“Who is the brainless meat puppet now?”

Three years later, Evil Dead Rise hasn't lost a damn thing. If anything, the distance from the initial hype only reinforces what Lee Cronin pulled off here. Rather than trying to remake Sam Raimi's original or chase the relentless insanity of Evil Dead II, Cronin wisely asks a different question: what happens when the Deadites move into an apartment building and every hallway becomes a trap? The answer is ninety-six minutes of absolute carnage.

Cronin even opens with a sly nod to Raimi's trademark camera work before gleefully ripping the rug out from under longtime fans. What begins with a lakeside getaway and Jessica's unforgettable transformation quickly turns into a blood-soaked statement of intent. Scalps fly. Heads roll. Bones snap. The opening isn't interested in easing you back into this universe—it grabs you by the throat and reminds you that the Evil Dead series has never played nice.

Once the story settles into the decaying Los Angeles apartment building, Rise finds its own identity. Gone is the isolated cabin. In its place is a claustrophobic high-rise that feels like it's rotting from the inside out. Cronin turns every hallway, elevator, and cramped apartment into another opportunity for mayhem, and his camera prowls through the building with infectious energy. The practical gore effects remain astonishing, with limbs mangled, faces destroyed, eyeballs abused in ways ophthalmologists would strongly discourage, and enough blood to make even The Shining blush. Add in insects, projectile vomit, shattered glass, and one gloriously sadistic cheese grater, and this becomes one of the nastiest entries the franchise has ever produced.

At the center of all that chaos is Alyssa Sutherland, delivering one of the greatest Deadite performances in the history of the series. Once Ellie is possessed, she transforms into a smiling nightmare who weaponizes motherhood with terrifying precision. Her sing-song taunts, twisted grin, and complete lack of mercy elevate every scene she's in. Opposite her, Lily Sullivan gives Beth enough emotional grounding to keep the film from collapsing under the weight of its own excess, while Morgan Davies, Gabrielle Echols, and Nell Fisher make this feel like an actual family worth rooting for—even when you know they're almost certainly doomed.

The discovery of the Necronomicon beneath the building remains one of the film's smartest ideas. An earthquake uncovers a forgotten bank vault, Danny can't resist playing mysterious recordings that absolutely should have remained buried, and within minutes the Deadites are off to the races. It's classic Evil Dead logic: curiosity kills everyone.

Sure, a few franchise callbacks still feel like they're there because an Evil Dead movie is expected to include them, but they're minor speed bumps in an otherwise relentless assault. The pacing barely lets up, the tension rarely breaks, and Cronin understands that this series works best when it keeps escalating instead of stopping to explain itself.

Watching Evil Dead Rise again in 2026, it's clear this wasn't just another legacy sequel riding nostalgia. It confidently carved out its own corner of the mythology while delivering exactly what fans show up for: grotesque practical effects, pitch-black humor, inventive kills, and enough gallons of blood to keep industrial mop manufacturers in business for years. Groovy? Absolutely. Grimy? Without question. Gloriously, unapologetically evil? You'd better believe it.

4K Ultra HD Limited Edition

Home Video Distributor: Arrow Films
Available on Blu-ray - January 13, 2026
Screen Formats: 2.39:1
Subtitles: English SDH
Video: Native 4K; Dolby Vision; HDR10
Audio: Dolby Atmos; Dolby TrueHD 7.1; DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1; Audio descriptive
Discs: 4K Ultra HD; single-disc set
Region Encoding: 4K region-free

The Evil Dead franchise has never exactly been known for restraint, but Evil Dead Rise gleefully kicks the cabin door off its hinges and drags the nightmare into a crumbling Los Angeles apartment building. Director Lee Cronin understands that the Necronomicon doesn't need another trip to the woods—it just needs fresh victims. The result is a vicious, blood-soaked roller coaster that balances nerve-shredding suspense with the series' signature gleeful cruelty, all while introducing one of the franchise's most unforgettable Deadites in Alyssa Sutherland's terrifying performance as Ellie.

Arrow Video's Limited Edition is the release fans have been waiting for. Featuring a gorgeous Dolby Vision presentation, thunderous Dolby Atmos audio, and an avalanche of newly produced extras, this isn't simply another repackaging—it's the definitive home video edition of one of modern horror's nastiest crowd-pleasers. If your bookshelf has room for only one copy of Evil Dead Rise, make it this one.

This is reference-quality modern horror.

VIDEO

Arrow's new 4K restoration delivers the film at its absolute best. The Dolby Vision grading deepens the oppressive darkness of the apartment building without crushing shadow detail, while blood reds explode off the screen with almost comic-book intensity.

Fine textures—from cracked concrete walls to the grotesque layers of practical makeup effects—are sharper and more dimensional than previous releases. Black levels are inky, highlights are controlled, and the transfer preserves the film's gritty aesthetic while giving it a healthy boost in depth and color fidelity.

AUDIO

Presented in Dolby Atmos (with the original DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 mix also included), Evil Dead Rise is an absolute demo disc.

The apartment building becomes a living organism. Deadites whisper from behind you, pipes groan overhead, rain pounds the ceiling, and Stephen McKeon's score swirls through every speaker. The overhead channels are used aggressively during possession scenes, while the low end delivers devastating impact whenever bodies are smashed, chainsaws roar, or the infamous cheese grater makes its unforgettable appearance.

Dialogue remains crystal clear even during the film's most chaotic moments. Horror fans with an Atmos setup are going to have a blast.

Supplements:

Commentary:

• Audio Commentary with director Lee Cronin and actors Alyssa Sutherland & Lily Sullivan

Special Features:

• Arrow absolutely unloads the bonus content, making this a massive upgrade over Warner's original release.
• Audio Commentary with director Lee Cronin and actors Alyssa Sutherland & Lily Sullivan
• Come Get Some – Interview with Lily Sullivan
• Mommy Deadite – Interview with Alyssa Sutherland
• The Deadite's Daughter – Interview with Gabrielle Echols
• The Levitating Dead – Interview with Anna-Maree Thomas
• Conjuring Deadites – Interview with makeup effects designer Luke Polti
• Chopping Up Deadites – Interview with editor Bryan Shaw
• Sonic Possessions – Interview with sound designer Peter Albrechtsen
• Music to Swallow Your Soul – Interview with composer Stephen McKeon
• The Sound of Evil Dead Rise featurette
• Raising a New Evil Dead
• Lee Cronin's acclaimed short film Ghost Train
• Behind-the-scenes footage
• Storyboard gallery
• Concept artwork gallery
• Still gallery
• Trailer & TV spots
• Reversible sleeve
• Fold-out poster
• Collector's booklet with new writing by Michael Gingold

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