by Kaci
‘The Evil Dead’, 2013. Image courtesy of IMDb
It’s spooky season, everybody! So Nerds and Beyond is bringing you some of our favorite scary movies every day throughout the month of October. If you’re a fan of blood, guts and evil spirits, this next movie is definitely for you!
The Evil Dead is one of very few horror movies that has the perfect mix of stomach-churning gore and spine-chilling storytelling. Whether you want to kick it old school and watch the 1981 classic or the revamped 2013 reboot, you’re in for a terrifying treat.
I want to make this clear, however, the 2013 movie is a soft reboot of the original as well as a continuation of the Evil Dead franchise. After the first movie, two others were made, Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness. While the director of the new film confirmed that it is in fact a continuation of the first movies, fans continue to debate the topic. So for simplicity purposes, I will refer to the two movies as the “original” and the “remake.” Now the great thing about the remake is that you don’t have to see any of the prior movies in order to understand what’s going on.
‘The Evil Dead’, 1981. Image courtesy of IMDb
Before I get into why this film is a must-see this October, I want to warn you that there is a scene in both versions of The Evil Dead that could be triggering for some. The director of the original film, Sam Raimi, has spoken out about this scene, and says he regrets including it in the movie at all. With that being said, once that scene passes, the movie seems to go at a rapid pace of jump scares and gruesome visuals until the very end.
So let’s dive into the remake because, let’s face it, most of us would rather watch a movie with more up to date special effects than what was used in the 80’s. The 2013 version of this cult classic favorite was directed by Fede Alvarez. Fun fact: Raimi was also involved in the remake. He actually produced it!
The film follows Mia, a drug addict who wants to kick the habit, and her group of friends who join her for a weekend in her family’s remote cabin to help her get through withdrawal. An evil book is found in the basement and the group accidentally unleashes a blood-thirsty demon who want to possess them all and overall wreak havoc.
When it comes to horror movie elements, The Evil Dead checks all the boxes.
Demon possession: A lot of things have changed in horror movies since The Exorcist first hit the big screen in 1973, but demon possession continues to be one of Hollywood’s most popular horror movie tropes, and The Evil Dead is no exception. While the mannerisms of the possessed in these movies have shifted over the year, The Evil Dead sticks to the classic visuals with modern day effects, making it ten times more scary. You get vomiting, rotten skin and the classic yet terrifying demonic voice all within a movie that leaves you on your seat wanting more. Just think Linda Blair, but creepier.
Guts and gore: While many scary movies have either demonic possession or guts and gore, The Evil Dead has both, bringing together fans of both tropes to enjoy this story. While already on edge from the terrifying possession the characters face, the demon forces the group of friends to do heinous acts. For example, cutting off your own arm with an electric carving knife or bashing a persons head in with a broken sink. The best way to describe the bloody visuals you see throughout the movie is by simply saying: think old school slasher films mixed with the Saw franchise and multiply that by 10.
Jump scares: When it comes to horror, you can’t go wrong with jump scares. While these types of scares aren’t as prevalent in The Evil Dead, they’re definitely there. There are times with you think a character is out of the woods, then suddenly they’re in even more trouble than before. The subtleness of the jumps scares throughout this movie make it even more intense. You don’t get the obvious suspenseful music in the background that tips the viewers off. It just happens when you least expect it.
‘The Evil Dead’, 2013. Image courtesy of IMDb
Alongside these three elements, this movie has many more moments that could definitely keep you awake at night, making it the ultimate movie to watch this Halloween season.
You can stream in 1981 version of the Evil Dead on Hulu as part of their 2019 Huluween lineup.
