Evil Dead is one of the most acclaimed horror franchises of all time. It's mean, it's gory, and it's downright funny. And what's better than a protagonist with a chainsaw arm? The original three films directed by Sam Raimi, along with a three-season television show, follow the adventures of Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) and his battles with the Deadites. A decade ago, the original film was remade (or perhaps a "re-imagined sequel" is a better term for it) by Fede Álvarez. This was the only entry, up until now, to not have Ash in it. Instead, this movie opted to have a whole new cast of characters, with Mia (Jane Levy) as the lead. Evil Dead Rise is the latest entry in the franchise, this time directed by Lee Cronin. Evil Dead Rise is a very different film from the rest of the franchise. It moves away from the cabin in the woods (like the third film) to a high-rise apartment building, foregoes a group of friends for a family, and it finally allows women to take the lead in the franchise.
The 'Evil Dead' Franchise Has a Dubious Past With Its Female Characters
Going back to the first film, you will be faced with one hard-to-sit-through scene. No, it's not one of the many beheadings, nor is it Deadites clawing skin off of Ash's leg. Instead, viewers will be faced with a fairly harrowing and disturbing scene of rape involving a tree and Cheryl (Ellen Sandweiss), Ash's sister. Sam Raimi himself has come to regret the scene, as each of the film's reshot recaps scraps the idea. This scene, of course, infamously returned in Fede Álvarez's 2013 remake. While still unnecessary, this reimagined version of the scene feels a lot less gratuitous than the original. Still, Evil Dead will be a whole lot better if it finally moves away from that subject. Women in this franchise, especially when possessed, sometimes also become over-sexualized to a point where it just gets old. While this isn't common in the original films, it is very evident in the Starz original Ash vs Evil Dead. It's nearly every time a woman gets possessed it directly sexualizes them.
Beyond this, women never had much else to do in the franchise. For the most part, they were confined to either the traditional damsel in distress (especially in Army of Darkness, even if it was having fun with the time period) or becoming a Deadite to torment Ash. Of course, this was the 80s and 90s — it was never going to be perfect. This is one of the rare horror franchises with a final boy rather than a final girl.
The 2013 'Evil Dead' Remake Repeats Some of the Original's Mistakes
Surprisingly, even the 2013 remake still suffers from this a bit. While not as evident as the originals, and giving the women much more to do, it still falls back on the same archetypes the original did. Women need to be saved, or they are just there to torment the men, and they don't receive as much characterization as the male characters. Mia seems to be the focus here as she takes Ash's place in this version, but she doesn't really have much to do until the last 15 minutes. For a large portion of the runtime, she's confined to the basement. Both Olivia (Jessica Lucas) and Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore) are the first to be possessed after Mia, quickly pushing all the female characters to the side. The plot is then centered on just David (Shiloh Fernandez) and Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci). The final act is when it finally departs, switching the focus from David to Mia as she has to save herself from the horrors of the Necronomicon after everyone else is dead. This is where the movie is the strongest, Jane Levy gets to shine (covered in blood) here, and it gives us a glimpse at what the franchise would now become.
'Evil Dead Rise' Lets Women Shine
Evil Dead Rise comes ten years after the last film's release, and this is an entirely different beast of a film. No Ash, as Bruce Campbell said he has retired the character. No group of friends, and no cabin in the woods. This new direction takes us to a grungy downtown LA high-rise apartment building. Here resides Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), her two daughters Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) and Kassie (Nell Fisher), and her son Danny (played by trans actor Morgan Davies, bringing more well-needed representation to the franchise). They are joined by Ellie's sister Beth (Lily Sullivan) just as Danny unwittingly unleashes the chaotic Deadites from the Necronomicon. Thankfully, this film rids the franchise of the possession's sexual violence against women, but that doesn't mean it's not disturbing.
This is the first fully female-led entry of the franchise, with both Sutherland and Sullivan easily taking the spotlight here. Sutherland has a lot of work to do. She has to give us a good emotional connection with her kids and sister before she is possessed. As we know, this tends to happen fast in this series, all the films run around 90 minutes. After this, she goes on to give a harrowing performance as Deadite-Ellie that rivals the horrors of The Exorcist while remaining true to the franchise's disturbing-yet-fun gore-filled sequences. Sullivan has the careful task of taking on the role of an inexperienced mother, trying to protect the kids and herself from the supernatural entities that wish them harm. Both women are outstanding, delivering the intensity that the script demands and making the central story of sisters against each other all the more heartbreaking.
Evil Dead is a franchise that is constantly evolving — no two entries are the same. They often outright retcon each other. Even the iconic look of the Necronomicon changes with each film. It makes sense for each film to be different from the last, and the latest entry is no different. A new setting, a new cast of characters, and women finally get to be intrinsic to the themes of the film. Ash will always be our final boy for the franchise, but Mia, Beth, and Kassie are now on the final girl's list. There's always room for more — and no doubt there will be.
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