‘Evil Dead Rise’ Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray Review – Visceral Splatter-fest Gets A Knockout New Release

After being hand-picked by the legendary Sam Raimi, director Lee Cronin takes the Evil Dead franchise into a bold new direction in Evil Dead Rise, out of the woods and into the big city. Beth’s surprise reunion with her sister Ellie is interrupted by an earthquake that shakes the foundation of her apartment building. Amidst the rubble, Ellie’s kids discover a secret vault hidden in the basement, inside which they find an ancient book bound in flesh and inked in human blood – the Necronomicon. As the building’s residents are possessed one by one and the evil rises floor to floor, the family get-together becomes a fight for survival. Never have the Deadites been so terrifying in this bold and blood-soaked revival of the classic series, now in a definitive extras-packed, director-approved edition.

For in-depth thoughts on Evil Dead Rise, please see my colleague Dom Fisher’s review from its original theatrical release here. 

For my thoughts on Evil Dead Rise, please check out my previous review of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray here. 

For additional in-depth thoughts on Evil Dead Rise, please check out my thoughts on No Streaming Required:

Video Quality

Evil Dead Rise comes to 4K UHD Blu-Ray via Arrow Video with a 2160p transfer with Dolby Vision/HDR that is derived from a 4K master provided by Warner Bros. We previously reviewed the film on 4K UHD Blu-Ray when the studio put it out in 2023, and there is almost no observable difference between the two releases. Most of the benefits of this release will be found in the Special Features section. The previous release came with a Blu-Ray for comparison, which the Arrow Video release does not have. As much as we would have enjoyed an upgrade, the original 4K UHD Blu-Ray release from Warner Bros. was essentially perfect. This new transfer is another exceptional representation of the feature.

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 firmly defined with whites pure and balanced with no instances of blooming to be found. The few instances of compression artifacts and banding present on the previous Blu-Ray are eliminated on this 4K UHD disc. 

This 4K UHD presentation really succeeds on all fronts including showings 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 Dolby Vision/HDR (an upgrade from the HDR10 on the Warner Bros. release) enriches the colors to their ideal state when it comes to nuance and depth. Arrow Video 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. Optional English SDH subtitles are provided. 

Special Features

The first pressing of the Arrow Video 4K UHD Blu-Ray of Evil Dead Rise includes a multi-page booklet featuring new writing on the film by Michael Gingold. This provides great insights into the film in a thoughtfully written style. The on-disc special features are as follows: 

• Audio Commentary: Director Lee Cronin and actors Alyssa Sullivan and Lily Sullivan provide a commentary track that provides plenty of background information on the production, the challenges faced during shooting, the cast dynamics, the special effects process, and more. 

• Come Get Some with Lily Sullivan: A nearly 17-minute new interview with the actress in which she discusses her background, why she loves the horror genre so much, the qualities of her character, working with Lee Cronin, memories of her fellow performers, how they pulled off certain sequences, and more. 

• Mommy Deadite with Alyssa Sutherland: A new 17-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses her background, her fear of horror films, what it was like playing a deadite, performing under her makeup, and more. 

• The Deadite’s Daughter with Gabrielle Echols: A new 15-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses her background, collaborating with Lee Cronin, the physicality of playing a deadite, how they pulled off certain effects, being protective of the younger performers, filming in New Zealand during COVID, and more. 

• The Levitating Dead with Anna-Maree Thomas: A new 11-minute interview with the actress in which she discusses her background, her relationship with some of the crew members from before Evil Dead Rise, how she prepared for her character, and more. 

• Conjuring Deadites with Luke Polti: A new 13-minute interview with the special make-up effects designer in which he discusses his background, how he approached working on a franchise he loves so much, the evolution of certain looks throughout the film, and more. 

• Chopping Up Deadites with Bryan Shaw: A nearly 15-minute new interview with the editor in which he discusses his background, his work on Evil Dead Rise, the construction of certain sequences, his collaboration with Lee Cronin, the implementation of the visual effects shots, and more. 

• Sonic Possessions with Peter Albrechtsen: A nearly 15-minute new interview with the sound designer in which he discusses his background, the unusual integration of sound into the script, how he prepared to tackle this franchise, the sound effects from previous films, and more. 

• Music to Swallow Your Soul with Stephen McKeon: A nearly 14-minute new interview with the sound designer in which he discusses his background, his approach to creating the music for the film, the audience response to the film, and more. 

• The Sound of Evil Dead Rises: A nearly 52-minute interview from 2023 with Cronin and Albrechtsen conducted by Glenn Kiser, director of the Dolby Institute, in which they discuss the film in great detail with a particular focus on the sound design.

• Raising a New Evil Dead: A seven-minute promotional piece in which the cast and creative team discuss bringing a new chapter to the Evil Dead franchise. 

• Ghost Train: A 16-minute short film from Lee Cronin created in 2013 that explores the disappearance of a young boy that haunts two brothers. 

• Behind the Scenes: A nearly five-minute fly-on-the-wall look at the creation of certain effects on set. 

• Theatrical Trailer (2:32)

• TV Spots (3:57)

• Image Galleries: There are “Behind the Scenes” and “Storyboards” galleries provided. 

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. Arrow Video has released a 4K UHD Blu-Ray that features a top-notch A/V presentation and a slew of wonderful, new special features. If you are a fan of the series, you have finally gotten the loving release the film always deserved. Recommended 

Evil Dead Rise is currently available to purchase on 4K UHD Blu-Ray. 

Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the 4K UHD Blu-Ray.

Disclaimer: Arrow Video 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.