Evil Dead Rise

Directed by Lee Cronin, Evil Dead Rise follows several characters as they’re forced to battle demonic spirits from within a dilapidated apartment building. Filmmaker Cronin, armed with his own screenplay, delivers an erratically-paced yet mostly engaging horror effort that improves steadily as it progresses, as the movie’s first half, despite kicking off with a terrific initial few minutes (and stylish opening credits), suffers from a slow-burn vibe that’s compounded by a pervasive absence of compelling, fully-fleshed-out characters – with the tolerable atmosphere, then, due to the creeping dread that’s been hard-wired into the proceedings. And while the picture never quite becomes as flat-out enthralling as one might’ve hoped, with Cronin’s reliance on murky and oppressively dark visuals remaining a problem throughout, Evil Dead Rise eventually does adopt an agreeable visceral feel that proves effective at compensating for the movie’s various deficiencies – with, especially, the bloody, balls-to-the-wall third act ensuring that the film concludes on a positive note. The end result is a perpetually watchable (albeit somewhat forgettable) installment within a seriously hit-and-miss franchise, and it’s worth noting, at least, that Evil Dead Rise fares substantially better than the thoroughly underwhelming 2013 remake.

*** out of ****