Evil Dead Burn is an Unapologetically Brutal And Tense Return For the Franchise

This article contains spoilers for Evil Dead Burn, released July 10, 2026.

The Evil Dead franchise has been on a massively successful streak for more than a decade. 2013's Evil Dead remake and 2023's Evil Dead Rise revitalized the franchise for a new audience, combining the series' dark sense of humor and trademark violence with greater scares. Evil Dead Burn, by director Sébastien Vaniček, continues this streak of success with a haunting storyline, horrific violence, and fantastic performances, most notably Luciane Buchanan's portrayal of Thya. The result just might be one of the most violent horror movies of 2026 so far.

Like Evil Dead Rise before it, Evil Dead Burn serves largely as a standalone film, with a brand-new cast of characters who are plagued by the Deadites. Those less familiar with the series should be able to jump in without prior knowledge, but there is some connective tissue with the previous two movies. Essentially, there are some payoffs for those who have been following along, but it delivers plenty of brutal chaos for any horror fan to enjoy, regardless of their knowledge.

Horror Fans Will Love What's on Display in Evil Dead Burn

Family is at the heart of Evil Dead Burn, and the strained relationships between the members of the Price clan form a backdrop for the horror that ensues throughout. The movie follows protagonist Alice Price (Souheila Yacoub), a French immigrant who moved to America after marrying William (George Pullar). The cracks in the couple's relationship immediately become evident during a birthday party for Will's brother, Joseph. An argument between the couple leads to an inebriated Will driving away into the night. After crashing his car into a Deadite, Will horrifically burns to death, and his fate serves as a catalyst for the horrors that befall the rest of the Price family.

As in Curry Barker's Obsession, Evil Dead Burn's supernatural threats are compounded by real-life horrors. The abuse Will inflicted on Alice continues even after his death, as Alice struggles in silence to deal with the judgment of her in-laws. She is resented for insufficiently mourning a cruel and domineering partner, and that backdrop further builds the tension. The surviving widow is tormented by Susan and Edgar Price (played by Tandi Wright and Errol Shand), long before the Deadites make their move against the surviving members of Will's fractured family. If Evil Dead Burn were a family drama instead of a horror movie, it would still be a tense and unnerving experience.

Alice's journey is at the heart of Evil Dead Burn, and Yacoub's performance makes it all the more compelling. The trauma from Alice's relationship with Will is ever present, yet the character never comes across as weak or incapable. Whether it's handling a difficult line of questioning from Will's parents or slicing up Deadites, Alice's strength feels genuine and believable. Evil Dead Burn's 109-minute runtime throws a lot at the character, and she's an easy protagonist to root for.

The Deadites Are Incredibly Effective in Evil Dead Burn

None of the horrors that befall the Price family are coincidental. Susan's estranged father spent years researching the Deadites, in pursuit of a weapon that could end their threat. The Deadites are convinced that the weapon is hidden in a home belonging to the Price family, and want to ensure it can never be used against them. The cruelty of the Deadites makes them some of the most frightening recurring villains in horror movie history. The Deadites display a level of dark humor in their works, and it can lead to some uncomfortable laughs as they kill and possess their prey. The weapons used in Evil Dead Burn are also wickedly inventive, and guarantee that audience members will never look the same way at items that previously seemed innocuous.

That cleverness in the film's brutality makes it more enjoyable, even if the resulting deaths can be a little mean-spirited at times. There are moments in Evil Dead Burn that will likely bother some viewers over others, including an animal death that's particularly brutal. The Evil Dead movies pull few punches when it comes to deaths; series veterans will likely be less bothered by how things play out, while casual viewers might be taken aback. These moments make sense in the context of the narrative, but one post-credit scene in particular could have been handled with a different victim while still achieving the same desired effect. There's never anything on the same level as the Terrifier series, but the violence remains a step above many other long-running horror properties.

In a year when original horror movies like Obsession and Backrooms have dominated both the box office and the attention of theater goers, Evil Dead Burn is a clever and effective continuation of a decades-old franchise. The movie should delight viewers seeking a gore-filled bloodbath, but the quieter moments between the Price family are just as tense as anything else on display. This dynamic helps the movie stand out, and the narrative might be the strongest for the series thus far. It's an easy recommendation for Evil Dead fans, and casual fans should find a lot to enjoy if they don't mind some brutality throughout.