This article contains spoilers for Evil Dead Rise2023 saw the return of much-beloved horror franchises that made hordes of fans run to theaters (or their TVs) to catch the latest stories of their favorite characters and stories. From John Kramer and the prequel Saw X to the new possession story in The Exorcist: Believer, which appears to have angered a bunch of people because it wasn’t like the film they expected. In the words of ’90s philosopher (upcoming gratuitous Clueless reference) Cher Horowitz, “As if.”
One of the franchises to also return, but with a remarkably confident film, was The Evil Dead. Evil Dead Rise was a shockingly effective addition to a franchise that has no specific shape. The change of setting and fresh new characters weren’t exactly applauded by Ash’s fans because the film didn’t have Ash in it. But the 2013 full reboot by Fede Álvarez had proven that new approaches could work. As skeptical as they were, most attended the show and left with a big smile on their faces. Not only was the Deadites’ franchise back. It was back with more gore, more guts, more violence, and with an absolute lack of rules.
Evil Dead Rise
- Release Date
- April 21, 2023
- Cast
- Alyssa Sutherland , Lily Sullivan , Morgan Davies , Nell Fisher
Evil Dead Rise was one of the many reasons 2023 was a great year for horror. So to celebrate its ongoing legacy, which we hope has a follow-up soon, a rewatch was necessary to write this rundown of the ending. This is our interpretation of the third act of Evil Dead Rise.
What is Evil Dead Rise About?
Evil Dead Rise tells the story of a family in California that has to deal with something very strange. Ellie lives with her children, Danny, Bridget, and Kassie while recovering from a separation that she will very unlikely recover from. Danny dreams of being a DJ, Bridget is a fierce feminist, and Kassie likes to chop the heads off of her dolls. Ellie’s sister, Beth, arrives that night with her own issues, but she is confident her sister will help her solve everything.
While they prepare for a night of catching up, the children go out to buy takeout, and when they get back home, an earthquake strikes Los Angeles. Right in the parking lot, they realize there was something below the cracks in the asphalt. An underground chamber containing religious artifacts. Danny, like any other DJ would, takes some very old records.
When they manage to regroup with a now-scared Ellie and Beth, Danny plays the records that contain an incantation that summons an evil entity. Something that, right from the beginning, possesses Ellie and turns her into the vestige of a loving mother. Actually, make that the opposite of a loving mother, as what’s left of her will try everything to possess the children or straight up kill them in the gnarliest of fashions. Beth must do everything in her power to defend herself and her nephews from something quite otherworldly.
What Happens in the Ending of Evil Dead Rise?
Evil Dead Rise is a full-blown Evil Dead movie, with all that ensues. It’s incredibly violent and bends just about every rule in the horror book. This also means the third act and ending don’t exactly change the structure of the film you expect it to be. There’s one thing and one thing only with the endings in the Evil Dead universe: Chaos is a theme, and the more blood there is, the better the film ends.
Inside Ellie’s apartment, the remaining members of her family are witnesses to mayhem. Bridget has now been fully turned into a deadite, and she kills Danny. The good thing is that he sets her on fire before. Ellie has managed to enter the apartment through some ducts and notices Kassie and Beth remain. She viciously attacks Beth, and she tries to open up her stomach to kill the developing baby. Fortunately, Kassie steps up to her mother and manages to give Beth her mother’s scissors. Beth wields the blade directly into Ellie’s nose. It’s all over.
Or is it? Kassie and Beth realize they have to run. Their only way out is a malfunctioning elevator, and they decide to make a run for it, as Ellie and the neighbors are all now in demonic form and just laugh at the survivors’ attempt. While the elevator fills up with blood, we notice Ellie, Danny, and Bridget are now merged into one scary creature that climbs on top of the elevator and causes it to finally drop. Luckily, all the blood saves Beth and Kassie, who are able to escape through the parking lot. The problem is that the multibodied creature grabs Kassie and threatens to kill her. Of course, Beth decides to save the kid. In an extremely gory scene, the remaining duo activates a wood chipper and distract the creature from falling into it. The only thing that remains is Ellie’s head, which announces Beth will not be a good mother. One second later, the head is kicked into the chipper, and Beth and Kassie drive off into the sunrise.
Only it doesn’t end there. The film’s introduction showed the typical “cabin in the woods’ scene,” where teenagers are in a remote location and something attacks them. The events in the film happen right before that, and we see this because one of the teenagers is a resident of the building who becomes possessed right as she boards the car and starts a vacation she won’t survive.
The following is a redband trailer featuring violence. Viewer discretion is advised.
Is Evil Dead Rise a Worthy Addition to the Evil Dead Universe?
The very worthy addition to modern horror, Evil Dead Rise, wasn’t exactly a film that moved audiences at first. It wasn’t a sequel to the reboot, and it featured no famous actors or a famous director. We only had Sam Raimi making announcements and Bruce Campbell involved as an executive producer. Fortunately, everyone involved delivered and made a surprising film that represented a great argument for Warner’s weird theater release schedule and the sudden jump into streaming services. It was a film that could be enjoyed anywhere because it’s quite scary.
Evil Dead Rise also proved a legacy sequel could be made in modern times without excessively using the nostalgia factor that would bring viewers in, thinking it would be a homage or tribute. But it was simply an excellent surprise of a film. Evil Dead Rise is its own thing and simply uses the Deadites theme as a villain, but not much else. It works as a sequel and also as a stand-alone film.
One of the best horror surprises of the year that’s also directly associated with a franchise. And now that has remained untouched in terms of its rules. Evil Dead Rise is a great addition to the universe of the Deadites, and why not, the universe of Ash and his fight against evil. To discuss whether the film is canon or not is to waste time focusing on things that perhaps aren’t that important. This one is a joy to watch on its own, and there’s no better proof than the solid reception by fans all over the world: It’s the highest-grossing film in the franchise and is Certified Fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with an 84% critics score.
Stream on Max
Evil Dead Rise is part of the Evil Dead franchise, which is part of the ’80s horror frenzy. To keep celebrating this style of horror, here’s a video of some ’80s horror movies that could use a remake:
