Evil Dead Burn continues along the route of the previous installment in the franchise, Evil Dead Rise.
That’s not a good thing.
Unlike the hilarious mayhem that distinguished the Sam Raimi films and the hilarious Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series, Evil Dead Rise is a mostly gloomy affair. It isn’t any fun.
This just feels like the prior movie all over again; the franchise doesn’t go anywhere new. There are sporadic moments that are creepy and unnerving, but that fun element is mostly gone with these new Deadites.
The characters are pretty much just lining up for the killing. None of them really distinguish themselves; they simply find themselves in an old rickety house getting attacked, and nobody is safe. Standard Evil Dead plotting. Nothing new here.
One character, a nasty grandma, is only one who seems to know what an Evil Dead movie is supposed to feel like. She’s got a gross sense of humor and gets the film’s best one-liners. But the film is so dark that her moments of humor almost feel inappropriate and obtrusive rather than part of a horror/comedy party.
Actually, I shouldn’t bring up comedy when describing Evil Dead Burn. This isn’t a horror/comedy—it’s straight horror. Apart from a demented scene in which a Deadite puts a couple of bullets in himself intentionally, nothing comes off as inspired. Also, the pacing feels too slow. It drags.
There’s nothing wrong with a straight-up horror film without humor, but that’s not what one expects from an Evil Dead movie. If expectations need to be tossed asunder for something new and different for the franchise, there needs to be a little meat on the bone—and a sense of purpose. Instead, Evil Dead Burn is a string of one unpleasant moment after another.
There are more Evil Dead films coming, starting with Evil Dead Wrath, slated for a 2028 release. There’s a post-credits scene that hints at something for that or a future installment.
Oh, and there’s virtually no chance of a return of Bruce Campbell as Ash. The Evil Dead franchise is heading down a disconcertingly depressing road.
