‘Evil Dead Burn’ Ignites Franchise History With A Rotten Tomatoes Debut Fans Weren’t Expecting

The Evil Dead franchise has spent decades proving that a chainsaw, a cabin, and a Book of the Dead can carry a horror series through multiple eras of filmmaking. Sam Raimi created the franchise and directed the first three movies, with Fede Álvarez and Lee Cronin taking over for the most recent releases. Now Sébastien Vaniček is stepping into the woods with ‘Evil Dead Burn,’ the sixth movie in the long running Evil Dead series.

The film follows a woman named Alice, who is dealing with the death of her husband and reunites with his family at a remote house, hoping for a quiet gathering. Instead, the reunion quickly turns into a nightmare when members of the family begin transforming into Deadites, bringing chaos and terror to the isolated location. It is a familiar setup for the franchise, but early buzz suggests Vaniček has found a fresh way to make the terror land.

That buzz reached a new level when entertainment account The Hollywood Handle shared ‘Evil Dead Burn’s Rotten Tomatoes debut, showing the film landing an eye catching 92 percent score ahead of its July 10 theatrical release. For a franchise that has weathered plenty of critical ups and downs over the years, a number in that range would place ‘Evil Dead Burn’ among the strongest reviewed entries the series has ever produced.

Critics who saw the film ahead of release have largely responded with enthusiasm for Vaniček’s approach. Collider’s Aidan Kelley praised the film’s emotional depth and its explosive finale, giving it an 8 out of 10 and writing that “the characters have depth, the action, scares, and comedy are all in line with Sam Raimi’s signature style, and it has a third act that is nothing short of unforgettable” in his review for Collider. Not every critic has been as convinced, with some noting the script feels a bit thin even as the practical effects and gore push the franchise’s brutality to new extremes.

The film also brings a stacked ensemble to the story, with Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, George Pullar, and Alain Chabat rounding out the family caught in the nightmare. Sam Raimi produces alongside Rob Tapert, while franchise star Bruce Campbell executive produces with Lee Cronin, who directed Evil Dead Rise.

Looking ahead, the franchise shows no signs of slowing down. Francis Galluppi is directing the next chapter, Evil Dead Wrath, which will serve as a sequel to the original 1981 installment and is expected to bring in a new cast of characters set decades before the events fans already know.

With ‘Evil Dead Burn’ arriving in theaters this Friday, the reception building around it suggests the Deadites still have plenty of fight left in them. Whether the film holds onto its strong early standing once general audiences weigh in remains to be seen, but the early temperature check already has horror fans talking. Do you think ‘Evil Dead Burn’ deserves a spot among the franchise’s best reviewed chapters, or does the buzz feel a little too good to be true?