In an ordinary Los Angeles apartment lives a mom with her  three kids. However, when an unexpected earthquake and a visit from the estranged sister of the mom happens, the kids stumble into a mysterious book. Soon after the discovery, things turn deadly for the small family as now they fight for their lives against an entity and those that were possessed by it. Including the kids’ mother themselves. 

On April 21, “Evil Dead Rise” came out in theaters. The movie was directed by Irish filmmaker Lee Cronin, known for his works in “The Hole in the Ground” and “Ghost Train,” who caught viewers off-guard by how gory and horrifying the R-rated film was. 

“Evil Dead Rise” follows main character Beth (Lilly Sullivan) as she fights for survival against her newly possessed sister, Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland). At the same time, Beth has to keep Ellis’s kids─Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), Kassie (Nell Fisher), and Danny (Morgan Davis)─safe. The movie is filled with incredible  jump scares and tons of bloody scenes, making it not for the faint-hearted.

When filming a horror movie, it’s always a challenge for the cast to execute good acting all while keeping their mental health intact and that can change their experiences with horror. However, Sutherland had an interesting experience. In an interview with GRAZIA USA before the movie came out, she reflected on the best part of her role in the film. “The most exciting part for me is that my character is going to break new ground for women in film because I’m like a deranged psychopath crossed with a Tasmanian devil,” Sutherland said.

“Evil Dead Rise” is the fifth installment in the “Evil Dead” film franchise; however, it’s unclear to fans if the movie is a reboot of the original trilogy and TV show, a sequel, or a prequel. The original films were created by Sam Raimi, known for his work in “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” but he wasn’t involved in the production of “Evil Dead Rise.” 

Nevertheless, this movie is not only filled with jumpscares, as good performances from the actors showed chemistry and support amongst each other. However, the plot of “Evil Dead Rise” was lacking a bit.  The movie all the sudden moved on from the heartwarming family into the violence that this movie is now known and loved for. 

With all that said, Cronin directed the movie beautifully as it’s not everyday a horror movie can actually haunt many people afterward and also have gorgeous yet can still terrify shots to appease the eye of the viewer. In an interview with IndieWire, Cronin shared his experience directing the movie. Referencing the previous “Evil Dead” movies,  “I think ‘Evil Dead Rise’ was a bloody slash in a new direction,” Cronin said. Although the movie was loved by horror fans around the world, it got a review of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes and 6.8/10 on IMDb.

“Evil Dead Rise” is still in theaters and can be streamed on Netflix, Hulu, and Amazon Prime Video.