Continue the trend of reviews of remakes today. Going into this year, “Evil Dead” was one of the films that I was most curious about considering that the original film is one the great horror films ever made in my opinion. Even though there was good press from horror sites, I still was cautious about it.
The film follows a group of friends who head to the woods in hope of curing Mia’s (Jane Levy) drug addiction. Once they get into the house, they stumble upon the powerful book that can summon the undead. A person from the group accidently reads from the book and accidently releases unspeakable evil. The friends are forced to fight this bloodthirsty force before they become possessed by it. “Evil Dead” also co-stars Shiloh Fernandez (Deadgirl), Lou Taylor Pucci (Carriers) and Jessica Lewis (Cloverfield).
Going into “Evil Dead”, I wasn’t expecting to enjoy this as much as I did. I liked the original and hold it in high regard, but I was very surprised that this was equally as good as the original.
One of the reason that made the “Evil Dead” remake work was Fede Alvarez’s direction. I was surprised that I enjoyed the direction considering that this is his first feature film. Alvarez does a very good job with the way that builds tension to the scenes. It allows for some of the horrific scenes feel scary and intense. The gore scenes were also done effectively. Alvarez and his effects team did a very good job in making the gore feel more horrifying than cartoonish. It made for a very effective horror film.
The acting here was very better than I expected going in. Alvarez gets very good performances from his main cast including Jane Levy, as the heroine Mia. Levy does a very good job making the character interesting, as you’re interested in the character and her struggles. It was a key component to making the character work for me. The supporting performances were also very good, as both Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci were very good, as they carried the film well during the time when the main character was possessed. Levy’s performance and the supporting performances is what helps make the film work so well from an acting standpoint.
The screenplay written by Alverez and Rodo Sayagues was very good. I liked that they didn’t try and copy things from the original movie. This film felt different. First, I liked that they didn’t include Ash in the film. I know that this might anger fans of the original. But if the character was in the film, you would had some sort of backlash that would’ve been a distraction for some as Bruce Campbell should only be playing Ash in the first place. The other thing that made the screenplay work was the fact that it had its terrifying moments. The writers did a very good job making the scenes intense. They were well thought out and had tension to them that generated scares. It made the film fun to watch.
Blu-Ray Extras:
The first featurette is “Directing the Dead”. The featurette focuses on the film’s director Fede Alvarez. It features interviews from Alvarez and couple members of the cast. It goes into Alvarez’s direction and how he approached this reboot. It also shows how he created some of the film’s most gory scenes, which made it more interesting.
The next featurette is “Making Life Difficult”. It goes into some of the intense scenes were created and how it took its toll on the film’s cast and crew. Interesting featurette on this subject.
After that, the next featurette is “Being Mia”. A good featurette that goes into the film’s main character. It features a brief interviews with actress Jane Levy and director Fede Alvarez along with some behind the scenes footage that Levy shot during the filming of the film.
There are also a couple of Blu-Ray Exclusives on the disc.
First, it’s the cast and crew commentary track that features Director Fede Alvarez, co-writer Royo Sayagues, actor Lou Taylor Pucci and actresses Jane Levy and Jessica Lewis. It’s a good and entertaining commentary track. They all going into the production of the film. Whether its came from an actor’s perspective or from a writing and directing perspective, there were a lot of stories about the behind the scenes of the film. It also provided interesting information why certain scenes were cut or altered, which made it even more interesting. This is worth checking out, as this gives an interesting look of the film’s production.
The next featurette is “Evil Dead: The Reboot”. This was a very good featurette that fans of the original and new one will like. It features interview from producers Rob Tapert, Bruce Campbell, writer Royo Sayagues, actress Jane Levy and director Fede Alverez. They went into the behind the scene of how the reboot was conceived and talked about the comparisons of the old film to this film.
The Blu-Ray exclusives wrap up with “Unleashing the Evil”. The featurette goes into the book of the dead that was used in the film. An interesting featurette that features interview from producer Bruce Campbell and actor Lou Taylor Pucci, as they talk about the book behind the demonic hauntings in the film.
After that, the disc wraps up with trailers for upcoming Sony Pictures releases.
Final Summary.
I hope we get to see Fede Alvarez direct another horror film, as his direction is one of the reason that makes this reboot work so well. “Evil Dead” is as terrifying as the original. It’s a frightening thrill ride that keeps a hold of you from start to finish.
Review Rating: Five Stars.
Blu-Ray Extras: Four Extras.
