The “Evil Dead” franchise returns 10 years after the re-imagined “Evil Dead” of 2013, which holds the record for the most amount of fake blood used in a horror film. While it doesn’t seem like the new film went down the same path, although it is still very bloody, “Evil Dead Rise” is a family drama under all the blood and gore about staying in touch, not lying to, and cherishing your family. Yes, it’s an interesting premise for demonic possession that can’t be exorcised or destroyed. The Necronomicon has found new life and a new appearance in the latest “Evil Dead.” Let’s understand the lead characters of the new horror film and the final girls’ journey forward.
Spoilers Ahead
Ellie, The Mother
Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) is the mother of three kids and recently separated from her husband. The three of them live in an apartment in LA. Ellie is a tattoo artist who loves her children very dearly. Ellie is close to her sister Beth, but the younger of the two doesn’t have the time to stay in touch and even manages to miss Ellie’s calls before they drift apart. From the little that we see, it is very clear that the children are all by Ellie’s side after her husband leaves them. They care for her and are mostly obedient, save for jumping into the ground after an earthquake and busting out the “Book of the Dead.” The relationship between the siblings is especially sweet to watch, even with the wider age gap between the youngest and older two. Ellie is a caregiver, and to see her become possessed and go after her own children and sister is heartbreaking (at least if we had the time to think about that). Just when Beth and Ellie were about to reconcile, they were struck by the earthquake mid-conversation. Ellie is the more understanding older sister and the problem-solver of the family. We get the gist that Ellie and Beth’s mother was problematic and didn’t do much of the caring, so it was probably Ellie who brought up Beth, taking on the role of the mother early on.
Danny, The Oldest
Danny (Morgan Davies) is the oldest of the siblings. He has a creative mind, loudly DJing his way into his room when we meet him for the first time. He’s protective of his sisters but a little more adventurous than necessary (you know, getting his mom and sister killed, along with himself, doesn’t give him the best sibling tag). Danny goes where he’s not supposed to; unlike the usual horror movie trope, Danny is not stupid, drugged, or desperate; he just thinks the “Necronomicon,” out of all the things he found in the underground vault, might be worth something for his mother, who may need the extra help. Danny didn’t mean to hurt anybody; he was just overzealous toward the underground vault.
Bridget, The Middle Child
If Danny is the mischief-monger, Bridget (Gabrielle Echols) is the vigilante. Of course, she is a teenager, so she argues with her mom and her siblings whenever she gets the chance. Bridget gives Danny many cautionary warnings when he voluntarily enters the underground room after an earthquake—there may be aftershocks, you don’t know what’s in there, etc.—but Danny doesn’t pay any attention to her. She’s an earth warrior, making a climate change poster in her spare time and going to protests with her friends. Bridget is the first to be with Kassie after the mother’s death because Beth feels underprepared to take care of Ellie’s children, and Danny is somewhat guilty, knowing that all of this may be because of him opening the book. Bridget is the first of the siblings to be affected after Ellie because she licks the wound on her cheek, making her infected before Danny can save her. Parallels could be drawn between Bridget and her mom and Danny and their aunt Beth. While Bridget is the caregiver, Danny is more free-spirited. Bridget is angry with Danny, just like Ellie was with Beth because she didn’t pick up her call and didn’t come for her when she needed her the most.
Kassie, The Youngest
Kassie (Nell Fisher) is the youngest of the lot and a perfect mix of the two older siblings. She is fearless, resourceful, cautious, and curious all at once. Kassie is one of the two final girls in the film, firstly because, of course, everyone wants to protect the youngest of the family first, but she’s also able to protect herself. Kassie can see through Beth’s tough exterior and immediately understand that she’s stressed out, giving her a hug for her “tummy ache.” Kassie survives because she’s observant and quick on her feet, saving Beth from the woodchipper and herself in the process. She’s a blend of her entire family!
Beth, The Sister
Afraid of being a mother because she’s afraid she will turn out like her own mother, Beth (Lily Sullivan) has always considered herself the worst of the two siblings. When she’s about to tell Ellie about her pregnancy, she mentions that she has messed things up as always”. With a perfect sister like Ellie, who has always been kind and has the most beautiful children, Beth is insecure and possibly lonely, too, so she finds her way back to her sister. She is the perfect final girl from the beginning; she has one reason to survive: her sister’s children, which will lead her to believe she needs to have her unborn child. If it weren’t so bloody, it could be the workings of a seriously good family drama. What the mother did exactly remains unanswered in the film, but we can imagine it was bad parenting. Beth finally understands that she is capable when she keeps her promise to Kassie and gets her out of the building.
So with Beth, Kassie, and Beth’s unborn child surviving the worst of the trauma, are there chances for them to return? Our best guess is an absolute yes. The main reason for this is because the evil has exited the building with Jessica, who killed her cousin and boyfriend at the beginning of the movie, which is technically the true ending of the film after she leaves her apartment oblivious to all the activities of the previous night, stepping out of the car (has nobody learned) when she sees all the blood from Beth and Kassie’s work, only to be possessed herself. Who will it get to next? Considering Beth picked up the iconic chainsaw after destroying the creature with Ellie’s face before leaving the building, we are sure there’s a chance the duo can come back to save the day soon enough! It’s possible we have a new Ash in Beth, or maybe we’ll get them fighting off the Deadites. Maybe we’re hoping for too much, but fans can dream.
