Evil Dead Burn (2026) | Film Review

Evil Dead Burn takes a little too long to light the match, but once the flames ignite, Sébastien Vaniček delivers one of the most vicious, inventive, and relentlessly entertaining entries in the franchise. Packed with jaw-dropping practical effects, stomach-turning body horror, and filmmaking creativity that frequently leaves you wondering “How the hell did they pull that off?”, this is exactly the kind of swing fans hope for whenever Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert, and Bruce Campbell hand the keys to a new filmmaker.

The sixth film in the loosely (but definitively) connected Evil Dead franchise finds director Sébastien Vaniček picking up the Necronomicon and getting straight to work. Following in the footsteps of Fede Álvarez’s brutal Evil Dead (2013) and Lee Cronin’s wildly entertaining Evil Dead Rise, Vaniček brings his own personality to the series while still understanding the sacred mission: traumatize audiences in the most entertaining way possible.

A savage death brings together a fractured family for what should be a goodwill gathering. Instead, it becomes an open invitation for Deadites and malicious intent. A mother, father, brother, grandmother, girlfriend, and grieving widow find themselves trapped together when the influence of the Necronomicon begins spreading throughout the remote countryside estate. Before long, grief turns into terror, and terror turns into an all-out fight for survival.

The cast commits fully to the intensity. Souheila Yacoub anchors much of the emotional weight as Alice, the widow caught in the middle of the nightmare. Hunter Doohan provides a solid everyman presence amid the havoc, while Tandi Wright and the supporting ensemble understand exactly what kind of movie they’re making. But the MVP here is Luciane Buchanan as Thya. Every Evil Dead movie needs at least one performer willing to completely throw themselves into the madness, and Buchanan absolutely comes to play. When the film reaches its most unhinged moments, she’s right there in the center of the carnage.

That said, the first 30 minutes are easily the film’s weakest stretch.

Vaniček spends a little too much time establishing relationships and atmosphere before the story truly kicks into gear. While character development is appreciated, Evil Dead has never been a franchise people attend for nuanced family drama. We know why we’re here. Unfortunately, the movie takes its sweet time giving us what we came for. I would also argue Vaniček relies far too heavily on extreme close-ups. Every conversation seems determined to crawl directly into an actor’s pores. Sometimes it works to build tension. Other times it feels like the camera operator has a personal vendetta against personal space.

But once the family arrives at the estate and the Deadites begin their work? Strap in.

The back half of Evil Dead Burn is among the most entertaining horror filmmaking I’ve seen all year. Gore galore, of course. That’s expected. What surprised me was the sheer creativity on display. Vaniček constantly experiments with camera angles, perspectives, movement, and visual storytelling techniques. There is a remarkable one-shot sequence that immediately joins my list of favorite scenes of 2026. It’s technically impressive, narratively effective, and exactly the sort of ambitious swing that elevates a horror movie from good to memorable.

Then there’s the body horror. Good lord, the body horror.

The Evil Dead franchise has always specialized in making audiences squirm, but Burn seems determined to discover entirely new ways to make viewers audibly groan in discomfort. Bones bend in directions they shouldn’t. Flesh tears in ways that feel physically painful to watch. Every impaling, dismemberment, and possession feels handcrafted to provoke a collective “eww oh hellllll nooooo” from the audience. The practical effects work is outstanding and frequently disgusting in all the best ways.

Adding to the experience is what might be the best musical score in the entire franchise from composers Xavier Caux, Douglas Cavanna (Double Danger). The music never simply accompanies the action, it attacks alongside it. Every chase, possession, and moment of dread is amplified by a pulse-pounding soundtrack that keeps the tension dialed to eleven.

Look, there are people who won’t enjoy Evil Dead Burn. Some will find it too graphic, some will find it too mean. Others simply won’t understand the appeal of watching attractive people get turned into demonic murder machines for two hours. And that’s fine. But I’m frankly exhausted by people who spend their time explaining why Evil Dead movies aren’t for them. As fans, we get it. It is not for everyone. Go see Moana.

For the rest of us, Evil Dead Burn is a shrieking, blood-soaked blast that understands exactly what fans want from this franchise. It honors the spirit of Raimi’s original films while allowing Vaniček to leave his own fingerprints all over the walls, often literally.

It’s not the best Evil Dead movie ever made. The sluggish opening and occasional visual excesses keep it from reaching that level. But when it finally unleashes its demons, it becomes an exhilarating showcase of horror filmmaking at its most inventive and unapologetically insane.

In a word, you might just say it’s groovy.

Evil Dead Burn releases in theaters July 10, 2026
Starring Souheila Yacoub, Hunter Doohan, Tandi Wright, Luciane Buchanan
Screenplay by Sébastien Vaniček and Florent Bernard
Directed by Sébastien Vaniček