Evil Dead---the highly anticipated remake of the 1981 cult classic is disgusting. How disgusting? Let's just say it make every film of the torture porn genre combined look like Toy Story. Evil Dead is, however, a film that should be shown in all film classes and to all aspiring filmmakers so they can see how to make the perfect horror film. Amazingly---Sam Raimi chose Fede Alvarez to write and direct. This is amazing because Raimi obviously wanted someone who could do justice to his 1981 classic and still make it their own. Yet he chose someone who had never done a horror film or an American film for that matter. It is also amazing at how terrific of a job Alvarez actually did.
The film starts with David (Shiloh Fernandez) and his girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore) visiting David's old friend Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) and his girlfriend Olivia (Jessica Lucas.) David's younger sister, Mia (Jane Levy) can't give up drugs and is soon possessed by the evil spirit living inside of an ancient book that David and Eric found in the basement.
The element that separates this from other horror films is that these are not dumb people. Rather...each one of these characters possesses a trait that helps keep the story moving. David can't work up the nerve to put his sister out of her misery because he cares about her. Natalie is the one who helps her friends attempt to do something about the situation. Eric is the nerdy friend who helps give a back story to the book and Olivia is the nurse who knows the medical history behind all of the stuff happening. The film is surprisingly funny in a dark, twisted sort of way and it will most likely scare everyone at least a few times. These scares aren't the old, tired jump scares, either. Rather, these are genuine, down and dirty scares. The film is also effectively and originally made. There are no huge cliches and the film gets right to the heart of the matter. It doesn't wait long at all before making you look away.
Although Evil Dead is certainly not for the weak of stomach (even the strongest stomachs will have to look away at least a couple of times)...it is funny, clever, effective, creepy and just plain awesome. In other words...it's everything a horror film should be.
(4 and 1/2 out of 5 Stars, The film is rated R for strong bloody violence and gore, some sexual content and language)
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