When is the last time you saw a genuinely good horror film? There seemed to be no hope left for a good horror movie. It looked like the only horror movies being made were sequels to franchises that have run their courses (we’re looking at you Paranormal Activity).
While Mama was met with moderate success (which is surprising for a January film) and what seemed like a new hope for the genre, the Last Exorcism Part 2 (let that title sink in for a second) came along and was received with abysmal reviews and less than favorable ticket prices.
All hope seemed to be lost for the genre at this point. That was until newcomer Fede Alvarez breathed new life into the remake of the 1981 Sam Raimi classic The Evil Dead and did so with great success.
While audiences won’t be seeing a new Ashley “Ash” Williams on screen, it’s still a horror movie that will deliver the scares and screams. Fans of the original Raimi classic will definitely enjoy the remake. While it may not be as fun and campy as the original, Alvarez makes up for that in brilliant special effects and a consistently scary storyline.
This film stars Jane Levy, Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Jessica Lucas and Elizabeth Blackmore. Of course, the director of the movie is Fede Alvarez, who brings life to this revival of a story of demonic possession and survival.
The film revolves around five friends that head to a remote cabin in the woods to with an intervention for their friend Mia. Upon their arrival, they discover a Book of the Dead and unknowingly bring to life the demons in the nearby woods. Mia becomes possessed by the demon and they are forced to defend themselves until only one is left standing.
This isn’t one of those horror movies that strives simply on cheap thrills with loud bangs or the ever predictable slasher around the corner. Instead, we are given a gory, squeamish, adrenaline fueled horror.
Alvarez does great job with directing fast motion shots and close ups that seem to show genuine fear in the actor’s eyes, as well as shooting some of the best horror scenes to date. In addition, Alvarez puts numerous references and nods to the original in the film such as the original car, death by chainsaw, as well as the original Professor Knowby recording playing during the end credits (stay tuned after the credits for a little surprise too).
The actors in the film do a great job at making you feel the fear and also making you cringe in your seat. None of them do a bad performance or are overly dramatic.
The one actress that stole the show was Jane Levy who does a fantastic job at playing Mia, the film’s protagonist as well as the antagonist. She becomes almost unrecognizable when she gets possessed and does a great job at delivering thrills and chills.
In the end, The Evil Dead is a good spring popcorn flick to see with friends (not a film you want to bring a first date on, unless she’s into gore and horror, then by all means go ahead). It delivers the scares we’ve all be wanting. It’s a movie where you want to look away but just can’t turn your eyes away from it.
A remake that doesn’t set out to outshine the original but pays homage to the original is exactly what Alvarez and company aimed to do, and accomplished. Hopefully fellow horror film makers will take notes and perhaps we’ll see a revival of the horror in months to come.
Leave a Reply