It has been a long time -specifically, 42 years- since the name of sam raimi began to be heard strongly after he debuted in the feature film adapting his short ‘Within the Woods’ under the title ‘Infernal Possession’; a debut film shot with intelligence and talent inversely proportional to the scarce resources with which he relied on his team to shape what is considered an American independent horror classic.
That distant 1981 was the unlikely beginning of a franchise that has remained in force to this day, evolving over time while giving rise to new products that had little to do with the previous one. Without going any further, the direct sequel with the soul of a remake ‘Terrifyingly Dead’ injected a charming dose of comedy into the formula, the third installment ‘The Army of Darkness’ flirted with the medieval epic in the purest Harryhausen style and the jump from the saga to the small screen with ‘Ash vs Evil Dead’ played the card of the mature and ill-tempered hero with great skill and sense of humor.
However, the real turning point came in 2013, when Fede Alvarez he made the leap to feature length with the fantastic remake ‘Infernal Possession (Evil Dead)’; an exemplary work that he knew capture the hallmarks of the original adapting it to contemporary affiliations with an extra rawness, a more sober and unsettling tone and an explosion of violence with one of the most brutal climaxes in recent times.
A decade later, the Deadites come back to life with a ‘Infernal Possession: The Awakening’ that aligns with the vision of Álvarez to offer us a wild, hilarious midnight movie that is, without a doubt, pure ‘Evil Dead’; although the latter is revealed as a double-edged sword that forces us to visit many common places well known by the parishioners.
raining blood
There is no doubt that ‘The Awakening’ is the daughter -or granddaughter- of the seminal film by Sam Raimi, and this begins with the way in which its director and screenwriter Lee Cronin embraces the premise of trapping his characters in a cabin and transfers it to the urban setting.; giving shape to a nightmare bottled in a dilapidated building and with some other secret under its foundations.
Making the most of this interesting setting, Cronin articulates the story with a precise, concise narrative that refuses to take prisoners and that goes on for 90 minutes circulating at full speed on the screen; something that is not incompatible with caring for a successful treatment of characters presented during a first act as simple as it is effective.
During these initial bars, the filmmaker turns his efforts into build an atmosphere that will increase in intensity progressively and, what is more important, in presenting the suffering family that is the protagonist —and their neighbors—. A functional collection of faces and personalities, but with which it is very easy to empathize; something to which a cast that is so inspired contributes when it suffers, as when it makes people suffer.
To be honest, it must be emphasized that ‘Infernal Possession: The Awakening’ does not invent the wheel. Those who have enjoyed the titles starring Bruce Campbell or Jane Levy will soon recognize shared patterns not only in the rules of their universe but also in some of its formal and dramatic elements; although, ultimately, this is in the background thanks to the occasional addition to the lore of the saga that is better to discover first-hand.
But everything exposed at the moment are only small details that cement what is truly important: the orgy of blood, entrails and various animals that dyes the stalls red perfectly balancing that more “sober” tone -note the quotes- inherited from its predecessor with a spirit of the most horny and playful full of malaise worthy of the best splatter Holiday of the 80s and 90s.
When I entered the room to indulge in the pleasures of ‘Hell’s Possession: Awakening’ I was perfectly aware of what I was about to face, but I was not expecting at all enjoy so much or have so much fun without complications and with the autopilot on. And it is that this small continuation, despite not being among the best exercises of the license, will know how to satisfy the faithful to the genre and will make many —among which I include myself— want new glimpses, however microcosmic they may be, of this reality. populated with soul-eating demons.
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