MOVIE NEWS – The Rotten Tomatoes score for director Lee Cronin’s Evil Dead Rise has been released, and the impressive number beats the franchise’s previous record. In addition, one of the greatest living horror legends is promoting the film.

The Rotten Tomatoes score for Evil Dead Rise has just been released. The result is a new record for the long-running franchise. After Sam Raimi created the franchise and directed the first three instalments, the world of Evil Dead received a soft reboot in 2013 with Fede Álvarez’s film of the same name. Now, director Lee Cronin takes the reins for Evil Dead Rise, which is more closely related to the original trilogy, but with a new setting and cast.

With 59 reviews at the time of writing, the sequel currently stands at a high 95% on the Tomatometer, beating the franchise’s previous record of 88% set by 1987’s Evil Dead 2.

The critical consensus for Cronin’s new film is that the latest instalment gives long-time fans what they’ve been craving while also breaking exciting new ground.

As for the scores of the other films, 1981’s The Evil Dead is not far behind its sequel. It boasts an 85% score on Rotten Tomatoes and is in third place overall. In fourth place is 1992’s Army of Darkness with 69%, which is shocking. It’s rare to see stop-motion skeleton warriors as comically excellent as the ones the film put on display. For that alone, and the medieval setting, it deserved an Oscar. It eases my pain a little that the film’s audience score was 87%.

2013’s Evil Dead is in last place with 63%. In its own way, Álvarez’s soft reboot is definitely a worthwhile film, with plenty of blood, some good scares and a more serious tone.

Stephen King also promotes Evil Dead Rise

Stephen King has officially endorsed Lee Cronin’s horror sequel Evil Dead Rise. The horror master gave the film his official stamp of approval on Twitter:

“It’s gruesome, it’s bloody, it’s even got an elevator vomiting blood,” King effused, adding, “Not to mention chainsaw-fu.”

King is, of course, known for creating his own horror epics, such as IT and The Shining. But he has also made his mark as a critic, giving his opinion on several horror works over the years. The current film is not the first in the franchise that King has put his stamp on. The very first Evil Dead also received King’s praise, and it could be argued that Evil Dead would never have become a franchise if King hadn’t stuck to the original film and written about it in an issue of Twilight Zone magazine after a screening in 1982. He later praised the second instalment and remained a fan of the series to this day.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes, Twitter

While I'm busy promoting, how about EVIL DEAD RISE? It's gruesome, it's bloody, it's even got an elevator vomiting blood. Not to mention chainsaw-fu.

— Stephen King (@StephenKing) April 19, 2023