Review: Evil Dead Burn – Raging Inferno or Barely a Spark?

Release Date: 9 July 2026

Directed By: Sébastien Vaniček

Run Time: 110 mins

REVIEW

Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead is to the 80s what Tobe Hooper’s The Texas Chain Saw Massacre was to the 70s. A low-budget masterpiece that was a nightmare to film and tested the grit and patience of everyone involved. All the hardships were worth it, though, for what the now-franchise has given to the genre. 

Almost everyone I know who enjoys horror movies puts one of the Evil Dead films in their top 10, if not their top 5. They are true classics.

For those of us in New Zealand, the Evil Dead is even closer to our hearts, with all the new films (including Fede Alvarez’s 2013 version) and the series Ash Vs Evil Dead having been shot in and around Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland. 

So, of course, when there’s a new entry into this much-loved collection, fans are going to have expectations set high, even if we don’t mean to. Sébastien Vaniček’s Evil Dead Burn had some big jandals to fill, and it feels like he pulled out all the stops to achieve his goal. 

Compared to previous Evil Dead films, Burn feels like it moves at breakneck speed. Things happen fast, and you’ve barely got time to process what you’re seeing before you move on to the next wild sequence. It makes for a pretty wild ride, and I’m looking forward to rewatching the film to catch things I missed the first time around.

If you’re looking for gore, you won’t be disappointed. There will be blood, but don’t expect buckets full as in earlier films. Burn is a different beast with plenty of violence and mayhem to keep you entertained.

The brutality of this film cannot be overstated. It is mean. It is nasty. The Deadites are not playing around, and absolutely nobody is safe. If you’re looking for the zaniness of Evil Dead 2 or Army of Darkness, you won’t find it here. Vaniček shows hints of why the French are known for extreme horror, and he’s happy to play in this battlefield. 

A large portion of the cast are Kiwi actors: Tandi Wright (Pearl, Black Sheep), Luciane Buchanan (Sweet Tooth, The Night Agent), Maude Davey (The Dry, The Newsreader), and Erroll Shand (Mārama, Pike River). All of them are fantastic, but Shand steals the show. He’s an incredibly intense actor and makes for a terrifying Deadite. I would not want to come across him in the Shire after dark.

Of course, the crew are largely from New Zealand as well, including Brendon Durey, special effects supervisor for Evil Dead Burn. I was lucky to get him to answer some of my questions around the making of the film, so stay tuned for that article! He’s an Evil Dead fan, and you can feel the horror love.

For all the praise I’m giving it, I’m definitely not going to pretend Burn is a perfect movie. 

There’s definitely going to be things people dislike about the film. The pace is pretty fast, and sometimes the connections between the family members and the lore were a bit confusing. That could just be a me thing, but I found it hard to keep track of what was going on. 

As a fan of Vaniček’s first film, Infested (available to watch on ShudderNZ), I found he did a better job sussing out that story than he did with Burn, but, to be fair, the story drama probably isn’t why you’re watching an Evil Dead film.

The tone of Burn is very different as well, and it might take some getting used to. Like I said, it’s a lot meaner than previous Evil Dead films, and I’m including the notorious 2013 film. There is some comedy to help lighten the mood, but it’s more of a tension-reprieve than anything else.

That being said, I definitely recommend checking out Evil Dead Burn. Not only because it’s made in New Zealand, but because it’s a great addition to an iconic franchise. Each new film offers something different, and they all expand on the lore of the original Raimi Trilogy. Watch out for some really fun easter eggs here as well; there’s a lot of them!

Watch it in a cinema so the gore and mayhem are larger than life!

3.5 open dishwashers out of 5

Evil Dead Burn is now playing in cinemas across New Zealand.

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