Reinventing one of the genre's most renowned cult-classics is no easy take, but Fede Alvarez has successfully turned the horror ideals upside down, giving audiences a no-holds-bar thrill ride in Evil Dead, a film that will surely go down as one of the most gutsy and complete genre films of our generation.
Using the generic storyline involving five friends, a deserted cabin, and an evil spirit, Alvarez is able to trap your suspicion and use your mind against you, offering up a horrific ninety-minute story that never apologizes nor shies away from the rigors of violence and gore.
Jane Levy does a scary good job at transforming from an innocent young girl with family issues into a psychotic demon-possessed drug addict experiencing withdrawal. Her canny performance helps to sell the film as she often flips the switch, going back and forth between her two personalities with seeming ease.
Levy is complimented by four co-stars who hold their own during the gripping story, each offering up a truly memorable scene detailing their eventual demise to the evil that lies within the bound book in the basement. Needles, a piece of broken glass, a nail gun...they all find their way to the forefront during the violent situations, and each will have you gasping for air as you constantly find yourself shocked at the horrors that wiggle their way onto the screen.
But don't be confused, Evil Dead isn't a torturous film with no real understanding for its characters. The film, though basked in blood, guts, and gore, is amazingly shot and precisely edited. The characters are well developed, the make-up vivid, and the pacing is both quick and intense, providing for an entertaining and immensely satisfying experience.
While I can't confirm that Evil Dead is the most terrifying film you will ever experience, I can say that it is the most complete horror film I've seen in several years"”which, as a genre junkie, isn't easy to say.
