HCA Gradebook: “Evil Dead Rise”

Movie: Evil Dead Rise
Plot: Moving the action out of the woods and into the city, “Evil Dead Rise” tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sutherland and Sullivan, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.
Cast: Lily Sullivan, Alyssa Sutherland, Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and Nell Fisher.
Director: Lee Cronin
Release Date: April 21, 2023
Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
Number of Graders: 19
Overall Grade: B+

Kate Sánchez says, “In an Evil Dead film, I want humor, buckets of blood, gnarly deaths, and a vice grip of dread as the hero tries to survive the night. Evil Dead Rise delivers this all in spades. It taps into the terrifying and brutal nature of how the franchise started, puts the pedal to the floor, and doesn’t stop.”
Grade: A+

Caillou Pettis says, “Intensely gory, fantastically bloody, darkly tense, and full of surprises around every corner, Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise is an expertly crafted, crowd-pleasing horror film.”
Grade: A

James White says, “Evil Dead Rise is easily the best film in the series not made by Sam Raimi himself. Writer/director Lee Cronin completely understands the assignment, and the high-rise setting brings a real freshness to the horror. A sisterly dynamic is also a welcome change and Cronin plus his willing cast go all out to make the scares and the nastier elements work. It still might not be as boldly funny as Raimi’s work, but it has more of a sense of that than the 2013 entry.”
Grade: A-

Griffin Schiller says, “Evil Dead Rise is an absolute riot! Really brought the house down with an audience. A perverted nightmare about when motherhood becomes a soul sucking family affair. It’s sick, twisted, mean, with some of the gnarliest moments in the franchise. It recaptures the mean spirited humor of the Raimi films while maintaining the violence & gore of the 2013 remake. It also does something new & finds creative ways to use the limited space of an apartment. A claustrophobic maze riddled with anxiety. This thing SLAYS! What a win.”
Grade: B+

Nicholas Spake says, “There are certain tropes we’ve come to expect from Evil Dead. Compared to other horror franchises, though, it’s had an unpredictable trajectory. Since the 1981 original, we’ve gotten a sequel/remake, a medieval horror fantasy, a re-imagining that doubled down on the bloodshed, and a TV series that doubled down on the comedy. The opening scene of Evil Dead Rise seems like a return to the basics as a cabin vacation doesn’t go as planned. While the film doesn’t shift gears going forward, it does shift settings to urban LA Just as New York provided a refreshing backdrop for Scream VI, Evil Dead Rise benefits from its change of scenery.”
Grade: B+

Aaron Neuwirth says, “Evil Dead Rise ditches the cabin in the woods and settles on an LA high-rise apartment building. For a series that usually bases itself around the ideas of characters trapped in a remote location and challenging the filmmakers to dump as much blood and gore as possible on everything within that space, it’s great to see how much of a success this film was in delivering in this new setting. For all the effort to remix the formula a bit, Evil Dead Rise is a blast, leaning into all the fun ways to (literally) get under one’s skin.”
Grade: B+

David Chen says, “A gnarly, gory, and ultimately satisfying journey back to the world of Evil Dead. A fun re-imagining of the franchise that finally makes it feel modern.”
Grade: B+

Connor Petrey says, “Evil Dead Rise is blood-soaked nightmare fuel that’ll truly f*ck up some and deservingly be celebrated by the horror community. A seamless entry into the Evil Dead universe, that continues the franchise’s hot streak that’s lasted more than 40 years.”
Grade: B+

Francisco Cangiano says, “Evil Dead Rise is a nasty, blood-soaked rollercoaster ride that will make you twist n’ turn in your seat from start to end. On par with the 2013 film in tone, gore & tension, fans will definitely enjoy. Another solid entry for the horror franchise. Bring a towel!”
Grade: B

Tessa Smith says, “Evil Dead Rise reinvigorates the franchise, complete with a new Necronomicon. There is a massive amount of blood and gore, however practical effects are still utilized whenever possible. If you go in expecting and Evil Dead movie, you will be quite thrilled with the results. It pushes the boundaries whenever possible, while still delivering a really good and entertaining story. The subtle messages about family however, will have everyone with an estranged sibling or parent eager to pick up and call them when the credits start to roll.”
Grade: B

Rick Hong says, “Evil Dead Rise is a good homage to the original franchise without any campiness, so audiences and fans should know that you’re in for a straight horror movie.”
Grade: B

Abbie Bernstein says, “The inclusion of the young characters automatically makes Evil Dead Rise darker than we might have expected. It is visually inventive, it has moments that are legitimately disturbing and it pretty much does what it sets out to do.”
Grade: B

Nestor Bentancor says, “A lean and mean exercise in gorey, fantastical horror that conjures up enough, well-executed sequences to please fans of the franchise. An animated, but ultimately soulless cinematic creature.”
Grade: B

Monica Gleberman says, “Evil Dead Rise is a bloodbath in a no holds bar film where no one is safe. It takes risks and goes full crazy even as the film takes place in a high rise. The one location pays homage to the movies before “Evil Dead,” which generally occurred in the woods. However, keeping the film interesting with one family together versus a diverse group of friends must have been challenging, but it doesn’t show. Instead, you get gore, blood, and scares — including an elevator that I would never want to use. If you are looking for a horror movie that bends all the rules and goes to the extreme, this is the one for you. The only downside to the film is the lack of actual scares. I never found myself scared or jumping during it. This one spends more budget on blood than on story or jumps. If you are prepared to take on the ultimate gore challenge, then strap in for the worst high rise in LA…”
Grade: B

Dan Murrell says, “Evil Dead Rise delivers exactly what you’d expect from an Evil Dead movie – no more and no less. It’s refreshing to see that it doesn’t turn its back on its blood-drenched shock and horror roots, and writer/director Lee Cronin channels the spirit of Sam Raimi faithfully. But it’s also largely another version of what we’ve seen before. Solid performances save what could have been a lifeless reiteration of the franchise’s greatest hits, but there’s no reinvention of the wheel, nor is the wheel given any new use. It’s the same wheel as before.”
Grade: B-

Mara Knopic says, “Evil Dead Rise is neither exceptional nor disappointing, just a little above average. The child actors’ performances enhanced the film from simply a recitation of previous Evil Dead media to a fairly palatable gore-fest. Obvious care was taken in the writing process to craft a film that felt much more fully formed than many other horror films of late, though is it lacking in any character development, particularly from a protagonist we are supposed to care about and invest in her survival. The jump scares are limited, instead relying on atmosphere and an epic volume of blood to create anxiety and fear for the audience which was both effective and enjoyable. All told, Evil Dead Rise does have many positive attributes, but not in sufficient numbers or intensity to prevent it from being utterly forgettable.”
Grade: B-

Cleide Klock says, “A boundless treat for fans of horror movies. Agonizing, tense, nasty, fun, totally crazy, and bloody.”
Grade: C+

Matt Neglia says, “Evil Dead Rise torments with another brutally cruel entry in the Evil Dead franchise. The story, characters & premise don’t offer anything revelatory but those looking for the expected practical gore effects, impeccable sound design & blood curdling tension probably won’t be left disappointed.”
Grade: C+

Kevin Taft says, “Evil Dead Rise starts off with some clunky dialogue and some generic horror, but still gets audiences excited about what is to come. Unfortunately, there isn’t really anything surprising about this latest installment in the franchise. It hits all the notes, and pushes all the buttons, including over the top gore, buckets of blood, and some wacky demon hijinks. But what made the franchise originally so successful was the tongue-in-cheek horror that made audiences giggle and scream in equal measure. Here, there are no hilarious moments, and the scares are pretty standard for this sort of thing. Nothing happens that you don’t expect. While it’s fitfully entertaining, it’s not scary or funny, and isn’t nearly as bloody as you would expect it to be. It’s fine, but certainly doesn’t rise to the heights if it’s predecessors. (The reboot excluded.)”
Grade: C+