An exercise in carnage that's not to be taken too seriously.

Rating: 7/10 (30 January 2019)

Probably the least interesting thing in this film is the cast of characters, who are basically just there to be put through the wringer then killed. The performances are fine, but it's the dialogue the characters are given that lets them down, because it often feels forced or melodramatic - sometimes the dialogue is deliberately perverse or profane, Ã la "The Exorcist" (1973), but it's more silly here than shocking.
The premise that Mia has come to the cabin to go cold turkey is a decent justification, but then no justification is given for why Eric reads ancient text from a book wrapped in barbed wire that he finds in a basement full of dead cats. Nevertheless, it allows for some awesome, over-the-top horror set-pieces, including self-inflicted mutilations and amputations, brutalisation, and chainsaws through the skull.
And these horror scenes look great - there's awesome makeup and prosthetic work, and when the blood really comes it's just magical. The cinematography is lovely with both fixed and moving shots, though some of it feels like it's trying to imitate the original "The Evil Dead" (1981), particularly the handheld quick-cut stuff. The score is okay but generic, but it's the sound design that annoys me - it's mostly pretty good, but the unnecessary inclusion of a ghost girl in the film means there are at least three occasions where the audio will completely drop out for a couple of seconds (good use of silence), only to be followed by an obnoxious demon scream (cheap and lazy).
Really this film is about the spectacle of absolute carnage, and while I appreciate the attempts at emotional hooks and arcs, they really do just fade into the background when people start puking blood and tearing off their own limbs. In other words, it's just good fun.
7/10.