French filmmaker Sébastien Vanicek has taken the helm of the sixth installment in the "Evil Dead" series, delivering a film that he vowed would be the most brutal yet. "Evil Dead Burn" succeeds in its relentless portrayal of violence, but it falls short in other areas, lacking the cleverness, artistry, and genuine scares of its predecessors. This installment is described as an overlong, one-note, and meandering grindhouse experience that veers the franchise towards a nihilistic dead end in torture-porn territory, even as a seventh film is on the horizon.
The film starts with a convoluted introduction involving a possessed family, leading to graphic scenes where chunks of flesh fly amidst a series of gruesome acts. The brutality is on full display as dogs are stabbed, scissors carve into heads, and various household items are used in unimaginably violent ways. The film exaggerates violence to the point of absurdity, showcasing a character who shoots themselves in the face three times yet later engages in a romantic encounter, highlighting the film's disjointed handling of themes like romance and gore.
Despite the heavy emphasis on gore, the question arises: to what end? Previous films in the franchise explored deeper themes, such as drug addiction in the 2013 reboot and maternal anxieties in "Evil Dead Rise." "Evil Dead Burn" attempts to touch on domestic violence, but the connection feels tenuous when juxtaposed against cartoonish deaths, like someone being bashed in the head with a prosthetic limb. In a twist, this film substitutes the iconic chainsaw with a weed wacker and a jackhammer, culminating in a bizarre, "Terminator"-esque finale that detracts from the overall impact.
There are notable moments throughout the film, particularly a thrilling multi-minute fight scene involving three characters in a car, where the violence is both inventive and intense. Additionally, a long, continuous shot of a hero crawling to safety amid chaos hints at the potential for better storytelling. However, the script, crafted by Vanicek and co-writer Florent Bernard, struggles to establish a cohesive plot, meandering between chaotic scenes and references that tie back to the "Evil Dead" franchise's mythology.
The film introduces a new widow, portrayed by Souheila Yacoub, navigating a fraught relationship with her late husband's family, which consists of a negligent father and a chilling matriarch. The script contains dark humor, such as involving an 85-year-old grandmother with dementia who transforms into a demon, leading to a mix of confusion and discomfort. The inclusion of quirky elements, such as a focus on band-aids and casual smoking, also reflects the film's disjointed tone, demonstrating the cultural differences in its writing.
As "Evil Dead Burn" diverges from the vision established by Sam Raimi’s original trilogy, it appears to be a regression in the horror genre, particularly amidst a landscape filled with "elevated horror" films. With a running time of 110 minutes and an R rating for strong bloody horror violence and language, the film ultimately scores just one star out of four, indicating a disappointing addition to the beloved franchise.
