Film Review – Evil Dead Burn (2026)

      **Evil Dead Burn, 2026.**

      Directed by Sébastien Vaniček.

      Starring Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, Maude Davey, Victory Ndukwe, George Pullar, Greta van den Brink, Keanu Karim, Tapiwa Soropa, and Alain Chabat.

      **SYNOPSIS:**

      Following the death of her husband, a woman turns to her in-laws for comfort. As they each begin to succumb to becoming Deadites, she realizes that the vows she made in life are to endure even in death.

      The enduring success of the Evil Dead franchise can largely be attributed to two factors: the willingness of longtime series staples Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell to step back and allow new filmmakers to impose their vision on the classic elements (such as psychologically disturbing Deadites, isolated locations, and extreme depictions of blood and gore). Additionally, each director has brought a fresh thematic perspective. Sébastien Vaniček’s compelling entry, Evil Dead Burn, adheres to this approach by situating its violent horror story within a family gathering born from tragic circumstances, where it becomes evident that most family members are already tainted or choose to ignore the underlying evil to maintain an illusion of happiness.

      The exception to the family dynamic is Alice, played by Souheila Yacoub, who excels at displaying internal struggle and resilience, fighting back when necessary. Married into the family through the abusive Will (George Pullar), her presence adds a simplistic metaphorical layer as this white family opts to overlook their reality and the secrets of their past, instead focusing blame on the international French woman their son brought home. Although Alice has yet to reveal the emotional and physical abuse she faces, trouble is unmistakably brewing when Will’s temper flares during a birthday celebration for his brother Joe (Hunter Doohan), directing his rage at Alice over lighthearted sexual remarks that stem from her own anguish. Following this, Joe leaves early and tragically dies in a car accident, directy linking to a prologue involving fishing buddies, who soon fall victim to the Deadites.

      Will’s family, including his parents, grandmother, and even the family dog (viewers sensitive to animal violence may want to skip this), gather for the funeral and reunion to lay the body to rest. Susan (Tandi Wright), Will's mother, is perplexed as Alice shows no emotion or delivers a eulogy, while Edgar (Erroll Shand), devoid of hope, soon vocalizes that he thinks the wrong son has died. Grandma Polly (Maude Davey), who suffers from dementia, serves as a source of comedic relief, although her presence feels jarring in contrast to the family’s escalating tensions.

      While it is true that elderly individuals with cognitive impairments often say unexpected things at inopportune moments, it appears that director Sébastien Vaniček and co-writer Florent Bernard struggled to seamlessly integrate comedy with the Deadite horror, resorting to this approach in search of laughs. However, one might argue that these films are intended to be strictly horror, though I would contend that Lee Cronin’s approach in Evil Dead Rise successfully introduced dark humor into the mix.

      Rest assured, Evil Dead Burn remains creatively grotesque, promising that certain objects will never be seen the same way again when acknowledged for their potential to serve as weapons. It's also repulsive in ways unrelated to violence, featuring various instances of saliva swapping and vomit that would impress the Jackass crew. The practical effects and makeup are exceptional, making it even more surprising—and disappointing—that the film turns to a CGI Deadite in its final act, resulting in an anticlimactic confrontation that pales in comparison to previous entries in the series.

      Much of the chaos occurs post-funeral, when the family reunion moves to an ancestral home inherited by Joe, now in disrepair due to his lack of interest in maintenance, much to his father's distress. One by one, family members fall under the Deadite influence, revealing their disdain for Alice. Before they unite, they sometimes turn against each other; it would have been beneficial for the film to display restraint regarding the implications of their actions—what those decisions reveal about the men in the family.

      What makes the possession compelling is that it extends from an existing evil. This also leads to frustration regarding the filmmakers’ decision to connect the family patriarch to a cult once studying the Necronomicon and in search of a dagger capable of killing Deadites in one strike. While the Deadites need a motive to eliminate the dagger so it can’t be turned against them, one must question whether a motive is truly necessary.

      Evil Dead Burn fares better when it emphasizes themes of xenophobia and a woman confronting her abuse, grappling with the need to vocalize it, all while literally fighting back once the possessions commence. While we consistently root for Alice