What Age Is Appropriate To See The Movie?

July 20, 2024

Evil Dead Rise is the fifth film in the horror series, and this parents guide covers all the details to help viewers determine if its safe for kids.

Summary

Evil Dead Rise is not appropriate for children under the age of 15 due to its violent and ghoulish content, particularly its depictions of possession and violence towards younger characters.
The film's gore is intentionally cartoonish but still disturbing, and it pushes the boundaries of what is possible within the horror franchise.
Evil Dead Rise contains elements of family trauma that could be triggering for viewers of any age, with themes hinting at domestic abuse and strained sibling relationships.

Content Warning: This post contains discussions of graphic violence and domestic abuse

Evil Dead Rise is the terrifying fifth film in the classic horror franchise, and this parents' guide covers the content and whether it's appropriate for younger viewers. Continuing the legendary horror series that started with 1981's The Evil Dead, Evil Dead Rise sees estranged sisters Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and Beth (Lily Sullivan) reunited, but they are soon attacked by the demonic forces of the Necronomicon. While the series is notorious for its cabin-in-the-woods setting, Evil Dead Rise gave it a boost by relocating to a Los Angeles apartment building which maintained the claustrophobia-inducing vibe while doing something new.

Critics were generally high on the new horror vision from director Lee Cronin (via Rotten Tomatoes), and particular attention was given to the fact that the movie blazed its own trail while paying homage to the originals. Unsurprisingly, Evil Dead Rise was just as violent and scary as Evil Dead, and it continued to push the envelope in what was possible within the popular franchise. Because of its obviously ghoulish nature, many viewers were left with questions about the movies content, and at what age it was safe to share the film with younger audience members.

Evil Dead Rise Is Not Appropriate For Children Under The Age Of 15

Horror films are often popular with many younger viewers, especially teens and tweens, but Evil Dead Rise is a bit more frightening than the usual PG-13 movies that populate theaters. As such, the rated-R shocker is not appropriate for children under the age of 15, and earns every bit of its rating. While not particularly vulgar, the film features many depictions of violence and horrific images of possession, particularly towards younger characters. As with many entries in the Evil Dead series, the gore is taken to extreme levels and borders on being intentionally cartoonish, but is still effectively disturbing.

A bulk of the story involves the possession of single mom Ellie, which could be particularly disturbing towards younger viewers because of its frightening connotations surrounding the parent/child relationship. Horror movies typically spare the kids, but Evil Dead Rise often goes there with its younger characters which could be especially disturbing for viewers of the same age. As previously mentioned, the gore is of an almost cartoonish nature, but could still be quite frightening.

Evil Dead Rise Might Be Triggering For Graphic Violence And Family Trauma

While parents of younger children might want to be extra-cautious when approaching Evil Dead Rise, it also has elements which could be triggering for viewers of any age. Obviously, the gratuitous violence and gore in the film is enough to disturb some, but it also features elements of family trauma which could be triggering as well. While no domestic abuse is shown on screen, it's themes subtly hint at, and are reminiscent off, very similar situations. The strained relationship between sisters, and the violent interactions between parent and child make the film potentially triggering for some viewers.