In “Evil Dead Rise,” the action moves out of the woods and into the city, and tells a twisted tale of two estranged sisters, played by Sullivan and Sutherland, whose reunion is cut short by the rise of flesh-possessing demons, thrusting them into a primal battle for survival as they face the most nightmarish version of family imaginable.
For in-depth thoughts on Evil Dead Rise, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here.
Video Quality
The 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Evil Dead Rise offers a welcome uptick in quality over the already great accompanying Blu-Ray, making it the preferred choice between the two home video releases. As you might expect, many moments in the film take place in shadow or the cover of darkness, and on this disc they are more vivid and expertly delineated. Black levels are tremendously strong in this presentation, staying deep and inky with great detail. The highlights in the film are more defined with whites more pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. The few instances of compression artifacts and banding present on the Blu-Ray are eliminated with this 4K UHD disc.
This 4K UHD presentation really succeeds on all fronts including gains in clarity and color. There is some really gnarly makeup and production design featured in the film which you can really appreciate with this transfer. Every location is handled with precision as you get all of the nuances from them. The increased range of the color spectrum is a benefit even when the movie is not striving to be a Technicolor spectacle. The HDR enriches the colors to their ideal state when it comes to nuance and depth. The Blu-Ray is great, but Warner Bros. has delivered another fantastic transfer on this latest 4K release.
Audio Quality
This 4K UHD Blu-Ray comes with a formidable Dolby Atmos audio mix that is completely enveloping and often very powerful. Dialogue is clear and balanced effectively with the competing sounds. There is nearly always something going on in the surrounds, but there is never an issue with hearing what everyone is saying. This is an incredibly spry track that provides all manner of terrifying sound effects and an atmospheric score to keep you on edge. There is a substantial amount of activity in the low end that pulses through you in the most unsettling way. The height channels are used to welcome effect in some of the more thrilling scenes. All of the sounds are coming from the appropriate directions, and there are absolutely no technical issues with the track. This one should more than please fans of the series.
Special Features
There are no special features provided on this release.
Final Thoughts
Evil Dead Rise may not be quite as much of a departure as Army of Darkness was for the series when it debuted, but it nonetheless proves to put its own stamp on what the series can be. You still get a tremendously gory tale filled with visceral moments that will be seared into your mind. The themes being explored are worthwhile, yet the movie never forgets what the audience wants and does a fine job of maintaining that balance. The performances are really strong and give this material the weight it needs to land. Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that features a top-notch A/V presentation but nothing in the way of special features. If you are a fan of the series, you should be pleased by the disc. Recommended
Evil Dead Rise will be available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray, Blu-Ray and DVD on June 27, 2023. The film is currently available to own on Digital.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Bros. Home Entertainment has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.