The Deadites are back. Evil Dead Burn, the sixth entry in Sam Raimi’s long-running horror franchise, hits theaters on July 10, 2026, courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures — and if early reactions are anything to go by, this might be the most brutal installment yet.
The Premise
The film follows Alice (Souheila Yacoub), who, after the death of her husband, travels to a secluded family house hoping to find some comfort with her in-laws. Comfort is not what she gets. One by one, family members begin turning into Deadites, transforming a grieving gathering into what’s being billed as a “family reunion from hell.” As the chaos escalates, Alice discovers that the vows she made in life carry weight even beyond death.
Behind the Camera
Evil Dead Burn marks a spin-off from Evil Dead Rise, directed by Sébastien Vanicek — the filmmaker behind the 2023 horror hit Infested. Sam Raimi personally tapped Vanicek for the job after being impressed with that debut. Vanicek co-wrote the screenplay with Florent Bernard, with Raimi and longtime collaborator Rob Tapert producing through their Ghost House Pictures banner. Bruce Campbell and Lee Cronin — director of the 2023 Evil Dead Rise — serve as executive producers.
The score comes from French duo Double Danger (Douglas Cavanna and Xavier Caux), who previously worked with Vanicek on Infested.
Cast
- Souheila Yacoub as Alice
- Luciane Buchanan
- Hunter Doohan as Joseph
- Tandi Wright as Susan
- Erroll Shand as Edgar Price
What’s the Buzz So Far?
Early reactions are split, which tracks with the franchise’s history of divisive-but-never-outright-bad entries. On the enthusiastic end, some early reviewers have called it a worthy addition to Raimi’s world, praising its frenetic pacing, visceral violence, and well-calibrated dark humor. Letterboxd is already filling up with fans arguing this is one of the strongest chapters since the original trilogy.
Critics have been more mixed. Rotten Tomatoes’ early roundup describes it as the nastiest entry in the series, with some reviewers praising Vanicek’s confident direction and standout set pieces, while others feel the film strays from the franchise’s gleefully chaotic tone into overly grim territory, and a few pan it as excessively cruel.
Whatever your take ends up being, expect maximum gore, a healthy dose of “groovy” energy, and a body count that starts early and doesn’t let up.
Why You Should Watch It
- A genuinely consistent franchise. Across five prior films, Evil Dead has rarely delivered an outright bad entry — even the weaker ones tend to work on their own terms. That track record alone makes a new chapter worth the gamble.
- Fresh directorial voice. Sébastien Vanicek isn’t a franchise journeyman — Raimi handpicked him after Infested impressed him specifically. Several early reviews single out his camera work and confident set-piece staging as highlights, even from critics who had other complaints.
- Maximum-brutality kills. If you’re here for practical gore and creative violence, multiple reviewers confirm the film opens strong and doesn’t let up — this is being called one of the most savage entries in the series.
- Dark humor intact. Fan reactions on Letterboxd suggest the franchise’s signature guilt-free chaos and pitch-black comedy are present, with the family-dysfunction angle giving it a fresh comedic hook (a family reunion literally turning to hell).
- You don’t need to have seen every prior film. As a spin-off centered on a new family and a self-contained premise, it’s a reasonable entry point if you’re Evil-Dead-curious but haven’t watched the whole saga.
- It’s genuinely divisive — which makes it a good conversation piece. Critic scores range from harsh (calling it too cruel or tonally off) to enthusiastic (comparing it favorably to Raimi’s own work). That kind of split usually means there’s something distinctive going on worth forming your own opinion about.
Recommendations:
Best for: horror fans who like their gore inventive and their humor dark; people who’ve enjoyed any prior Evil Dead film; anyone who wants a self-contained horror night out rather than a franchise deep-cut.
Maybe skip if: you’re squeamish about high gore/violence, or you strongly prefer horror that stays fun and campy over films that lean into heavier, more serious territory — a few reviews note this entry gets grimmer than usual.
Are you catching Evil Dead Burn on opening night? Let us know if the family reunion lives up to the hype.