Evil Dead Rise

It's not for the faint-hearted but for long-time fans and horror nuts, just sit back and let the blood wash over you.

The first sequel in a full decade, this should feel like getting an Evil Dead reunion, but instead it’s more akin to a so-so tribute band.

Evil Dead Rise provides blood by the bucketful without ever crossing the line into outright cruelty.

Lee Cronin serves up considerable gore with monotonous, po-faced earnestness.

In addition to dropping in visual tips of the hat to certain elements from the “Evil Dead” franchise, writer-director Cronin delivers some outstanding callbacks.

[Cronin's] go-for-broke horror extravaganza is a gorily gonzo rollercoaster ride that is as ruthless as it is exhilarating. I pretty much loved it.

Evil Dead Rise remains a downright depraved, groovily gory fifth entry in this horror series.

Evil Dead Rise may lack some of the dark comedy of its predecessors, but the tankards of blood and intensity of its horror more than make up for it.

Evil Dead Rise is a return to unpretentious and unrestrained, gore-soaked terror for mainstream horror, bringing the franchise back to be with the maggots, in the best possible way.

It’s thoroughly tense with genuine hair-raising moments. The movie only falters when it doubles down on the gore at the expense of character development: it wastes an opportunity to pursue more lasting unease as opposed to just temporary thrills.