by Jeffery Rahming, Contributing Writer
Forget the summer blockbusters; 2026 has been the summer of horror. Between Obsession becoming one of the most profitable films of all time and Backrooms becoming A24’s biggest hit ever, it seems like audiences would rather be freaked out than cheer on a superhero. Unlike the other horror releases this summer, Evil Dead Burn has a long legacy behind it. Evil Dead is a unique franchise in that it’s simultaneously more brutal and more comedic than most films in its genre. Specifically, a style of gross-out humor that used to make it stand out. But with a franchise over 40 years old, even if the movies are good, the formula threatens to wear thin. The last two entries, while fun, strayed pretty far from the ridiculousness of the original movies and led the franchise in a more modern direction. To the point that some fans began to wonder if this was still the franchise they loved. For better or worse, Evil Dead Burn is a modern Evil Dead movie. Those looking for the days of Bruce Cambell fighting goofy skeletons will have to look elsewhere. But what’s here is still a very solid entry in a classic horror franchise.
Evil Dead Burn follows the Price family, a toxic family with a lot of demons. Literally. The Prices are shaken when Will Price (George Pullar) dies in a mysterious car accident after an argument with his wife Alice (Souhelia Yacoub). Will’s parents, Susan (Tandi Wright) and Edgar (Errol Shand) blame Alice for the death while Will’s brother, Joseph (Hunter Doohan) just tries to keep the peace. After a pretty awkward funeral, the family and friends head off to a cabin in the woods to discuss how they’re going to move forward. But of course, the tension only gets worse when the Deadites show up.
As expected from all the Evil Dead movies, we get some setup in the beginning, but once the chaos starts, it never stops and takes you on a wild, brutal ride. While not as absolutely bonkers as the 80s movies, Burn finds its own flavor of comedic horror. There are many gross scenes that are so disturbing you almost can’t help but laugh, especially a rather long make out session one of the characters has with the Deadites. It’s both fascinating and revolting, in other words pretty classic Evil Dead. You’ll be wincing, groaning, and trying not to turn away several times during this movie, but that’s the fun of it. This feels like it takes the utter bloodbath of the 2013 Evil Dead remake and the family drama of Evil Dead Rise to create something slightly more interesting than either of the last two movies.
At this point, the franchise has left its campy origins behind to fit in more with typical trends. This is, like most horror movies lately, a metaphor for trauma and grief as told through grisly kills and demon possessions. At this point, horror as a metaphor for trauma is a cliché. This doesn’t do it poorly at all; it’s just touching on themes that have already been done to death. It still feels original enough though. The way the characters turn on each other while panicking over the Deadites is pretty fun. The Prices can’t even get over their petty squabbles to save themselves from evil demons, and it does feel like it’s touching on the utter destructiveness of certain family dynamics. The testy relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law comes to the forefront in a way I didn’t expect at first and definitely has some surprises of its own. Let’s just say if you have in-law problems, this movie might be cathartic.
Evil Dead Burn gives you what you expect: an unsettling yet fun nightmare that also feels somewhat like a theme park ride. If you’re still not begging for the tone of the Bruce Campbell movies to come back, this is yet another entry in a fun franchise. Sure, they’ve strayed pretty far from the originals, but to date I don’t think there’s been a bad Evil Dead film, which is impressive for a franchise 40 years old and six entries deep. This certainly won’t create any new fans, but if you love horror, this is yet another film that’s going to make this summer one we’ll look back on for years to come.
Rating: Liked It
Evil Dead Burn is currently in theaters.
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