Film review: ‘EVIL DEAD: BURN’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’
The attempt to remake classic 1980’s horror movies has seen many misfires with the Halloween reboot finale Halloween Ends, The Thing remake no one talks about and the Nightmare on Elm Street remake being prime examples. The reboot of the Evil Dead franchise with Evil Dead: Rise in 2023 was, however, more promising. At first, the filmmaker’s decision to completely divert from the gleefully deranged inventiveness of the original The Evil Dead (1981) and the even loopier Evil Dead 2 (1987) seemed like something of a loss but the dark, gritty Rise proved a solid piece of horror cinema. It certainly wasn’t in the league of top tier modern horrors such as It Follows, The Conjuring or Hereditary but it had visceral violence and had a menacing intensity. That film seems relatively quaint, however, compared to the sledgehammer to the face that is Evil Dead: Burn.
Burn is R rated and director Sébastien Vanicek takes full advantage of that classification to amp up the ferocity and create one of the most intensely violent, gory and grotesque mainstream horror films we’ve seen for some time. Subtlety is not the order of the day here as skulls are smashed, bodies are viciously mutilated, pointy things are shoved into ear holes and bodily fluids are exchanged in disgusting fashion. This film is like the cinema equivalent of hardcore death metal and no doubt fans of that extreme ear-pummelling sound will revel in this movie. Others, however, may simply recoil at what feels like blunt force trauma.
The film bears only a faint connection to Rise and the earlier Evil Dead’s as the sinister book of the dead (or Necronomicon) again unleashes a demon attack on unsuspecting folks. In Burn, the family of William (George Pullar) a young man who they believe died in a car accident gather at brother Joseph’s (Hunter Doohan) dilapidated home following the funeral. Hidden in the house is an ancient a dagger, the only weapon that can destroy the franchise’s demons known as Deadites. Not surprisingly, the evil force powering the Deadites is keen to get hold of the dagger and descends upon the home. As with the other Evil Dead films the plot sees one person after another possessed before they unleash a ferocious assault on the remaining humans.
While this film will certainly tickle the fancy of gore hounds, some may be disappointed by its dearth of supernatural mystery. While the set-up involves the Necronomicon and some demon lore, the possessions are really just an excuse for characters to develop superhuman strength and go on ultra-violent rampages. The living nightmare creepiness of the original film has been supplanted by sheer brutality. Admittedly, within what seems a one note scenario, the film at least attempts to comment on the terror of domestic violence. There are also a few unexpected comical moments.
This sort of film is traditionally not a showcase for fine acting but Souheila Yacoub, who plays Alice, William’s widow is impressive. Alice suffers ferocious punishment from the Deadites and Yacoub sells the trauma convincingly while also making effective and bloody use of power tools in her defence. Also, Errol Shand, who played the superbly repulsive villain in Warwick Thornton’s Wolfram, is an intimidating presence as William’s aggressive father and that’s even before the demons get hold of him.
While Evil Dead: Burn is a potently violent film, it would have been more thrilling had it not succumbed to the twin scourges of modern cinema, manic editing and excessive use of extreme close-ups which make a few scenes messy and confusing. Not surprisingly, some of the film’s best moments are when Vanicek pulls back the camera and locks it down to clearly capture the action.
Should you wish to be severely jolted by your next cinema experience Evil Dead: Burn is just the ticket. This, however, is definitely not a date movie nor one to watch while eating.
Nick’s rating: ***
Genre: Horror.
Classification: R.
Director(s): Sébastien Vanicek.
Release date: 9th July 2026.
Running time: 109 mins.
Reviewer: Nick Gardener can be heard on “Built For Speed” every Friday night from 8-10pm on 88.3 Southern FM.
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- Film review: ‘EVIL DEAD: RISE’ by Nick Gardener from ‘Built For Speed’
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- Film review: RISE OF THE PLANET OF THE APES, from Built for Speed
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