Review: Evil Dead ★★★★

The Evil Dead was one of, if not the, genre defining horror movies. 5 teenagers, staying at a cabin so far from civilisation that it's almost laughable, are suddenly complicit in the act of waking up all kinds of hellish demons that are quite literally hell-bent (pardon the pun) on taking their souls.  It catapulted Sam Raimi into the spotlight and has influenced horror movies for the last 20 years. The reboot is almost as fantastically enjoyable as its predecessor, but not quite. 

Sam Raimi made his cult classic on a tiny budget and relied heavily on a few practical effects and enough comic presence in the script to turn it almost satirical in places; it was certainly a film ahead of its time. Fede Alvarez's version has a far superior budget thanks to Raimi's successful original, and it replaces the comic undercurrent with one that screams gore. The film is exceptional in its explicit and visceral detail, and in its use of fake blood. The fact that it lacks the humour of the original is somewhat disappointing, though this isn't a feeling that lingers with Alvarez taking you on a truly thrilling ride. What must be noted is that Alvarez used no CGI in his remake, a remarkable feat with the outrageous detail paid to the insane actions of the possessed teens.

Arguably the film's greatest flaws are the acting and the dialogue, which are pretty poor. Jane Levy as Mia is the stand out performer, and this is sure to be her platform to great things. However, Levy aside, the acting does leave a lot to be desired. This is most notable before the hellish antics can distract you from the completely wooden depictions of sincerity. Alvarez's decision to change the opening gambit from spring breakers to a drug intervention would be fine if the acting or dialogue was competent enough to emotionally involve us. Unfortunately they are both below par and we have to suffer through that first half hour before the action kicks in. However, it must be remembered that most films of this persuasion are rarely known for their exceptional dialogue and Oscar-winning performances. Alvarez's scares, although sometimes a little tame, and wonderfully excessive use of gore are more than enough to keep all fans of the genre, happy. 

The film barely stops to catch its breath as it launches us towards its dramatic finale. The final 15 minutes might be the bloodiest 15 minutes I have ever seen on a big screen but they were great fun and no one could argue that Alvarez could've made it any more dramatic. The directing quality of Alvarez is clear to see in the final third and, for his first feature film, this is very impressive. Sam Raimi hired him after watching a few of Alvarez's short films, and his work on Evil Dead will have made Hollywood sit up and take note; reminiscent of what the original did for Raimi.