Evil Dead remains one of the most-loved franchises in horror film history. Written and directed by Sam Raimi, and starring Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, the 1981 version is well and truly a cult classic, so can the 2013 remake recapture that magic?

Watch the Evil Dead Trailer

Sadly not; according to most reviewers, Fede Alvarez’s Evil Dead is nothing but an expensive rehash, without the romanticism of Raimi’s budget original. “Despite much old-school splatter, it's seldom frightening and oddly unfunny,” say Time Out, while The Washington Post describe it as “A gore fest that's just effective enough to whet fans' appetite for a sequel, even as it kills everyone else's appetite for dinner.” Vulture post the question: “Five years from now, will you want to watch this bloody $14 million extravaganza or Raimi's shoestring original, which was Amateur Hour elevated to pop art?” adding, “Evil Dead just bleeds money.” One thing it does retain from the original is the overt gore, which is noted by The Chicago Reader. “There isn't much to do here except turn the gore up to 11; if you've ever wondered what it would be like to jam a chainsaw into someone's mouth (and who hasn't?), this will give you a good working idea.”

If you’re a huge fan of the original, then you’ll go and see this anyway. In fact, if you’re really a fan of the original, you’ll love to hate this remake. If you’re not a fan of horror films, then you’re best of avoiding it, or watching the 1981 version to get you into the genre!

Jane LevyJane Levy plays Mia in Evil Dead