I really liked Evil Dead 1 and the 2013 version. The acts/sections were good, overall they were solid, and had scary moments especially the 2013 one. I was expecting this to be the same level or near it, but it was not. It's okay on its own, but just break-even compared to the films in the franchise I watched.
Maybe I just expected much. Some of the kills/gore were good but it isn't really a big criteria to films that aren't slashers, and to me personally. Some of the acting were wanting, too, and the main characters weren't presented in a way where you'll really root for them. The kid was cute and I wanted the lead to survive because of her baby but there was just something missing with these characters. I think I cared for the neighbors more, actually.
The setting also was kinda weird. Cabins and the woods just match seamlessly with these types of stories. How and where they discovered the book and recordings were questionable, too, but that was something a viewer can let slide. Like the other reviewers here, there was just something missing for me, or maybe it was just insufficient in a lot of areas.
It's not bad. It may even be good for someone whose first film in the franchise is this. It was just pulled down by high expectations.
