Exceeded All My Expectations

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2013)

I've been a huge fan of the Evil Dead films for 3 decades. They're a big part of my movie-watching while growing up. During this time, I've shared the movies with all my friends and family. Any new addition to these films would have to reach a very high bar to meet my approval. So when I heard a remake was in the works, I was both excited and concerned.
My concerns grew when I found out the movie would not be directed by Sam Raimi, and would not be starring Bruce Campbell in any capacity. Then I found out this was being directed by a rookie, who also penned the screenplay. I was convinced this movie had "disaster" written all over it.
Turns out I had nothing to worry about.
It's been many years since a movie actually got my heart racing, and it was amazing to have that feeling again after so long. Evil Dead is a thrill ride that gripped me and didn't let go until at least an hour after it had ended.
It was also refreshing because there were almost none of the typical moments where I asked yourself "Why did he do that? That's stupid!". The premise of the movie gives a good reason for the characters to remain at the cabin long after most sane people would've taken off.
Half the fun of the movie was spotting all the cues taken from the first 2 movies, but given their own twist in this re-imagining. Bitten hand that goes bad and needs to be chopped off? Check! Stump-wielding a chainsaw? Check! Demon locked in the cellar? Check! If you've got a favourite scene in one of the first 2 Evil Dead movies, then there's an homage to it in this movie somewhere. But these cues aren't shoe-horned in for the sake of fan service, they're skillfully crafted into the story line in a way that makes these cues unique and shocking in their own way. It's like the writers took these ludicrous moments from the first 2 movies, and turned them into the genuinely scary devices they were meant to be in the first place.
I loved how this movie kept me guessing. Sure, I think I KNOW what's gonna happen next. It's been done this way in movies countless times before. But the story throws just enough loops in that there's always doubt. I thought I knew how this movie would end, and I was wrong. And being wrong was awesome, because the end turned out to be way better than my expectations.
Mind you, that may not be the fairest way to put it. After all, my expectations were pretty low. So let me state it this way: I can't stand to watch a movie twice in a row, no matter how much I enjoy it. Usually, if I watch a movie, I'm done with it for at least 3 years. But I want to race back to the theatre and watch Evil Dead again RIGHT NOW! And I bet I'd love to watch it a 3rd or 4th time. It was just that much fun.
Do I have a favourite among the Evil Dead series? Not really. I enjoy all of them for different reasons. But Evil Dead stands right up there among my favourite movies of all time.
(as a counterpoint, my wife watched most of the movie with her eyes half-closed, and felt disturbed for hours afterwards... so this movie definitely isn't for everyone, especially if you're squeamish)