At last a remake that works

Rating: 8/10 (3 February 2017)

Evil Dead (2013) I was a huge fan of the original version of this film and felt Sam Rami changed the face of horror with his vision. Many of his, (then new) techniques have been replicated with great effect in horror for the 30 years that followed. Mr Rami explained in an interview that his reasons for remaking this classic was that he always wondered what the film would have been like if he had the budget available then, that was available today, as the original was made on a shoe string budget. This was an exciting and unique approach to remakes. Now let's get real before we start. The 1981 version was groundbreaking at the time, but is a very different watch today. The enjoyment now being maintained by the nostalgic element of remembering how good it was at the time. In saying that Bruce Campbell's portrayal of the lead character 'Ash' is still an excellent performance to watch today by any standard. That leads me to my first point within the remake. They cleverly have re-cast the male lead to a female lead to minimise any comparisons, which let's face it no one could live up to. Exit Bruce Campbell and enter Jane Levy. This Actress has a very quirky look which is utilized to perfection for this role with a very twisted, dark, animated and committed performance. She genuinely leaves you feeling uneasy watching her journey through this horror fest. With equally impressive supporting cast members putting in some very strong scenes, there's nothing to criticise here either. It was nice to see Sam Rami writing this film and both Sam Rami and Bruce Campbell deciding to take the producers chair. They definitely give this film a dark, chilling and expensive look. I'm glad to see they don't change the format too much or change the premise of the story too much either. It remains satisfyingly familiar in a chilling new way. Extra Kudos go to the cinematographer Aaron Morton as the use of lights and darks is truly haunting and has created some very memorable moments in this film. This coupled with top notch Make up effects (something very much lacking from the original) and an evident boost in budget make for a very scary and uneasy watch. The task in remaking this film is telling a story that's no longer original, in a way that's been done a million times since. He totally finds a way of making this work. I was so excited to see everything in this film work. Atmosphere, soundtrack, lighting, and performances, I could go on. Any fan of the original should appreciate what's been achieved in this film and 30 years on this story is still able to engage and terrorise the audience. Sam Rami shows us that he certainly doesn't need to rely on nostalgia or just a dedicated fan base to deliver a gem. He gives us a truly horrific and disturbing look at his tale of possession.