Film Title: Evil Dead Burn
Director: Sébastien Vaniček
Writers: Florent Bernard, Sébastien Vaniček
Starring: Souheila Yacoub, Tandi Wright, George Pullar
Release Date: July 10 2026
Robert’s Rating: 3 out of 5 Stars
It’s been an interesting year for fans of the Evil Dead Franchise. Original director Sam Raimi kicked things off by helming “Send Help”—his first R-rated horror film in over a quarter of a century(!). Following that, Evil Dead Rise (2023) director (and Burn executive producer) Lee Cronin made a new Mummy movie (especially noteworthy because it felt very much like an Evil Dead film and Cronin even hinted that it takes place in the same universe). Finally, we get Sébastien Vanicek’s Evil Dead Burn, the sixth film in the Evil Dead Franchise.
Burn follows Alice (Souheila Yacoub) after her husband Will (George Pullar) dies in a car crash. Alice gathers with Will’s family for his cremation and subsequently joins them at an old family property that had served as Alice and Will’s wedding venue (a location that certainly wouldn’t make the old Modern Bride magazine). Those zany Deadites infect all of these plot points and have plans for Alice and the family.
This film eventually won me over. If you were to look at my notes, you’d see my opinion improving in real time. But it was a rocky road. I think a common critique that you’re going to run into with this film is that it just doesn’t quite feel like part of the Evil Dead franchise. Honestly I got more of a “Pet Sematary” vibe at times. The entities in Evil Dead films—the Deadites—aren’t just menacing demons—they have a dementedness to them, especially in Raimi’s films. That’s not to say that quality is totally absent in Burn, it’s just more scant than I’d like. Let’s leave that line of commentary at this note: Of all of the films, this feels the least like an Evil Dead movie.
There’s a frustrating element for me about the film. Basically every twenty minutes or so, I was appreciating an inventive visual or interesting set piece. But just as often, I would find myself wanting more out of a scene. There’s also a sense that the plot could have been a little more cohesive or the franchise’s lore could have been used a little more clearly. The film is clumsy and confusing at times and I even found myself perplexed by the movie’s geography.
As I said, this one doesn’t quite feel like Evil Dead, but it does feature a lot of the franchise’s hallmarks. First and foremost—it continues the grand tradition of beating the shit out of the film’s protagonists (a tradition that started with Raimi, who’s known for punishing his lead actors). Whereas the previous Evil Dead film, Evil Dead Rise (2023), has become synonymous with a cheese grater, Evil Dead Burn features scenes that might make you think twice about pens and dishwashers. And as Raimi’s films seem to feature the most humor of the bunch, there were a few funny scenes in Burn—particularly a bit that subverts the traditional reading-of-the-Necronomicon (the book that summons the Deadites).
Finally, a request. Can the director of the next Evil Dead installment be a woman? This is the second Evil Dead film to feature a female protagonist, but the directors are always men. Burn in particular deals with a wife fighting back in an abusive relationship and features several strong female characters. Had the film truly understood the assignment, it’d have featured a female director.
Robert Zerbe’s writing has previously appeared in Trembling With Fear and on the Creepy podcast. He has yet to hack his obsessive-compulsive disorder into something useful. Robert lives in Florida with his wife, two children, and a love of movies. You can follow him on Bluesky at @runonsandwich.
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