Evil Dead Rise (4K UHD Review)

Estimated reading time: 6 minutes

Evil Dead Rise is the latest entry in the Evil Dead franchise. Directed by Lee Cronin, this film is centered around a dysfunctional family of two estranged sisters Beth (Lily Sullivan) and Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) who see other for the first time after many years.

Beth arrives at the apartmentwhere Ellie and her three children Bridget (Gabrielle Echols), Danny (Morgan Davies), and Kassie (Nell Fisher). A surprise earthquake hits, and the kids find a hole in their soon-to-be-condemned building’s garage that leads to an old bank vault. Danny unearths old vinyl recordings and the Book of the Dead. When he keeps examining the book against the warnings of his sister Bridget, the voice on the recording reads off an invocation that calls forth a flesh-eating demon that possesses Ellie. Now the family is trapped in their apartment with the literal demons destroying them.

Evil Dead Rise hits all the right horror notes, with ample gore, visceral violence, and jump scares timed at the right moments. The family dynamics in the film are well handled by Cronin and the cast. The passive aggressive criticism between Ellie and Beth, the sibling rivalries between Ellie’s children, and the ultimate love and loyalty that prevails.

Comparing this film to the original Evil Dead or Evil Dead 2, however, what it lacks is the campy, comedic undertones and anyone as charismatic as Bruce Campbell to help carry the film. Where this would be a perfectly acceptable horror film, if not one of the greatest, on its own, in terms of this heralded franchise, it does miss the mark a bit.

The Video

Evil Dead Rise was shot in the anamorphic format with the Arri Alexa Mini LF using Panavision G-, T-Series, Ultra Panatar and Ultra Speed MKII lenses in ARRIRAW (4.5K). A 4K digital intermediate was utilized and the film comes to 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray in a 2.40:1 HEVC 2160p HDR10 encodement.

The image for this film is pristine. It takes place mostly in the dark besides the opening scene which is set in daylight. The darkness is not a hindrance for this film given the superb shadow detail extension. The HDR10 coding does not add a lot of extra brightness, given the artistic intent of the film, but in comparing the Blu-ray to the 4K Ultra HD, one can see a better dynamic range, more ‘pop’ in lights, flashlights, and lamps, and a bit more color, especially in the reds.

The Audio

The Dolby Atmos mix for Evil Dead Rise is bold and balanced from the opening and continues on as such straight through the film. There is strong use of the overhead speakers for atmospherics and discrete sounds, movement of sound effects through the surround channels, clear dialogue, and deep low end.

The Supplements

Disappointingly, this release comes with no bonus features. The only thing supplied is the Movies Anywhere digital code and the film on both 4K and Blu-ray.

The Final Assessment

Evil Dead Rise is an enjoyable horror film. It is dark, grotesque, scary, and gory. It has blips where its claustrophobic setting runs out of steam and the lack of comedic relief seems out of touch with the origins of the franchise, but it still works. The 4K Ultra HD release is a worthy entry for home theater enthusiasts given its reference Atmos mix.

Evil Dead Rise is out on 4K Ultra HD Combo June 27, 2023, from Warner Bros. Home Entertainment.

• Rating Certificate: R (for strong bloody horror violence and gore, and some language)
• Studios & Distributors: Department of Post | Ghost House Pictures | New Line Cinema | Warner Bros. | Wild Atlantic Pictures | Warner Bros. Home Entertainment
• Director: Lee Cronin
• Written By: Lee Cronin
• Run Time: 96 Mins.
• Street Date: 27 June 2023
• Aspect Ratio: 2.40:1
• Video Format: HEVC 2160p (4K UHD)
• HDR Format: HDR10
• HDR10 Metadata:
  • MaxLL: 608 nits
  • MaxFALL: 70 nits
• Primary Audio: English Dolby Atmos (Dolby TrueHD 7.1 Compatible)
• Secondary Audio: English DD 5.1 | English Descriptive Audio | French DD 5.1 | German DD 5.1 | German Descriptive Audio | Spanish (Castilian) DD 5.1 | Spanish (Latino) DD 5.1
• Subtitles: English SDH | German SDH | French | Spanish (Castilian) |Spanish (Latino) | Chinese | Korean | Czech | Danish | Finnish | Norwegian | Swedish