First Evil Dead Burn reactions call it the series' most unhinged chapter yet

Right, brace yourselves for yet another trip to the cabin in the woods. Hard to believe, but we’re now well over four decades since Sam Raimi’s low-budget nightmare factory, The Evil Dead, first traumatised audiences. After the original’s 1981 emergence (and wider release a bit later in 1983), there’s been a relentless parade: five films, three series of ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’, and more spin-offs in comics and video games than you’d care to count. Frankly, at this point, you’d think the franchise would have run out of fresh ways to separate limbs and terrify its fans. Well, according to early chatter, filmmaker Sébastien Vaniček might actually have managed it with Evil Dead Burn.

Fresh Blood for the Franchise

The masses haven’t yet had a chance to see Evil Dead Burn for themselves — official release is still a week away — but a handful of diehard fans and critics have already seen early screenings. Normally, if anyone’s going to go for the jugular over a dodgy Evil Dead spin-off, it’s this lot. Still, word from those screenings? Mostly positive, and some of these folks are absolutely ravenous for this sort of thing, so that’s not nothing.

Reactions From the Front Line

• Entertainment journalist Simon Thompson didn’t hold back: 'Evil Dead Burn is seriously nasty and pretty f*cked up. It’s relentless, jaw-on-the-floor nightmare fuel. Director Sébastien Vaniček goes hard and delivers a dark, unhinged, and tactile vision that does not hold back. Also, there’s a post-credit scene that you won’t want to miss!' That’s about as glowing as a warning gets.
• Critic Peter Gray backs that up, saying the film sticks to the classic formula but somehow still manages to be, and I quote, 'gloriously mean-spirited and violent to the point it might even be offensive.' He points to a hard R rating, a bit of dark humour, and apparently some pretty show-offy tracking shots. Not for the squeamish, but very much for the purists.
• Not everyone’s entirely enamoured, though. One response from @TheNerdsofColor says, 'Evil Dead Burn is a gloriously gory good time, even if it doesn’t "Rise" up to its predecessor(s). Great imagery and well executed scares. Plus a terrific performance from Souheila Yacoub and a thoughtful message about abusive relationships. Too long and incoherent at times though.' That’s an explicit nod to Evil Dead Rise from 2023; for some, Burn doesn’t stack up, for others it apparently leapfrogs the last one.

What’s Actually New?

Against all odds, Evil Dead Burn is being praised for surprising even long-time fans. You’ve still got the strong stomachs and splatter, obviously, but Vaniček is getting credit for making things dark, weirdly tactile, and just downright relentless. If you thought the trailers were intense, the actual movie apparently turns things up several notches. There’s word of a can't-miss post-credits scene for those who stick around after the carnage.

Cast & The Road Ahead

Among the cast, Souheila Yacoub stands out, with several early viewers flagging her performance as a highlight, especially in the film’s attempts to thread in more serious stuff—namely, themes around abusive relationships. How coherent it all is depends on who you ask, but there’s talk about the runtime being a bit of a slog at points.

As if things weren’t bloody enough, yet another entry, Evil Dead Wrath, is already brewing in the background. No sign this franchise is decelerating any time soon.