It's increasingly more dangerous how far Alvarez takes his reboot, the boundaries, or lack of, parallel the sheer craziness of Raimi's classic, so in retrospect as a remake, it's unarguably one of the best we've seen. Shiloh Fernandez, Lou Taylor Pucci and Jessica Lucas are amidst the handful who're also dragged relentlessly through the nightmare, though barely get off to more than a couple of words until the situation is blood red and we're merely awaiting the next chop. Undoubtedly enjoying the freedom her character is given in regards to her previous PG-rated roles, Levy's stand in this franchise holds firm but without spoiling anything, it's increasingly more obvious how Alvarez is shaping her. By halfway, she's unrecognisable, but damn is she fantastic. Taking pivotal and cinematically recognised sequences from the original, there's an updated spin on them making them all the more disgusting, frightening and increasingly more disturbing the further the possession takes her. Levy, the true victim of Alvarez's new vision, goes through hell. Intentions are to purely horrify, and in most aspects he does just that. While Alvarez could chuckle more every now and again - we're dragged to hell and back, a little lightheartedness was due - he hits horror bang on the head. This is where Alvarez pulls a dozen tricks from his sleeve, not only inducing enough horror to make a stand alone horror entry but one that's respected enough of the Evil Dead franchise. And while aspects of it remain utterly grotesque, Raimi's vision thrives now on comedy. While the original stands firm as an easy target for epitomised horror, it's undoubtedly dated. Alvarez understands Evil Dead, and more to the point we know Raimi would have inspired him to do his ultimate best. Unbeknownst to them, however, is the power that lurks within the basement, and with the reading of one simple sentence powers beyond their reach transform each of them, mutilating, dismembering and ultimately torturing each one of them until five souls are claimed, of which a higher evil will rise.

Helmed by Uruguayan writer-director Fede Alvarez and with the original team, including Raimi himself, on board as producers, anticipation was there but highly cautioned - we've learned before from building expectations when it comes to remakes.ДЄ group of friends head to their childhood cabin in the woods to help friend Mia (Jane Levy) as she powers through early stages of cold turkey.

On board as a producer in the latest of a current string of horror remakes, Evil Dead hits our screens once again to an audience that splits between the unknown and the die-hard fan. A glorified video nasty, Sam Raimi's original splatterfest Evil Dead hit screens to a magnitude of gasps and controversy but that was the 80's.

Alice brookes great expectations