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Evil Dead Rise
Movie

Evil Dead Rise

2023 • Horror

Woke Score
4
out of 10

Plot

A twisted tale of two estranged sisters whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.

Overall Series Review

Evil Dead Rise is a gore-soaked horror film that shifts the franchise's focus from a cabin in the woods to a decaying, urban high-rise apartment. The movie centers on two estranged sisters, Beth, and Ellie, a single mother of three. The conflict is purely supernatural, driven by the discovery of a cursed book that unleashes a primal demonic entity. The primary thematic lens is the grotesque corruption of the nuclear family and motherhood, as the possessed mother, Ellie, becomes the main tormentor of her own children. The story is a straightforward struggle for survival as Beth, a new mother-to-be, must protect her young niece from the nightmare version of her sister. The film includes casting diversity and a central female hero, but the narrative does not rely on political lectures or commentary outside of the extreme horror context.

Categorical Breakdown

Identity Politics4/10

The film features a diverse cast, including a Black daughter and a son played by a transgender actor. The primary protagonist (Beth) and antagonist (Ellie) are white women. The plot does not contain explicit commentary or lecturing on race, privilege, or systemic oppression. Character survival depends on merit and resolve, not immutable characteristics, though the diverse casting is noted in cultural commentary.

Oikophobia3/10

The traditional 'cabin in the woods' setting is replaced with a run-down, collapsing apartment building in Los Angeles. This shift to a decaying urban setting is interpreted by some as suggesting that the ancient evil thrives in neglected spaces where community has broken down. The central theme is the demonic inversion of the family unit. The film focuses on the immediate threat to the home rather than attacking Western civilization or ancestors on a broad, historical scale.

Feminism7/10

The main hero, Beth, is a woman who finds the inner strength to fight the ultimate evil and protect her niece, only realizing she is pregnant mid-way through the events. Her unborn child is seen as a fragile symbol of life that motivates her survival. The main villain is the possessed single mother, Ellie, whose Deadite form is a grotesque, nightmarish parody of maternal love, turning her into a monster who tortures her children. The one male child, Danny, is the character who accidentally unleashes the demonic force in the first place.

LGBTQ+4/10

One of the main children, Danny, is played by a transgender actor, Morgan Davies, and is widely acknowledged as a trans character. The character's trans identity is present but remains in the background, serving only as a sibling who inadvertently causes the central conflict by reading the ancient book. The narrative does not dedicate any screen time to exploring, discussing, or lecturing on queer theory or gender ideology. The non-nuclear family structure is a plot prerequisite, not a political statement.

Anti-Theism2/10

The central antagonist is a purely supernatural, ancient demonic entity summoned by the *Natrom Demonto* (Book of the Dead). This premise accepts an objective spiritual reality of pure evil. The characters are not explicitly religious, and traditional faith is not presented as the solution. There is no depiction of religious characters as villains or bigots, and the narrative avoids actively lecturing against traditional religion, focusing instead on the practical violence required to stop the demonic force.