2023 has been another killer year for the horror genre so far with new and old franchises alike slicing up the bloody box office. The genre train isn’t stopping anytime soon as another classic horror franchise Evil Dead is returning in Evil Dead Rise this April. The fifth installment in the popular series premiered earlier this month at the South by Southwest film festival to chillingly rave reviews. Evil Dead has injected that praise into its marketing campaign and now Rise has released a new motivational poster that will have your inner Deadite cackling.
The poster, released on the various Evil Dead social media pages, features a creepy image of Alyssa Sutherland’s possessed Ellie hanging off the ceiling like she was Toni Colette in Hereditary. However, underneath the image lies a moving message that reads, “Hang in there! Those demons are in you because they believe in you.” If that wasn’t hilarious enough the caption accompanying the poster says, “Never let doubt stop you from living your nightmare.” Like M3GAN, Smile, and Scream VI before it, Evil Dead Rise’s marketing campaign looks like it shaping up to be one for the horror ages. In today’s stressful world horror movies have been many people’s escape. Due to this, it’s just nice to see the Deadites are looking out for us in these dark times. Let’s just hope a chainsaw isn’t required for these demonic interactions.
What Is Evil Dead Rise About?
Evil Dead Rise will be once again deviating from the traditional Ash Williams story made famous by Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell, taking fans from the cabin in the woods aesthetic and into the urban jungle of a Los Angeles high-rise apartment building. Hence, the title. From there the film follows two estranged sisters Ellie and Beth (Lily Sullivan) as they reconnect after years of being apart. However, their awkward family reunion is cut short when the Necronomicon gets involved leading to Ellie being taken hostage by the Deadites. This sends her family into a hellish spiral, including Ellie’s children, as they fight to regain her soul before it’s too late.
In typical Evil Dead fashion this is going to be a blood-soaked terrifying affair. While the franchise has constantly shifted tones throughout its four decade long history, Rise will be more in line with the pure horror of the 2013 Evil Dead reboot then the more horror comedy style of say something like Army of Darkness. All the reviews to this point have highlighted the endless gore and atmospheric scares the latest film possesses which only has Evil Dead fanatics squirming in their seats with immense joy imagining all the dreadful possibilities.
When does Evil Dead Rise Release?
Evil Dead Rise releases exclusively in theaters on April 21, 2023. Before horror fans start their Evil Dead marathons, you can view the hilarious poster down below:
