After 2023’s absolutely brilliant Evil Dead Rise, I had overinflated expectations going into the latest installment in the franchise, Evil Dead Burn. It didn’t deliver the way Rise did, at least not for me, but there’s still plenty of heat in this dysfunctional Deadite family that makes Burn worth watching.
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The Plot of Evil Dead Burn (No Spoilers)
Evil Dead Burn follows an unfortunate family reunion due to a sudden and tragic death in the family. Will (George Pullar) succumbs to what appears to the family to be a high-speed drunk driving accident, but we in the audience know his demise was set in motion by something more sinister – the ancient Kandarian curse that has its hooks in his doomed family.
Will’s widow, Alice (Souheila Yacoub), heads to her husband’s parents’ home to mourn this loss, along with Will’s brother Joseph (Hunter Doohan, whom you may have seen on Netflix’s Wednesday). Turns out Will’s family isn’t exactly welcoming to their daughter-in-law, and the vibe is way off from the get-go.
While it’s easy to assume their nasty attitudes come from the fact that they clearly blame Alice for their son’s tragic demise, there’s a lot more going on in this household besides projection, loss, and sloppy housekeeping. The family history includes a connection to the Necronomicon, which Joseph uncovers as he roots through the attic to find clues about his mysterious late grandfather, Benjamin (much to his mother’s chagrin!).
The film hits the ground running, with action unfolding instantly.
I really appreciated Evil Dead Burn’s opening scene, but it didn’t compare to the GORGEOUS title card from Evil Dead Rise. However, there are some striking scenes in this film. The tense family dynamic really feeds into the atmosphere of the film and ratchets up the feeling of dread, particularly in the dinner table scene, which caused me to gasp aloud in the theater.
There are a lot of things to love about Evil Dead Rise. I really liked the plot and how each family member interacted with the others. Their conversations seemed very rooted in reality. We’ve all been in situations where we’ve had to be around family members we just don’t get along with or actively dislike. Those feelings are more than evident here, and it sets the scene for the upcoming horrors extremely well because you’re already aware of the heightened emotions surrounding the house and its occupants during a really stressful time.
The True Star of Evil Dead Burn…
Alice is a standout character, and Souheila Yacoub’s performance is engaging. I couldn’t take my eyes off of her! Truly, ALL of the actors are wonderful and compelling. But, of course, the REAL star of the Evil Dead franchise, as we all know, are the KILLS.
Evil Dead Burn does a masterful job at taking household appliances and making them terrifying. There are plenty of scenes that caused my jaw to drop, and I’m quite certain I uttered a few “What the….?!?” as the movie progressed.
As family members become possessed and transform into Deadites, Alice and Joseph are running out of time to figure out how to stop the curse from taking over and causing even more damage. I was really enjoying Evil Dead Burn… up until the last 15 minutes.
The ending was a sad disappointment after so many great effects and kills.
It was very clear a heavy use of CGI was employed at the end and, to be honest, I thought the last few scenes were wholly unnecessary. The movie felt like it had a natural stopping point, but it kept going and didn’t quite stick the landing. The finish felt tacked-on and overdone. However, had Evil Dead Burn ended a few minutes prior, I would’ve left the theater feeling satisfied.
That said, Evil Dead Burn has a mid-credits scene and an end-credits scene. Oh, man! The end-credits scene is SO good that it almost made up for the poor CGI ending of the actual film. It’s really fun and made me laugh out loud!
TD;DR: Evil Dead Burn Isn’t My Favorite in the Franchise But It’s a Fun Horror Movie
If you’re a true blue Deadite disciple, there’s plenty to love here, but Evil Dead Burn doesn’t quite hold a candle (or chainsaw) to Evil Dead Rise or any prior films in the Evil Dead series. If you can keep yourself from comparing it to the other films in the franchise (I can’t!!), you’ll likely enjoy it quite a bit. Overall, it’s a fast-paced, fun watch and (up until the last 15 minutes) a master class in gnarly special effects!
*This review was written by Christi Bandy*
Where to watch Evil Dead Burn (2026):
Images for this review were purchased on CineMaterial and MovieStillsDB.
