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The Evil Dead franchise, created by Sam Raimi, is one of the most cult horror franchises out there, next to The Nightmare on Elm Street, Halloween, or Friday the 13th. The ancient, flesh-possessing demon, a threatening and scary audio recording, and the Book of the Dead are components appearing in all the sequels and, later, in remakes, like 2013’s Evil Dead directed by Fede Álvarez or impressive Evil Dead Rise by Lee Cronin. Evil Dead Burn by Sébastien Vaniček may be the weakest of them all, and despite the hot title, it provides only a few flames throughout. The gore, however, is something out of this world and will leave you with your mouth open, wincing, or covering your eyes.
After her husband Will (George Pullar) dies tragically in a car accident, distraught Alice (Souheila Yacoub) has to face Will’s strict mother Susan (Tandi Wright) and even stricter father Edgar (Erroll Shand) while the family prepares for the funeral services. From the beginning, Alice is portrayed as an outsider looking in. The feeling of being an outcast only intensifies when one learns Alice’s also an immigrant who left France and moved to the States. The only light in her life are her brother-in-law Joseph (Hunter Doohan) and his wife Thya (Luciane Buchanan).
The dynamics are already strained as they all stay at the family’s secluded farm home. As we observe them, it’s evident that neither Susan nor Edgar are particular fans of Alice, who’s clearly done nothing wrong. There is an element of guilt playing here, especially as it’s revealed Will was often verbally and physically aggressive towards Alice and such behavior is also observed in Edgar, his father, and even Joseph.
Things turn to way worse when the Book of the Dead unleashes demonic forces that transform them into Deadites one by one. With the house already riddled with control, violence, and contempt, it’s more than a perfect place for the evil forces to thrive.
Evil Dead Burn suffers from the script problem and it’s evident pretty early on. The characters seem underdeveloped and unexplained, especially the matter of the domestic violence that spans over generations and went as far as brainwash the only woman of the family at the time. It seems like such a heavy and loaded topic, yet it seems it’s not fully explored, and not all the victimized characters really get a chance for revenge. In turn, Evil Dead Burn seems like a film made for the fictional characters that abuse and not the ones who we want to see break free.
Another con here is one particular scene that remains extremely wince-worthy: a death of a dog, a scene that’s not for the faint of heart (including myself). Even though the filmmakers attempt to make it feel less heartbreaking in the long run (you’ll understand if you see it), it still leaves an aftertaste of nausea. It seems entirely unnecessary and not pertinent to the plot. Thus, entirely avoidable. And if one wanted to showcase the violence of a man of the house, the evidence is already there and is triggering enough.
Despite the flaws, there are some pros when it comes to Evil Dead Burn and the cast is one of them. It’s a solid cast ensemble, starring Yacoub and Doohan as the central characters. Both do an excellent job channeling their characters. Yacoub, especially, showcases a portrayal of a woman not only riddled with grief and shame, but also fear and trauma. Buchanan doesn’t fall far behind and is especially terrifying in the later part of the film; one of the most memorable scenes is the candle sequence that will leave you undoubtedly wincing.
Wright and Shand are also worth mentioning, both playing matriarch and patriarch of the family. Wright does a great job showcasing a woman broken by her marriage, control, and abuse. It’s something truly heartbreaking to see, if not triggering.
The amount of gore, too, is substantial, making it one of the bloodiest chapters in the franchise. There is blood splattering left and right, limbs are torn off, brains are blown off; and that’s not even half of it. Together with good acting, the sequences are brutal and gasp worthy.
All things considered, Evil Dead Burn is all but a few flames throughout, not the complete, impressive fire. It makes worth pondering if we just made a circle and return to the horror films of the 2000s with trauma utilization as an x-factor instead making it a cautionary tale and a lesson.
Having said that, the gore and acting is still nod-worthy. Watch it at your own risk.
Grade: C
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Evil Dead Burn
After the loss of her husband, a woman seeks solace with her in-laws. As one by one they transform into deadites, she comes to discover that the vows she took in life – survive even in death.
Release Date: July 10, 2026
Director: Sébastien Vaniček
Cast: Souheila Yacoub , Tandi Wright , Hunter Doohan
