Evil Dead Burn Review: A Brutal Ride That Nearly Sticks the Landing.
There aren't many horror franchises that can say they've remained relevant for more than four decades, but Evil Dead is one of them. Created by Sam Raimi in 1981, the series introduced audiences to Ash Williams and his battle against the Deadites before receiving a darker, far more brutal reimagining in 2013.
Although the 2013 reboot was a moderate success, it would take another nine years before fans returned to this blood-soaked world. Evil Dead Rise finally arrived in 2023, proving that the franchise was far from running out of steam.
By shifting the horror from an isolated cabin to a claustrophobic apartment building, the film retained the series' trademark brutality while proving there was still plenty of room to reinvent the formula. It also laid the groundwork for a new era of Evil Dead, one that now continues with Evil Dead Burn.
Much like its predecessor, Evil Dead Burn places family drama at the heart of its story. This time, however, the dynamic is very different. Rather than following a mother slowly losing herself as she turns against her children, the film centres on Alice and her strained relationship with her in-laws, using grief, resentment, and long-buried tensions as the spark for the horror that follows. Since Evil Dead Burn is still playing in theatres, I'll be keeping this review completely spoiler-free. Just know that, like every entry in the franchise, it doesn't take long for the Deadites to arrive and turn an already fractured family into complete chaos.
I purposely avoided as many trailers, clips, and promotional material as possible because I wanted to go into Evil Dead Burn completely blind, and I'm glad I did. It absolutely didn't disappoint. While I don't think it quite reaches the heights of Evil Dead Rise, it's still an utterly insane experience. Some of the film's set pieces are unbelievably violent, and anyone stepping into the Evil Dead franchise for the first time should be prepared for just how relentless and uncompromising it can be.
Even with a finale that didn't fully land for me, Evil Dead Burn is another strong addition to the franchise. It's relentless, unapologetically violent, and packed with the inventive carnage fans have come to expect. Not every creative decision pays off, but I still walked away having a genuinely great time.
One of the best things about modern Evil Dead is its willingness to reinvent itself. Rather than following the same characters from one film to the next, each entry introduces a new cast, a new setting, and a new nightmare, with the Deadites serving as the thread that ties it all together. With Evil Dead Wrath already set to arrive in 2028, I'm excited to see the franchise continue taking risks. If these films are going to thrive as standalone stories, then the best thing they can do is keep experimenting.
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