I think I’ve only watched one or two movies in the Evil Dead franchise, though it was quite a long time ago now, so I only really remember a few bits and pieces…more the iconic scenes…from the movies I have watched.
The opening scene of the movie is pretty typical, starting with a creepy, obviously possessed woman who attacks her cousin and boyfriend. One of the creepiest parts of the opening scene is when the possessed woman (the deadite) starts quoting from the book that her cousin is reading.
I didn’t think there was anything really that special or different about this movie. It was better than a lot of horror movies I’ve seen, as it took a bit more time to actually develop the main characters after the initial opening scene. I did feel like the relationship between the siblings, Bridget, Danny and Kassie, was the strongest part of the movie. I thought it was really good when Bridget and Danny automatically protected their younger sister when the earthquake occurred…and despite the fact that they were both still children (or teenagers), they were actually able to make some fairly good survival choices. And while Danny did go against one of the number one rules in horror movies (don’t go down into the creepy basement), I can’t really fault him for what happened.
Having said that, I do think that some of the decisions taken by Beth weren’t all that intelligent. For instance, she closes herself off in one of the other rooms to listen to recordings, using headphones…even while knowing her possessed, dangerous sister is still out in the hallway and has already killed multiple people. Personally, I wouldn’t have left the children alone in another room.
There were some good elements of foreshadowing in this movie, which worked really well. And the movie definitely didn’t shy away from any gore. There were some really gross, disgusting scenes in the film, but also some clear nods to the original Evil Dead movie. For instance, there’s a scene towards the end with a bloodied Beth holding onto a chainsaw.
I was on the edge of my seat a couple of times through the movie, although that was more because I was waiting for the inevitable carnage than because I was expecting the characters to have a chance at survival.
If you enjoy horror movies with plenty of gore and lots of death, you’ll probably enjoy this one…especially as a new addition to the Evil Dead franchise. Having said that, although there are nods to the original movies, I don’t think you need to be familiar with the franchise to understand what’s going on here.
Ink of Blood 