Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Evil Dead’

Written by Scott Edwards and John Edward Betancourt

‘Go back to Hell, bitch.’
- Mia

​Scott's Review
When trying to escape your vices that life has put around you, is there a better way to do it without having your friends around? I have watched a couple of those intervention shows and it is always the family and friends that are trying to help their loved one overcome their evils. I am sure that this helps out, especially when the individual sees how they are pulling their family and friends apart. I wonder if this would work with evil possessions? I don’t know if the demons will think the same way about this practice, they would probably just want to eat everyone’s souls that were involved.

David and Natalie arrive late to his family’s cabin and are greeted by Olivia and Eric. With a plan in place to take care of David’s sister Mia, the group has decided a getaway to the woods will be the best way to help Mia follow through on a big promise, this time at least. Mia has had problems with drugs for many years and with the help from her friends, she should be able to finally kick the habit, but only time will tell. Upon entering the cabin, the group sees that the door has been broken open and even though they cannot find anyone squatting there, there is a strange smell coming from the basement.

Cleaning up the cabin, the group finds dead cats in the cellar and will move them out, but Mia is not comfortable in the cabin at all and wants to leave. Not being able to convince her brother David to take her away, she takes the car and tries to drive back into town. But it has been raining non-stop for several hours and the creek has flooded and will not allow anyone to cross until it is ready. Trying to get back to the cabin, Mia is confronted by a young woman in the woods that gives her a taste of what real evil is. Rushing back to the cabin while the trees are coming alive around her, she has to prove that there is something alive and evil in the woods that means them harm.

Dead cats are not the only thing the group finds in the basement as one of the support beams has been burned to a crisp. On a table in the back of the cellar the group finds a shotgun and a book that is wrapped in wire. Taking their new finds upstairs, Eric opens the book and starts investigating the scribblings inside of it. Finding incantations in the book, Eric colors over the top of them with a pencil and paper and recites the words. Not knowing what these words are, he awakens something evil in the woods that wants to take over the bodies of the living and feast on their souls. Watching as Mia becomes worse, the group thinks that she is just suffering withdrawal, but they quickly find out that she is being possessed by something not of this earth.

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Locking her in the cellar, one by one the rest of the group suffers the same fate. When Olivia tries to kill Eric in the bathroom, Eric is strong enough to keep her at bay and destroy her brain, but that is not enough when Natalie becomes the next victim. Eric deciphers what needs to be done to release the demons from the bodies of the living; fire, decapitation and being buried alive. Although David does not truly understand what is happening around him, he will do anything to save his friends and his sister, but when the sun is down, the demons are more powerful than ever and he needs to find a way to get any sort of help before all is lost.

I am not a huge fan of remakes, especially when the original movie was just fine, but this reincarnation of Evil Dead has changed my mind. I was blown away by the imagery that was brought to the screen, and I even liked the characters, even though there was no Ash involved. The strength that everyone had to show to survive was outstanding, along with Mia's kicking of her drug habit. With all of the blood that bubbled up during this movie, you finally get to see what Duct Tape is really good for, especially when traveling in the woods. I really liked how the story came around full circle and if more remakes used this same formula, I would be more apt to watch them. A great movie and I hope that they are able to make a second one and I'm not gonna lie I would love to see Mia pop up on Ash vs Evil Dead for a crossover story. Stay Scared!

​John's Review
Normally, the instant a remake of one of my favorite films is announced, I cringe inside and ponder the greatest question one can ponder when it comes to a remake...will it stink? But that was not the case with today's review, because of two names; Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi. 

They were involved every step of the way when it came to revitalizing this franchise and these two men care dearly for the saga they brought to life, and the chances of them letting their fans down were slim to none, and my trust in both of them was well rewarded with an incredible horror film that stands up to the classic. In fact, let's get it out of the way now, expect the unexpected with this film, because to put it bluntly, this ain't your daddy's Evil Dead.  

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​Now when it comes to this remake, the basic core of the plot holds true. We have college kids in a remote cabin, we have the Necronomicon, complete with new name and design, and of course the ever-evil Deadites, but that is where the comparisons to the original disappear. Because Director Fede Alvarez has put his unique stamp on the Evil Dead saga with his incredible take on this classic storyline. But there is one question I think we all want answered when it comes to this movie, is it scary? 

The answer is a resounding hell yes. There is a painful tension that builds in this film as it lulls you into a sense of security before unleashing utter terror and the scares just keep coming. If the proper word to describe Sam Raimi's original was simplicity, the appropriate word to describe this version is disturbing. I say that because I can guarantee you will squirm in your seat and cringe from the horrible things that happen before your eyes. Don't believe me? Well, we all know how much I watch horror movies and how they rarely get under my skin, but shortly after this story kicked off, I found myself constantly squirming about in my seat. 

If anything, this movie is a proud addition to the saga, and it pleases me to no end that the wonderful quality and subsequent success of this film, brought for an Evil Dead renaissance. One that gave rise to three wondrous seasons of Ash vs Evil Dead, and that kept the momentum going to bring us Evil Dead Rise, and after that who knows… but clearly this movie introduced the Deadites to a whole new generation, whose appetite for gore and terror is as voracious as the monsters that walk-through Ash and Mia’s ugly world.

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