Thursday, April 18, 2013

Movie Review: Evil Dead

Evil Dead (IMDb score: 7.2, Rotten Tomatoes: 63% Fresh)

Writer & Director: Fede Alvarez
Cast: Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci


Disclaimer: I have not seen either the original Evil Dead or its sequel, so I can’t comment on whether it stays faithful to the source material.  If you enjoy horror movies, and gore in particular, I recommend this film.  While some of the character’s actions reach Prometheus levels in that they make entirely no sense given the circumstances, some of the sequences were very frightening, thrilling, and funny.  I don’t believe in the concept of hell but the scariest element from the movie was the fact (eventually known to some characters) that if they are killed by this demon they will spend eternity in hell unless the demon is defeated.  The idea of being mortally wounded and knowing with near certainty that your soul is about to belong to the Devil is probably the worst feeling I can imagine. 

Gruesome and depraved as you’d expect, the demon has more of a sexual appetite than most horror villains, and there are some extremely uncomfortable/disturbing scenes to that end.    I shuddered heavily on more than one occasion.  A lot depends on the brother-sister relationship of the two main characters, as the sister was left to care for their mother alone at the end of her life (following a mental collapse).  I thought they did a decent job; both are stubborn and have plenty of emotional ammunition to throw around.  The action was entertaining and gory, but I have never seen anything close to approaching the utter insanity of the final showdown.  It was a moment of awe-struck hilarity for me.  Fans of the genre will appreciate the effort, but unfortunately the element of Evil Dead which stands out the most is the sheer level of blood and gore.
Grade: B-


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