What A Horror Remake Should Be and More

Rating: 10/10 (7 April 2013)

I am a sucker for horror remakes. Don't get me wrong, some of them are downright bad (ahem, "Psycho"). Others, like "The Fly" and "Let Me In," prove worthy companions to the original and a little bit more. Hearing the news that Sam Raimi's 1981 classic "The Evil Dead," one of my all-time favorite horror movies, was getting a redux brought on some skepticism. Why touch "Evil Dead?" It's a movie not built on plot or acting, but on the sheer passion of the director and crew behind it. Certainly, the need for a remake was unnecessary, but I am very welcoming when they come out, and I was more than impressed. 2013's "Evil Dead" is the best horror remake since "Let Me In."
The story of Raimi's flick was never very complicated, and it's pretty basic here: Four friends journey out to a cabin in the woods to help their friend Mia battle withdrawal after she quits heroine. There's her estranged brother, David, Natalie, his girlfriend, Olivia, a nurse, and Eric, a teacher. Of course, the cabin is equipped with a cellar filled with eerie things, one of them being a book wrapped in barbed wire, made out of human skin and inked in blood. Eric, of course, takes an interest to the book and recites an incantation. Bad move. The incantation brings out a vicious supernatural force that takes over Mia and proceeds to the others one by one. Cue the flying limbs!
"Evil Dead" is exactly the type of horror remake that works and then some. Uruguayan newcomer Fede Alvarez and his partner Rodo Sayagues have crafted a story that not only shows the deepest appreciation for the original, but also stands on its own two feet without depending too much on it. Alvarez and Sayagues are fans of the original themselves, and they know exactly what the audiences want to see. Their "Evil Dead" pays tribute to the original and even works for those who never even knew there was an "Evil Dead" in 1981.
Every character is likable, if not a little underdeveloped. But none of the characters in the original film were three-dimensional either, and that's okay. Everyone here is lining up for a body count, but they still gain your sympathy before the Kondarian demons take them over. Shiloh Fernandez is good as David and Jessica Lucas is the same as Olivia. Elizabeth Blackmore's Natalie is the most underdeveloped character, but I still liked her. The movie's two standout performances are that of Jane Levy (TV's "Suburgatory") as Mia and Lou Taylor Pucci as Eric. Both are put through serious hell as a demon and as a human being. Being buried alive and being stabbed in the eyes with hypodermic needles was certainly not on their bucket list. Levy and Pucci are real troopers, and their terrific work comes off in spades. But when it comes down to it all, the best performer is Levy. She is believable as a druggie and frightening enough as a Deadite. And boy, can she scream.
Something's missing from this "Evil Dead" and that's the gallows humor of the sequels. Personally, I prefer it that way. I was never a fan of "Evil Dead 2." It's overrated and abandons the scare factor of Raimi's predecessor. Dedicated fans tend to forget that Raimi wasn't making a horror comedy in 1981. He played the original straight, and the camp set in on its own. Still, it was a creepy and shocking film labeled as "the ultimate experience in grueling terror." Alvarez's movie is played with minimal laughs, and truly wants to get under your skin. When it's scary, it's very scary, with perfectly orchestrated jump scares. And when it is funny, it's not too funny. It's a perfect balance.
But let's be real here. "Evil Dead" was always best known for its graphic violence, and now, the violence is more graphic than ever. I've sat through the likes of some very gory movies, and the amount of goo this flick gets away with is shocking. It walks a truly thin line between an R-rating and the original film's NC-17 rating. "Evil Dead" is swimming in blood, bathing in it like it was a giant pool in someone's backyard. There isn't a single moment that won't make you cringe, mostly because there's no CGI here. The effects of Roger Murray are all-natural practical effects, so when someone is stabbed or cut in half, you feel it. I won't give it away for those who haven't seen the redband trailer, but Levy's character pulls some squirm-inducing action with a box cutter.
In the end, Alvarez had a lot of pressure on his shoulders. This could have been a standard, by-the-numbers R-rated horror movie. But that doesn't fly here. It's not even discussed. Either be true to the original or don't make the movie at all. 2013's "Evil Dead" is true to the original respectfully while being its own movie. Deadites will enjoy the winks at Raimi's film (tree rape, anyone?), and they will absolutely geek out over the gore. Plus, the finale is an utter blast. Those who have never seen the original will love it equally. When Sam Raimi, Robert Tapert, and Bruce Campbell, the original's writer-director, producer, and star, give a remake their blessing, the filmmakers must be doing something right. Add to it the applause I heard at the end of the movie, then you know you have something special. "Evil Dead" is a hit, not a miss!