This is getting five stars under the assumption that Part 2 is just as good… because if it is, I’ll consider Across + Beyond to maybe be the best comic book film of all time. They definitely need each other in a way the first film doesn’t, but together they have the potential to surpass Into the Spiderverse.
The film was absolutely spectacular.
***SPOILERS BELOW***
- Spectacular Spider-Man showed up! AND he had actual dialogue performed by Josh Keaton. So…
The more this film sits with me, the more I love it. I keep thinking about moments & scenes that I absolutely need to see again in the theaters.
The cast is fantastic - Alyssa Sutherland steals the show with an unbelievable performance, and Lily Sullivan’s Beth may be one of my new favorite final girls (the kids are really great too).
All in all, Evil Dead Rise feels like the perfect mix of the horrific & mean nature of the original…
What do you get when you mix:
— a horribly miscast lead actor
— two throwaway lines/moments (that must have been filmed near the end of the shoot) to explain why the lead actor says every other word in a different accent
— a script that’s too afraid to swing for the fences
— a twist that neither makes sense, nor results in anything impactful, exciting, or haunting
— an unimaginative ending that pulls what little punch it had
—…
A gorgeous, sweeping, tale of two lonely & guarded people encountering one another by chance - and finding connection in their passion for storytelling, drive for knowledge, and longing to be loved. Getting to experience them take the time to nurture trust in each other, and ultimately choosing to take their two solitudes and turn them into one was so special. And this is all with the visual grandiosity of George Miller’s previous films.
This movie isn’t for everyone (which of his films are?), but some of the takes I’ve been reading are ROUGH. I really dug this one!
