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Please Be Kind, Your Favorite Horror Filmmakers Need Your Support Now, More Than Ever
People’s opinion of Evil Dead Rise (2023) has been divisive at best, with two overarching sides that can be generalized as casual movie-goers vs cult followers of the franchise.
What’s been interesting to observe is how counterintuitive the divide has been. Casual movie-goers, whom you would expect to not know much or outright dislike the horror franchise, have been absolutely loving it. The film earned $146.7 million at the box office and is currently certified fresh at 84% on rotten tomatoes.
Meanwhile, die-hard fans, whom you’d expect to love and support the movie, have been absolutely loathing it. They call it the weakest link of the chain, with some particularly harsh critics/fans going so far as to say that if you were to remove “Evil Dead” from its title, the movie could stand on its own as just another possession film, albeit one that doesn’t have much to offer.
Fans have been saying that Evil Dead Rise is not Evil Dead enough, for them, it’s the black sheep of the family that they refuse to acknowledge.
But here’s my take on it.
It’s true that the characters of Evil Dead Rise (2023) could have been developed a bit more. They’re already working with a very promising premise: a free-spirited single mother lives with her three kids in a rickety soon-to-be demolished apartment when suddenly she transforms into a Deadite. Out of nowhere, comes her drifter sister, who despite her depression, has to try and help the kids survive Necronomicon’s wrath.
You could easily go into such a movie expecting discussions around family dynamics, something along the lines of how devastating the absence of a patriarchal figure in an otherwise patriarchal world is. In this current climate of “elevated” horror that provides viewers stories that help them reflect on their lives— it’s easy to forget that (beloved as it is) the original Evil Dead movie (1981) was a B picture, with barely an ounce of character development to it.
It became a cult classic mainly because of its OTT (over-the-top) Gore, very disturbing demon performances, and innovative camera movements and sound effects. And this is something that Evil Dead Rise (2023) successfully recreated. It features amazing gore! I mean come on, they’re putting people through wood chippers and grating their shins, what more could you want?
Throughout its runtime, the movie does tend to feel like an episode of Survivor. Characters do nothing but try to survive with little to no acknowledgment that they’re a “family” trying to survive this together. Despite so, Evil Dead Rise (2023) does offer plenty of amazing gore and special effects. Also, director Lee Cronin, who previously delivered the magnificent Irish Horror cornerstone, The Hole In The Ground (2019), created one of the most disgusting Deadites to date. He gave multiple Deadites the ability to merge together into a disgusting Voltron-esque abomination. Creating a body-horror finale that’s so far unmatched in the series. And that is exactly what we love about the Evil Dead franchise.
Still, die-hard fans argue that the film’s gore wasn’t OTT enough for it to be Evil Dead. And it’s true, the gore doesn’t hold a candle to the 2013 remake, but there’s a very strong reason for that.
Evil Dead Rise was filmed during the pandemic (from mid to late 2021) and during that time, like any other industry, the film industry took an economic blow to the head. Lockdowns closed theaters, halted productions, and in turn caused big studios to be more inclined to put their money into superhero movies. Because to them, those have consistently generated the highest revenues possible. Meaning they have a better chance of recovering their expenses and paying their wages. So many niche pictures, especially in the horror genre, have got a taste of the chainsaw’s whir.
As easy as it can be to forget about all of the people involved in making a film, you have to realize that at the end of the day, filmmaking is a job. People’s livelihoods rely on films being made, released, and watched by other people, so that they can continue supporting themselves, and in turn, make more films that hopefully you’ll like.
When I say this, I’m not just talking about Sam Raimi, I’m talking about the production assistant being paid minimum wage, living in a tiny room in nowhere Los Angeles or Atlanta. So, to reach a common ground with studio executives, and get the film released in the first place, Evil Dead Rise (2023) had to be crafted with a general audience in mind. One that without doubt, would bring the studios and its filmmakers profit.
So when something like Evil Dead Rise (2023) hits theaters, even when it’s not exactly the film you wanted, I believe you should still support it. Because here’s the thing: auteurs like Sam Raimi tend to use their revenues to make more movies. More than anything, we’ve seen that he’s an artist who loves and respects his craft, which means that the commercial success of Evil Dead Rise (2023) has the potential to pave the way for an Evil Dead film that will be unequivocally praised by its die-hard fans.
For detractors of the film here’s some food for thought I’ll leave you with.
During these turbulent times, how do you know that these filmmakers, who have previously made incredible movies, didn’t intend to make OTT Gore to begin with?
How do you know that the unpredictable circumstances of this circus called life didn’t force them to settle on something that they believe would at least, scare, entertain, and delight a large number of people? All while making sure that the hard-working folks behind the scenes, from Sam Raimi to the production assistant (in a tiny one-bedroom apartment), get to continue doing the work they love, at a time when many don’t even get a chance to do so.
So, yes, perhaps Evil Dead is a popcorn flick. But, I think there’s beauty and joy in that too. Not every film has to be a cerebral experience or an over-the-top gore fest. Sometimes horror movies are just about the fun and communal experience of being at the theater with friends, family, and even strangers. And that experience is not something that should be taken for granted.
If you liked Evil Dead Rise (or even if you didn’t), keep in mind (or give a second chance to) some of these other pandemic projects. They may not exactly be what you wanted, but are definitely a ton of fun!
