Nothing like a little fire to keep a series going, and Evil Dead Burn has plenty of ways to keep it lit. Once again, rising from hell, there are Deadites back to cause a whole lot of violent mayhem, and director Sébastien Vaniček (Infested) is injecting plenty of familiar and new sensibilities in how this entry unfolds. Much like the characters in this film, those involved with the Evil Dead film series are like a family, so it really is fortunate to not only have fresh blood like Vaniček on board to direct, but to be well aware that the creators of this ongoing horror fest, Sam Raimi and Rob Tapert, are out there finding people they feel can do proper justice when it comes to delivering these over-the-top gorefests that are matched by inventive filmmaking, creative dismemberments, and a wicked sense of humor.
With that in mind, one might not expect a film with the setup to yield many comedic moments, but here we are. A fight between a couple leads the boyfriend to take off in anger and get into a car accident. We know something otherworldly was involved, but things still lead to a funeral, followed by the family coming together at an old, secluded house. Due to some residual evil lurking about and various items scattered around the home, including the Book of the Dead (someone is just always related to someone doing unconventional research), horror is essentially activated, with various family members gradually turning into Deadites. True to form, becoming a Deadite means teasing out the terror.
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Much like the 2013 reboot and 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, this one features a completely new cast. However, I can appreciate the different approach to the character dynamics. 2013’s entry focused on a group of friends hoping they could help one of their friends detox from drugs by taking her into a secluded cabin in the woods. ‘Rise’ focused on a family unit trapped in an apartment building as their mother became one of the undead. This time around, we are largely following Alice (Souheila Yacoub), who is already largely looked down on by her in-laws, even before they start trying to kill her.
Ostensibly, the take of this film is that the family sucks, and I could easily get behind it. The Evil Dead franchise has always contained a nastiness that delivers equal punishment to pretty much anyone who gets involved. Fair or not, it also means everyone is constantly vulnerable, which allows for plenty of surprises and opportunities to take chances about who one expects to be tortured or turn evil. With something of an arc for Alice this time around, it may be following the more traditional role of having a final girl (not unlike the last two entries, as opposed to Bruce Campbell’s Ash being the final boy in the originals), but there’s room for interesting sorts of drama to be dealt with.
Written by Vaniček and Florent Bernard, the Evil Dead films remain impressive for how well they establish just enough about who in the cast matters, let alone how to subvert things once all hell breaks loose. Because of this, Yacoub delivers strong work as Alice, but has a great counter in the form of her father-in-law, specifically, Edgar (Erroll Shand), who has a great look for a film like this. Seeing how other characters turn into monsters, others become cowards, and others are just slaughtered is par for the course. Still, the film at least provides a nice build before all bets are off.
Speaking of the rise in tension, Vaniček’s emphasis on creative camerawork and aggressive editing choices really helps Evil Dead Burn sing. Not that the non-Raimi-directed entries have been lacking their own amounts of visual flair, but I really felt the filmmaking was an essential component this time around. Evil Dead films are famous for really working their actors to the bone, but this one must have had the filmmakers burning loads of calories as well, with all the ways the camera moves around, providing smash cuts to various sequences, and pushing forward for plot or sight gag reasons. One of my favorite elements of the series has always been how “in on the joke” the camera seems to be, particularly when we can assume it’s taking the perspective of the evil watching over the characters.
Oh, and by the way, this movie is super gross and gnarly. True to form, this is not a movie that dials anything back when it comes to finding ways to violate the human body by way of stabbings, burnings, shootings, meltings, shavings, and whatever else it has in store for everyone. Even if the colors are a bit dulled and muted (save for a fiery third act), there’s still plenty of life in the ingenuity of seeing these Deadites take it out on those in their path. A couple of shots designed to look like single takes add to some of the mayhem, but regardless, there’s a visceral quality to the horror this film engages in that is exactly in the spirit of a hardcore Evil Dead movie.
It’s also quite funny. Okay, so there aren’t exactly jokes flying around every minute, but there’s an awkward humor and matching tension that make it feel as though I’m watching Trey Edward Shults’ Krisha at times. Fittingly, that film also leaned heavily into horror, even without a supernatural element. Evil Dead Burn, however, does have actual monsters, but the way they engage tends to lean into the sicko humor that has helped this series stand out. Plus, Vaniček’s French sensibilities add a fresh quality to this series. There’s a sassiness that didn’t go unnoticed, whether it’s because of key editing choices or the gross-out nature of how close this film wants to put its relatives in certain scenes. Whatever the case, it makes this the latest Evil Dead film that is well aware it’s going to get some big reactions from audiences.
Whether it’s the earned suspense, the disgusting gore, or the wild filmmaking choices, there are plenty of reasons to rejoice over another successful run in the world of the Evil Dead. The movie pushes every button it wants and never backs off. All of the work done by the cast is as commendable as ever, knowing they were likely put through a lot. This is just what one wants from a series that started as a bunch of folks in the woods making a little violent horror movie and has managed to hold onto that spirit while continuing to find new ways to twist the knife.
Evil Dead Burn opens in theaters on July 10, 2026.
