Film Review: "Evil Dead" (2013).

The tagline of the film reads "The most terrifying film you will ever experience." This is what you’ll expect when viewing Evil Dead. This horror film co-written and directed by Fede Álvarez. It is the fourth installment of the Evil Dead franchise, serving as both a reboot and as a loose continuation of the series. It is the first not to be directed by Sam Raimi. The film is the feature debut of Alvarez, whom Raimi selected. It was produced by Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Robert G. Tapert: the writer-director, lead actor, and producer of the original trilogy respectively. The film follows five twenty-something friends who become holed up in a remote cabin. When they discover a Book of the Dead, they unwittingly summon up dormant demons living in the nearby woods, which possess the youngsters in succession until only one is left intact to fight for survival.

Like Raimi before him, Fede Álvarez made his feature debut with this film. After showing a copy of Alvarez's short film Ataque de Pánico! (Panic Attack!) to Raimi. Álvarez and Rodo Sayagues co-wrote the script. The film was produced by Raimi, Campbell, and Robert G. Tapert — the producers of the original trilogy. Raimi and Campbell had planned a remake for many years, but in 2009, Campbell stated the proposed remake was "going nowhere" and had "fizzled" due to extremely negative fan reaction. However, in April 2011, Bruce Campbell stated in an AskMeAnything interview on Reddit.com, "We are remaking Evil Dead. The script is awesome [...] The remake's gonna kick some ass — you have my word." On July 13, 2011, it was officially announced, via a press release, that Ghost House Pictures would produce the remake of The Evil Dead, and Diablo Cody was in the process of revising the script and Fede Álvarez had been chosen as the director. Bloody Disgusting reported that Lily Collins would play the lead female role of Mia, but on January 24, 2012, she dropped out of the role. On February 3, 2012, it was announced that actress Jane Levy, star of the television series Suburgatory, would replace Collins in the lead female role as Mia. Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci, Elizabeth Blackmore, and Jessica Lucas later joined the cast.

The performances were all scary, horrific, disturbing, darkly humorous and terrifying as the other. Levy gave an incredibly provocative performance, conveying the most human emotions and human fear, and, most of all,... demonic terror! Her performance as Mia, in demon form, was the equivalent to Linda Blair's performance as Regan in The Exorcist (1973).

Evil Dead is probably the grisliest well-made movie of the year. Along with the original, it might be one of the few the exceptions to the usual run of low-budget horror films. Even though it lacked the absurd humor that underlined the original. But the film emerges as the ne plus ultra of low-budget gore and shock effect, the film emulates the powerful and inventive camerawork of the original and was key to creating the same sense of dread.

Simon says Evil Dead receives: