Every horror franchise has its icon. Friday the 13th has Jason Voorhees, Nightmare on Elm Street has Freddy Krueger, and Saw has Jigsaw. Evil Dead made a legend out of its hero instead of its villain, turning Ashley Joanna "Ash" Williams into one of the most memorable movie main characters. As Evil Dead Rise hits theaters, fans are always wondering whether they'll see the king again.
Evil Dead fans may remember the appearance of Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams in the 2013 remake. He didn't appear in the film's actual narrative, his cameo is saved for a brief post-credits scene. Those sticking beyond the credits of Rise won't be greeted by the same smiling face.
Bruce Campbell's Role in Evil Dead Rise
Like every Evil Dead film, Rise revolves around the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, also known as the Naturom Demonto and the Book of the Dead. Most of the stories begin with some unsuspecting group of people finding the skin-bound tome and reading from its pages. The resulting disaster leaves all but one or two of them dead. Alongside the Necronomicon, the unfortunate souls usually happen upon some form of audio hardware. The original film featured some reels for a reel-to-reel tape deck, informing the new owner of the rules. Fans may remember Professor Raymond Knowby's explanation of the ways to defeat Deadites. The new Necronomicon features a set of phonograph records with a familiar voice.
Just like the original film, the grim Latin in the Necronomicon is read by a recorded voice. When the records are played in Evil Dead Rise, they feature the story of a priest who runs experiments on the book. The priests are met with a great deal of pushback as they work. At one point in the recording, someone yells "It's called 'the Book of the Dead' for a reason." The voice that provides that feedback is Bruce Campbell. According to director Lee Cronin, Campbell isn't just there as a fun continuity nod. The voice on the recording is a time-displaced Ash Williams. Fans will need to listen closely to hear the icon's voice in his one big scene.
What happens in Evil Dead Rise?
The fifth entry in the Evil Dead franchise is largely disconnected from the original trilogy and the 2013 remake. Evil Dead Rise takes the traditional format of the Evil Dead franchise and moves it out of the deep woods. Instead, the film takes place in a dilapidated high-rise apartment building in the worst part of Los Angeles. The traditional cast of dim teenagers is replaced by a small family. Single mother Ellie struggles to raise her three kids in an adorable punk family unit. Her son Danny has dreams of becoming a DJ, her eldest daughter Bridget is a passionate activist, and her youngest Kassie plays rough with her dolls. Just as Ellie's sister Beth arrives for her first visit in years, the apartment building is hit by a devastating earthquake. The damage leaves the family without a means of escape, but it also opens an ominous vault hidden beneath the parking structure.
Young Danny finds the secretive safe irresistible and ignores the countless massive warnings on his way in. In the vault, he discovers the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis and the set of accompanying records. Danny cracks the book and plays the records against the advice of both his sister and the audience shouting at the screen. The power of the book summons forth an ancient evil, who immediately possesses Ellie. Beth is forced to protect her nieces and nephew from the new form of their own mother. Much like the 2013 reboot, Rise spends its first act lighting all of its fuses and its next two setting off gory fireworks. A thousand Chekhov's guns are waiting to be fired, every object is a potential weapon, and no one is safe. The family could certainly use the help of Ash Williams, but he's not here to save the day.
Ash Williams doesn't have any real impact on the plot of Evil Dead Rise, but he is technically in the film. One of the most interesting aspects of the film is the way it elevates the format of the franchise. Director Lee Cronin clearly intends to set up the world of Evil Dead as a launchpad for future sequels. The Necronomicon is always out there, constantly tormenting someone new. With the success of Rise, future outings could take place in the modern day, but they could also take place in the distant past. Depicting Ash as a wise wanderer, consistently looking for the Book of the Dead, and trying to stop others from using it makes him an interesting occasional figure in upcoming sequels. Evil Dead Rise could be the first in a long line of upcoming battles against the never-ending threat of Deadite invasion. Ash's small appearance in the distant past makes him a potential figure in the next entry.