Evil Dead Burn (2026)

​“Evil Dead Burn” stars Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan, Luciane Buchanan, Erroll Shand, and Maude Davey.  Released on July 10, 2026, the film follows a woman as she survives against a supernatural entity that is infecting her in-laws.

The film was directed by Sébastien Vaniček, who also wrote and directed “Infested” and the short films “299 792 458 m/s”, “Mayday”, and “Crocs”.  It is the sixth installment and the third standalone entry in the “Evil Dead” film series.  Family reunions are great and all, but they’re not without their share of drama that can make or break these gatherings.  While we adore our loved ones, some of them carry their share of demons that may make us question our familial bond.  This family is no different than the rest, though their own personal “demons” happen to be more literal than the ones we have, or should I say “deadlier”?  The “Evil Dead” franchise has undergone a creative shift to remain relevant by focusing on different characters encountering the twisted Deadites.  In other words, the demons got tired of Ash’s retaliation and decided to make other people’s lives a living hell instead.  The result is a series of standalone films that proved to be as effective (and disgusting) as Bruce Campbell’s gory encounters.  Amid Ash’s small-screen adventures in “Ash vs Evil Dead”, we had a soft reboot back in 2013 and a survival against a possessed mother in “Evil Dead Rise”.  Now, we have another standalone sequel focusing on a new family surviving against the Deadites, or at least trying to.  Is this bloody family get-together worth attending, or are audiences better off hanging out with the groovy Ash Williams?  Let’s find out.  

The story centers on Alice (Yacoub), a young woman grieving over the death of her husband, Will (George Pullar).  This resulted in her family coming together, mainly Alice’s in-laws, in a secluded house to confront their grief.  During the visit, Alice discovers that a demonic entity is set loose into the household, possessing her family members one by one.  Additionally, she uncovers a mysterious book that foretold a secret weapon capable of killing the entities.  This pits Alice against her husband’s family in a fight for survival as the gathering transforms into a family reunion from hell.

In case you’re unaware or haven’t read my “Evil Dead Rise” review, I didn’t get to the “Evil Dead” franchise until the 2013 reboot was released.  Since then, I have been admiring the movies for their ultra-violent vibes, mix of horror and dark comedy, and the practical effects that are convincing enough to make audiences wince in terror.  While I really like the installments featuring Bruce Campbell, including the “Ash vs Evil Dead” series, I also appreciate the standalone films for their focus on different characters while retaining the franchise’s usual gross-out elements.  I remember liking the “Evil Dead” remake when it first came out.  As for “Evil Dead Rise”, it was surprisingly the best installment since the first two “Evil Dead” films in my eyes.  In other words, these vicious “Deadites” never fail to impress me with their deadly and overall grotesque actions, whether they’re doing it to Ash or someone else.

This left me wondering what direction “Evil Dead Burn” would take for the franchise.  The answer is quite simple: by focusing on another family.  This approach continues the franchise’s recent trend of emphasizing its familial aspect, showcasing the psychological fear of having to kill your loved ones to save them.  That trend started with “Rise”, which turned out to be a surprisingly terrifying and refreshing treat for the franchise’s fans and newcomers.  It also raised the question of whether “Evil Dead Burn” could recapture the lightning in a bottle regarding its familial themes, especially with a new director instead of Lee Cronin.  Based on what I witnessed, the answer to that question is a yes.  Utilizing the grounded and grimly grotesque nature of the previous standalone installments, “Evil Dead Burn” offers another round of icky good horror fun that shines a light on the gnarly kills we’d expect from the demonic franchise.  Obviously, the film isn't for everyone, especially since it’s described as the most brutal and mean-spirited chapter, and the story isn’t as fresh or juicy as “Rise”.  But for those who don’t mind the brand’s recent installments, it’s a terrifying summer treat that matches the chaotic stress of any other family reunion.   

I managed to check out Vaniček’s “Infested” before watching “Evil Dead Burn” to study his vision, and I can see why Sam Raimi hired him for the job.  “Infested” had Vaniček transform a simple premise like spiders infecting an apartment building into a petrifying modern-day nightmare worthy of its commentary on xenophobia, arachnophobic terror, and eerie presentation.  For “Evil Dead Burn”, Vaniček decided to just go all in on the bleak tone and violence, and he did so with gusto.  Vaniček’s vision provides a style that’s kinetic, disorienting, and rough enough to match what Raimi accomplished in the original “Evil Dead” trilogy.  Combined with Philip Lozano’s cinematography, which features slick framing, bleak color palettes, and a one-take shot, “Burn” highlights Vaniček’s ability to generate consistently petrifying frights from its grimly chaotic presentation and straightforward premise.  While it does result in a couple of pacing issues, the movie never ceases to retain the insanity and trauma of seeing our loved ones possessed by demons.  More importantly, it stays consistent with the franchise’s tradition of using practical effects, particularly for the gore and demonic actions.  Aside from some middling CGI in the third act, the film’s effects convey the ickiness and savagery of its violence that may make someone lose their lunch.

Like “Evil Dead Rise”, “Burn” combines the franchise’s lore with a tragic family story involving them falling victim to the terrifying curse.  Rather than a woman facing motherhood, the film features a widow forced to confront her in-laws over her husband’s death, both before and during the Deadite invasion.  This is another movie that showcases the psychological dread of abuse, either from a familial perspective or worse, as well as the importance of deciding whether to let this trauma consume you or confront it head-on.  It does head into familiar territory with its tropes and franchise appeal, particularly the family element seen in “Rise”.  Fortunately, the movie’s script delivers a decently rewarding take on its themes and family dynamics, combining its dark nature with a fun ride through hell.  If there’s one other thing that I feel conflicted about, it’s the post-credit scene.  “Burn” has two extra scenes during the credits, including the last one involving a surprise guest star from the previous installment.  I feel like it’s trying to set up for something bigger, but to me, the recent installments work best as separate films, even with this film's mild connections to the predecessor.  The post-credit scene was a nice surprise, but it would’ve also been fine without it.  There’s also this one sequence involving a dog that will definitely upset a lot of animal lovers, highlighting the franchise’s bold attempts at hardcore violence.  I’ll let you guess what that scene is. 

The cast also did a decent job with their roles, both as normal people and as Deadite-possessed individuals.  Most people know Souheila Yacoub as an actress, a former rhythmic gymnast, and the winner of Miss Suisse Romande 2012.  But for Dune fans, she’s known for her role as Shishakli in “Dune: Part Two”.  She’s another actress I hadn’t paid attention to in her smaller roles until she’s front and center, battling her demon-possessed family, begging the question of whether she’s fit to be in that spotlight in my eyes.  I would answer that question with a yes.  Yacoub suitably captures the dread and mental torment of Alice’s grief stemming from her struggle to confront her feelings about her husband.  To me, her performance functions similarly to that of Jane Levy in the 2013 reboot, in which they both deliver genuine performances that blend real-life issues with bone-chilling terror.  Even though Levy’s portrayal was a tad better, Yacoub delivered enough moments in her own performance to elevate her potential to get more main roles in future projects.  I was also pretty impressed with Maude Davey’s portrayal of Polly, the grandmother of the family.  She’s not only creepy when her character is possessed, but Davey also injected a solid amount of humor into the film’s darker tone.  “Evil Dead” has its share of expressing some dark comedy in its horror aspects, so I’m happy to see that “Burn” attempted to include a small bit of it in its grim tone.

Overall, “Evil Dead Burn” burns away its franchise fatigue with another grisly, entertaining, and bleakly deranged chapter of the “Evil Dead” lore.  It doesn’t match the gnarly, darkly comical heights of Sam Raimi’s trilogy, and its familial aspect isn’t as refreshing as what Lee Cronin accomplished in “Rise”.  Nonetheless, it further proves the horror franchise still has some blood left in its tank, thanks to its ongoing ability to let other filmmakers, notably Sébastien Vaniček, go nuts with their presentations and kills.  Its connections to the previous installment do leave me a bit conflicted, particularly the post-credits scene, which may or may not be necessary.  Besides that, this family reunion delivered a solid blend of chaos, gore, and dread that’s unpleasant and fun enough to make fans want to say “groovy” once more.  In terms of its cast, Vaniček’s kinetic vision, practical effects, and compelling frights, this latest installment does enough to keep the franchise from burning itself alive.

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