Evil Dead – The Burn of Evil: in 4K hell burns brighter

The tragic death of young Will shatters his family and leaves Alice, his wife, grappling with a past of violence and a less-than-warm welcome from relatives. Invited by her brother-in-law to stay in the old country residence where the couple married, the woman finds herself at the center of a revolting nightmare when a Kandarian demon assaults the occupants. Making the situation even more dangerous is the secret kept by Joseph and Will's grandfather: ancient studies on the Necronomicon and a dagger that could be the only weapon to stop the horrifying possessions.

After its return to cinemas with Evil Dead Rise, the saga continues with a new story entrusted to Sébastien Vaniček, already the author of Vermin. The director chooses to move within the same narrative universe, starting from a piece of the previous film. The Necronomicon remains the link to the original mythology, while the demons return to transform a family affair into a massacre, a choice that leaves room for new characters but inevitably confronts the chapter directed by Lee Cronin.

The Necronomicon returns to sow death

Vaniček constructs a horror that looks primarily to the most extreme component of the saga, but this choice partly penalizes the film's identity. Alice's story would have offered an interesting perspective, but it remains barely hinted at and doesn't find adequate development. Even when the tension seems to open a space to address the protagonist's drama, the narrative quickly returns to focus on violence, foregoing greater character depth.

The dinner sequence represents the most obvious opportunity to develop these themes. However, the tension built around family relationships and their fractures quickly gives way to the usual slaughter. Not that it's a flaw to return to the saga's traditional ingredients, but the film seems undecided between the desire to tell something different and re-proposing a consolidated formula. The result is a well-crafted horror, entertaining for fans and capable of offering particularly ferocious sequences, without leaving a lasting impression.

Even the post-credit scene ends up generating more curiosity than much of the preceding 105 minutes. The connection with Evil Dead Rise indeed opens up an interesting scenario for the future of the saga, but it's not enough to compensate for a story that deserved more courage.

Digitally shot at native resolution 8.6K (Sony CineAlta Venice 2), original aspect ratio 2.39:1 (3840x2160/23.97p), HEVC encoding on BD-100 triple layer. This edition enhances the dark cinematography of Philip Lozano (a long-time operator for works like The Nun II), characterized by deep shadows and a predominantly desaturated color palette. The presence of Dolby Vision gives the sensation of an image more faithful to the original concept, with good detail even in better-lit scenes and convincing management of low lights. HDR primarily improves contrast balance and readability of certain passages, bringing out chromatic nuances that are less evident in the 2K Blu-ray. In this sense, it's not a radical leap in quality, but an overall refinement that preserves the film's aesthetic and offers a more solid and accurate presentation.

Praise for the choice to offer a more than good DTS-HD MA 5.1 (16 bit) for Italian, which highlights the demonic elements and the more violent and booming passages, starting from the prologue in the lake and the reference to the previous film. Between dialogue, effects, and bass depth, the fun is not lacking.

It remains below reference level with the original Dolby TrueHD 7.1 (24 bit), with ATMOS objects that open up even vertical transitions and a remarkable level of aggressiveness, further emphasizing the many moments of terror. The mix alternates moments of apparent quiet with sudden sound explosions, keeping dialogue always clear and well-separated. The soundtrack by Double Danger also finds adequate space, helping to reinforce the tension and horror atmosphere.

The extras include Evil Dead – Breaking New Ground (6'), a short behind-the-scenes with director Sébastien Vaniček, producer Rob Tapert, and some cast members; The Master Shot: The Film's One-Shot Sequence (5') dedicated to a scene shot without interruptions in the second act. It concludes with Everything Burns Here (5') which delves into costumes, makeup, and practical special effects. Subtitles in Italian.