Evil Dead Burn (2026) Lives Up to Its Fiery Name
Title: Evil Dead Burn
First Non-Festival Release: July 8, 2026 (Theatrical Release)
Director: Sébastien Vanicek
Writer: Sébastien Vanicek, Florent Bernard
Runtime: 110 Minutes
Starring: Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, Hunter Doohan
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
Spanning multiple decades and directors, the Evil Dead franchise has deservedly carved out a strong name for itself in the horror cannon. Known for their vicious demons, named Deadites, the Evil Dead films have a penchant for ridiculous, often comical, over-the-top gore. Five films and three seasons of television later and the franchise is ready for some French influence with up-and-coming director Sébastien Vaniček taking the reins.
After the sudden and violent death of their eldest son Will (George Pull), a family convenes for his funeral. Still reeling from his death and making sense of his abuse, Alice (Souhelia Yacoub) would rather be anywhere other than the crumbling family home. Frustrated by navigating her father in law’s (Erroll Shand) volatility and her stepmother’s (Tandi Wright) impossible expectations, the only respite seems to be in meek youngest son Joseph (Hunter Doohan) and his girlfriend Thya (Luciane Buchanan). Alice retreats further into herself when her family begins acting out in strange and terrifying ways that may be connected to the family’s demon hunting past.
Gleefully evil with a wicked sense of humor, Evil Dead Burn is the darkest entry in the franchise so far.
Merging extreme French horror sensibilities with the quiet simmer of a family drama, Evil Dead Burn mixes its heavy subject matter with the absurdity and terror of possession. From the explosive cold open and inciting incident, Evil Dead Burn operates with calculated precision. A lean script takes viewers through the initial haze of grief in a whirlwind priming them for the emptiness and discomfort that awaits. Death tends to bring out the worst in people, and funerals become arenas to re-litigate past wounds and pick fights. This is common across families, irrespective of structure, traditions, and history. The dynamic hits harder when silence is the unifier.
While it doesn’t depart from the film’s recent streak of equally mean and hilarious entries, Evil Dead Burn ventures into themes and ideas previously unexplored in the film series. Its abuse angle simultaneously helps Evil Dead Burn stand out while also demonstrating its limitations. Using the family’s toxic, dysfunctional dynamic as an entry point, the Deadites serve as a reminder for the hidden cost of abuse. Because possession allows the evil to manipulate the various family members like meat puppets, Evil Dead Burn quite literally uses each victim as a mouthpiece for different roles played by unsuccessful family members.
At the center are the obviously abusive patriarch paired with a narcissistic and fearful mother, but the rest of the family play important roles too. The concept of the golden child, whose crimes are always forgiven, is depicted with the kind of sinister energy it deserves while falling short in its depiction of its cowardly younger sibling. The casual racism of the grandmother and the one person of color’s rather quick relegation to collateral damage just paints a darker picture of the edges. It all stems from one man’s choice to abandon his family to fight an evil nebulous to them. Unaddressed rot causes their pain.
Abuse needs a place to hide. It hides inside orders to “be a man”, casual dismissals of harmless interests, ideas, and words, and pleas to just ignore the worst of the worst behaviors. It’s in this idea that humanity is correctly characterized and critiqued for its willingness to trade safety for peace. Each appeasement lets inflexible mindsets harden further, fermenting resentment while unacceptable behaviors are met with impassioned hand-waiving. Giving abusers an inch sets the foundation for them to take whatever they want in time. Could this family save themselves if they had stronger ties or better interpersonal skills? It’s unlikely given the franchise, as Deadites will just exploit another weakness.
The true star of the show is Philip Lozano, the cinematographer responsible for the dynamic camerawork that brings the horror and confusion to life. Tight fight choreography pairs well with the signature swoop that makes Evil Dead films feel so kinetic. Unafraid to put the audience in the thick of it, Evil Dead Burn careens in front of the faces of its central forlorn family. The intensity of the various slashes, stabs, and assaults is compounded by the close quarters, making for a breathless experience. An intentionally bland color palette does lend the film to a flatter aesthetic, but it largely works for the cold, dark, and damp setting.
Evil Dead Burn proves the staying power of its franchise while still carving its own path and direction forward. Vaniček clearly has a knack for capturing contentious family dynamics and executing wickedly entertaining scares just as deftly. May his career continue to produce hits like Evil Dead Burn and the always under-discussed Infested. Dripping with tension and featuring some truly diabolical family brawls, Evil Dead Burn is another win for fans of brutal, no-frills horror.
Overall Score? 8/10
