'Evil Dead Burn' Is Out & Received 80% on RT, but Is It Really Worth Watching?

The Evil Dead franchise shows no signs of slowing down – 45 years after Sam Raimi's first cabin-in-the-woods massacre in 1981, the series continues to surprise and shock fans.

Following the successful reboot, Evil Dead Rise, the most action-packed and brutal movie in the franchise, Evil Dead Burn, hits theaters.

French director Sébastien Vaniček pushes the boundaries of ultraviolence by turning ordinary household items into weapons of chaos.

What Is 'Evil Dead Burn' About?

After the events of Evil Dead Rise, a Deadite – a demonic creature from the Necronomicon – throws itself under the car of a drunk Will, who has just argued with his wife, Alice. The brief collision leads to a fatal car crash.

After the funeral, the Deadite begins to infect Will's family, turning a quiet wake at a country home into a living nightmare.

At the center of it all, Alice and the deceased's younger brother, Joseph, try to uncover the secrets of their missing grandfather, a researcher whose archives contained a suspicious book with occult symbols.

'Evil Dead Burn' Opts for Spectacular, Bloody Action Over Visceral Suspense

Evil Dead Burn is all about nonstop action. Ordinary household items like a car headrest, decorative candles, and a dishwasher become weapons of chaos and pain, no worse than a chainsaw.

The chainsaw is replaced here by a circular saw, which, like Chekhov's gun, lurks menacingly in the father's workshop at the beginning of the movie – Vaniček holds nothing back, using everything he can get his hands on.

In Evil Dead Burn, surprises await at every turn, ones that will stick in your memory. However, unlike in Evil Dead Rise, where the final transformation was the most memorable moment, Evil Dead Burn doesn't always create a truly tense atmosphere.

The tension creeps up only at the beginning, otherwise, the movie relies on spectacle rather than suspense.

Although 'Evil Dead Burn' Isn't as Inventive as 2013's Movie, It Works Better With Its Family Drama

Evil Dead Burn's shortcomings are especially apparent when compared to 2013's Evil Dead, which, despite its intimate setting, remains the most disturbing chapter of the franchise's new era. Its suspenseful pauses are truly eerie, and the horror steadily builds.

Evil Dead Burn, however, falls short in this regard. Vaniček doesn't even think to use the classic creaky floorboards to make the horror feel visceral. The visuals are sometimes dull – the movie lacks the rich colors of the striking Evil Dead Rise.

However, Evil Dead Burn handles family issues more dramatically, adding emotional layers and dark secrets to its characters. The new film is denser – it doesn't simply deliver linear carnage, instead, it attempts to flesh out the plot with substantial hooks about secret societies and the fight against evil.

Overall, Evil Dead Burn is roughly on par with Evil Dead Rise – worse in some areas and more powerful in others – allowing the franchise to continue evolving and experimenting.

What Did Critics & Viewers Think of 'Evil Dead Burn'?

• Evil Dead Burn has 71% from critics and 80% from viewers on Rotten Tomatoes.

• On IMDb, the movie has a score of 6.8/10.

• On Letterboxd, Evil Dead Burn scored 3.5/5.0.

Where to Watch 'Evil Dead Burn'?

Evil Dead Burn is currently playing in theaters.