A promising horror remake which starts well, but eventually becomes mediocre

Rating: 6/10 (20 July 2013)

Evil Dead is another remake of a cult horror movie classic from the 1970's or 1980's. With the exception of a few, most of these remakes have not lived up to the high standards of the fans of the originals. Evil Dead however starts promising. While its story vastly differs from the original, it certainly offers an interesting setting with suspense thanks to the exiting prologue and the grim setting of Mia (Jane Levy) going cold turkey in a remote cabin. Since she failed in her previous attempt to quit drugs, her brother David (Shiloh Fernandez) is now present as well to support his sister and their friends. When David and his friends find the sealed Book of the Dead in the basement, they accidentally summon a demon which seems to possess them one by one until none of them will remain. As stated, this setting offers great potential. However, the quality of the film quickly starts to decline. There are plenty of scares and shocks throughout the movie, but they all feel too familiar and cliché. Evil Dead is nothing like its original counterpart. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, the remake quickly becomes a mediocre slasher movie. This is particularly disappointing since the original gained such popularity due to its original writing and excellent filming. Without spoiling too much: the ending is very disappointing and leaves you with a familiar disappointed feeling as with most of the recent horror movies from Hollywood. Nevertheless the film will keep you entertained if you are a fan of the genre.