After moving to Digital Spy, initially as a TV writer, he was nominated for New Digital Talent of the Year at the PPA Digital Awards. He became Movies Editor in 2019, in which role he has interviewed 100s of stars, including Chris Hemsworth, Florence Pugh, Keanu Reeves, Idris Elba and Olivia Colman, become a human encyclopedia for Marvel and appeared as an expert guest on BBC News and on-stage at MCM Comic-Con. Where he can, he continues to push his horror agenda – whether his editor likes it or not.
