Evil Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		0.0
Audio		5.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.0

Evil Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Shout! Factory has released the 2013 Horror remake film 'Evil Dead' to the UHD format. New specifications include 2160p/Dolby Vision video. This version includes two cuts of the film: 'Unrated' and 'Theatrical.' Sony released the film to Blu-ray in 2013 with the theatrical cut and later in 2018 with the unrated cut. This release recycles the existing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack. No Blu-ray copy is included, but the UHD disc includes all of the legacy supplements in addition to a collection of trailers and TV spots.

Evil Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The included screenshots are sourced from a 1080p Blu-ray disc.

Shout! Factory brings Evil Dead to the UHD format with a 2160p/Dolby Vision presentation. The image is a solid one as far as UHDs go. It's not a dynamic or dramatic improvement over the Blu-ray, but it is better in all areas of concern. The picture is cleaner, crisper, and sharper, with more readily evident clarity, better noise management, and sharper textures, the latter of which are vital in so many areas: the woodland details around the cabin, the wooden boards in the cabin, and of course various gore effects which are presented with even greater grisly clarity at this resolution. These are not blockbuster improvements, but the smaller improvements do add up to a fairly impressive overall texture gain for the film.

The Dolby Vision color grading helps sell the bleak tone quite well. The film is far from colorless, but there is certainly a bleakness in play, contrasting lower light grayscale with spots of warm light sources inside the cabin. But colors are certainly muted overall and the Dolby vision grading allows for finer precision to every tone under any lighting condition. Viewers will appreciate how the grading further immerses them into the film's horrors. There are a couple of key points to note. One is that red blood pops with a newfound brilliance while holding to a lifelike color presentation. The other is black levels, which are more absorbing and portend even greater terror in the low light interiors and nighttime exteriors. The depth is very good with little push to gray and no obvious crush, even in the most intensely black moments. Skin tones look healthy, though certainly are often covered in blood, anyway. The picture shows no significant signs of either source or encode flaws. This is not a radically transformative UHD, but it is nevertheless a very good boost that fans are sure to enjoy.

Evil Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Rather than remix for Dolby Atmos, Shout! Factory has chosen to simply repurpose the existing DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 lossless soundtrack from the 2013 Blu-ray. For a full audio review, please click here.

Evil Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Shout! Factory's UHD release of Evil Dead includes all of the supplements on the UHD disc. No Blu-ray disc is included. It includes all of the extras from the original 2013 Blu-ray and adds some trailers and TV spots. For full coverage of the included extras, please click here. Additionally, this release includes two cuts of the film: "Unrated" (1:36:23) and "Theatrical" (1:31:15). A non-embossed slipcover is included with purchase.

• Audio Commentary: Actors Jane Levy, Lou Taylor Pucci, and Jessica Lucas; Director Fede Alvarez; and Writer Rodo Sayagues. Theatrical version only.
• Directing the Dead
• Evil Dead The Reboot
• Making Life Difficult
• Unleashing the Evil Force
• Being Mia
• NEW! Trailers (1080p, 2:41 total runtime): Two trailers.
• NEW! TV Spots (1080p, 9:04 total runtime): 19 spots advertising the film, the Blu-ray, contests, and more.

Evil Dead 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Evil Dead won't leave fans forgetting the original. However, it's a quality film that's not for the weary but rather for genre aficionados who appreciate a good blood-soaking and a very straightforward, no frills, no fear sort of Horror film. In fact, it's amazing Evil Dead survived its (reportedly second) trip through the MPAA and earned an "R" rating with this level of nastiness intact; the end scene in particular is quite difficult to stomach. Nevertheless, the end result is a very strong, very good remake/re-imagining that's not perfect -- which one is? -- but that blends together the core of the old with the feel of the new. Poor characters are masked by incredible special effects and a relentless pace. Certainly, the film will have its detractors, but the good news is that the original films still exist, fully unaltered by this release, available to cleanse the palette of those who disapprove of Alvarez's film or those simply wanting to revisit the original classics after screening this film for a good compare/contrast exercise. Chances are most Horror fans will find a place of distinction for this Evil Dead next to their well-loved copies of the old films. Shout! Factory's 2160p/Dolby Vision UHD release of Evil Dead features solid video and a carryover soundtrack that is as good today as it was nine years ago. A fair selection of extras are included, both all of the legacy content from 2013 as well as a new selection of trailers and TV spots. Essentially, this release combines the best of both of Sony's releases with superior picture quality. Fans will love this release.