Evil Dead

With great trepidation and a slight anxiousness, I entered the dimly-lit local theatre to watch the movie that was a reimagining of one of my most beloved childhood viewing experiences. The Evil Dead trilogy enthralled me - it's kinetic, gory schlock thrills and slapstick comedy routines. And now I had no idea what this new version held for me.

Let it be known that horror has taken a decline; yes, horror is subjective, but time and time again we are offered paltry chills and pre-teen spills which fail to enfore the true idea of horror. I sat in the comfortable cinema chair and glued my eyes to the screen, wherein a spectacle unfolded, unprecedented and wholly thrilling to my gore hound nature.

The story is fairly simple; three women and two men journey to a cabin to aid in their friend's rehabilitation from drug addiction. One of the men is her brother, and is determined to make up his absence during her time of need, whilst the other male takes it upon himself to take The Book of the Dead (the Necronomicon in the original trilogy) from it's resting place and translate and read a passage. Big mistake. An ancient demonic force is unleashed, leaving the group fighting to stay alive as possesions and paranoia take hold.

Evil Dead is director Fede Alvarez's first feature-length film. Hand-picked from countless other runners for the prestigious honour, Alvarez certainly does exceed expectations. His way of bringing out the moody demonic themes is different from the original's barely-explained origins, but the audience is better for it. We understand why The Book of the Dead ends up in a cabin in the middle of the woods, and the inhabitants of the cabin are given a better reason to be there (no cliche 'party in the middle of the woods' trope).

The cinematography is dark, dank, and fits perfectly within the actors roles. The soundtrack compliments the horrific nature of the gore, the possession, the isolation and the hopelessness that the characters feel. Yes, this is not the comedy-horror extravaganza of Evil Dead 2 or Army of Darkness. It is a solid horror flick with chills and surprises aplenty. One of the surprises of the movie was Jane Levy's acting chops, which ranked higher than the usual scream queen fodder. The notorious 'tree rape' scene isn't as graphic, wrung-out, and Mia, the victim, does not have her clothes ripped from her in order to expose her body. It is the symbolic consumption of her soul, the introduction of a sonambulistic demon whom corrupts her body, then her soul and the souls of others is not exploited.

And also, the absence of Bruce Campbell was a flaw, but the post-credits scene restored my faith that one day we may see Ash slip on his chainsaw hand and battle deadites. Perhaps with a new assistant in tow? Only time will tell.

I give Evil Dead a 5/5, and cannot wait for Alvarez's next foray into the world of cinema.