Film Review | Evil Dead

Remakes are stupid, filthy, unnecessary things. In fact, they're about as unnecessary as films shown in 3D. And want to know what's even worse? Remakes of classic films that are still very much loved and on constant cultural rotation. Films like, say, Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho, which was arguably the victim of one of the most undesired and undesirable rehashes, by otherwise competent director Gus Van Sant back in 1998.

Let me guess: right now you're probably to- and fro-ing your eyes at that bubble above and wondering, "So he's giving this remake of Evil Dead - Sam Raimi's cult horror classic, first released in 1981 - four stars? What gives?"

But here's the rub: the Evil Dead saga - it would balloon into an unofficial trilogy, with all three films in the series directed by Raimi and starring the inimitable, square-jawed badass Bruce Campbell - only really came into its own thanks to its sequels. Flipping the 'cabin in the woods' zombie-horror of the the original on its head, Evil Dead II and Evil Dead III: Army of Darkness were made with tongue firmly plunged in cheek, with the final instalment in particular - a ludicrous-by-any-measure, time-travel romp - teetering gleefully towards self-parody.

So it would be a case of misplaced protest, I think, to accuse the team behind the new Evil Dead of desecrating the image of the '81 original, given that it remains an enduring film largely due to its dirt-cheap DIY aesthetic and the legacy of its sequels.

As it stands, Fede Alvarez's film is an adequate tribute to its genetic predecessor, while also having the cojones and foresight to use its ramped-up budget to good effect.

Doing away with the original's - somewhat arbitrary - 'four friends go on a trip to an isolated cabin in rural Tennessee just because' storyline, Alvarez places our young protagonists in a similar situation for what is perhaps a more emotionally convincing reason. 

Mia (Jane Levy) is a recovering heroin addict, and her friends - and brother David (Shiloh Fernandez) - are intent on ensuring she makes good on her promise to go cold turkey. David and the rest of the group - Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci), Olivia (Jessica Lucas) and David's girlfriend, Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore)- agree not to allow Mia to leave the cabin, no matter what, fearing that she might relapse the first chance she gets.

Matters become murkier, however, when they discover a grisly scene in the cabin's basement. Never mind the stench, a double-barrel shotgun and dead animal remains... one mystery object that gets the bespectacled Eric's attention is an ancient book - the 'Naturom Demonto' - seemingly containing occult incantations. As per horror film tradition, he does the stupid thing and decides to read it.

Also in line with convenient genre conventions, Mia happens to be out in the woods at the same time as the demons that have been lying in wait for someone to raise them from the ground - as illustrated by a terrifying tracking shot in line with Eric's incantations.

Jumping straight to a homage to one of the original's most iconic (that is to say, horrifying) sequences, from here on out the quartet are clearly doomed. But will they believe that what Mia saw is anything other than the result of her substance withdrawal... before it's too late?

Perhaps the only real problem that Alvarez faces has less to do with the legacy of the Raimi original and more with the fact that any 'cabin in the woods' film will suffer when compared to, erm, Cabin in the Woods - the Joss Whedon-penned send-up of the same genre, which attracted very healthy buzz last year and which may just be all too fresh in people's minds.

But if he was in any way hesitant about approaching the film (also his feature-length debut) he doesn't show it: the film is too slick and energetic for that. Of course, the fact that he had both Raimi and Campbell's backing - they're listed as co-producers - must have helped. There are absolutely no apologies made for any Evil Dead purists out there, and it's evident even from the film's brash marketing campaign - which has it billed as 'The Most Terrifying Film You Will Ever Experience'.

While I'm sure than any number of 'gore hounds' will be eager to second guess that particular claim, one thing that Alvarez manages to update with particular aplomb is the original's in-yer-face gore. Thankfully steering clear of any too-polished CGI work, Alvarez uses old-school techniques to gut-churning effect.

While clearly borrowing from sources like The Ring, Alvarez creates a blood-gurgling pack of demons you definitely wouldn't want to bump into.

The film is less inspired when it comes to its human counterparts, however. While Amy's drug addiction is a welcome innovation on the original that lends some much needed - if, again, slightly too easy - psychological urgency, the other characters are largely flattened into cardboard types: the feisty one (Olivia), the nerdy one (Eric), the hunky protagonist (David) and his vacuous, blonde - and final-nail-in-coffin - girlfriend (Natalie).

But if you can stomach it, it's definitely worth sticking around until the end. If only to figure out who the true successor to Bruce Campbell's chainsaw-wielding 'Ash' will turn out to be.

It's a guessing game that Alvarez keeps up for the longest possible time, and when he puts it to end, it'll probably end up being the most satisfying - and bloody - thing you'll see at the cinema all year.