SXSW 2023 film reviews (Evil Dead Rise, John Wick 4, Cora Bora, Brooklyn 45)

Read on for our first film review dispatch out of this year’s incredible SXSW lineup, including blockbuster upcoming releases like Evil Dead Rise and John Wick 4, alongside stellar new indies like Cora Bora and Brooklyn 45.

You can find all of our SXSW coverage here.

Evil Dead Rise

Is the Evil Dead series the most consistent franchise in horror history? Ten years on from the last Evil Dead film, director Lee Cronin (The Hole in the Ground) delivers a terrifically bloody and genuinely frightening entry in the franchise with Evil Dead Rise. Moving the action out of a cabin in the woods and into the city, Evil Dead Rise switches things up to focus on a family beset by demons in their old L.A. apartment building.

Beth (Lily Sullivan) is visiting her estranged sister Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her three children when an earthquake reveals a book hidden in the depths of the building. Evil Dead fans will know where this is going; opening a book wrapped in human flesh never bodes well for anyone in this series.

Lee Cronin holds nothing back here; this is about as brutal and horrific as mainstream horror ever gets, and Evil Dead Rise is tailor-made for a packed theatrical viewing experience (either the studio paid for professional screamers at the premiere or people were genuinely freaked out).

In addition to the oceans of blood and everyday kitchen accessories used as weapons, the performances from Lily Sullivan and Alyssa Sutherland truly stand out here. They each deliver wide-ranging performances that transform greatly as the mayhem sets in, setting the stage for a series of incredible confrontations throughout the course of the film.

While the plot beats may be overly familiar, Evil Dead Rise delivers everything you want from a horror movie. Groovy!

Evil Dead Rise lands in theatres on April 21.

John Wick: Chapter 4

There’s the idea that action franchise entries have to get bigger and wilder as the series progresses. It’s why the Fast & the Furious franchise had to go to space; after a while, there are only so many ways to top the insanity we’ve seen before.

John Wick 4, the fourth collaboration between stuntman and director Chad Stahelski and the indestructible Keanu Reeves tackles the problem by doubling down on everything that makes the John Wick series so great. Instead of leaving Earth, they turn the intensity up to 11, delivering one of the most violent mainstream action movies of all time.

These films have become very convoluted as the series has progressed, and this fourth installment dives even deeper into John Wick’s battle with the High Table organization. The needlessly complex globe-trotting storyline at least introduces audiences to the scene-stealing Rina Sawayama as Akira, the ass-kicking daughter of the blind assassin Caine (action legend Donnie Yen).

With its stylish nods to classic Japanese samurai cinema and Italian spaghetti westerns, John Wick 4 has a very different feel from the rest of the franchise. While the film’s 3-hour runtime feels excessive, the film never drags, with another unbelievable action scene always right around the bend.

There may only be so many ways to stylistically shoot another headshot, but the final 30 minutes of the film offers up one of the most rousing action sequences in years, ending the epic film on a bloody high note. John Wick 4 is action cinema turned into high art by creators who believe that every single one of the countless kills in this movie still has to look cool as hell.

John Wick 4 opens in theatres on March 24. 

Brooklyn 45

Set in 1945, Brooklyn 45 is a horror chamber piece following a group of military veterans mysteriously brought together to a Brooklyn townhouse by a fellow vet. Their host has an unusual request; he has brought the group together to perform a seance, one which exposes the participants to the very real ghosts of their past, and proves that the horrors of the war are not quite behind them yet.

The latest feature from writer-director Ted Geoghegan (Mohawk, We Are Still Here), Brooklyn 45 is a thrilling period piece about the atrocities of war and the notion of forgiveness. Combining elements of a classic whodunit with a traditional ghost story, the film is a perfect showcase for its stacked cast of character actors including Larry Fessenden, Anne Ramsay, Ron E. Rains, Jeremy Holm, Ezra Buzzington, and Kristina Klebe.

Set almost entirely in one room, Geoghegan expertly makes use of the confined space to build tension, which sets the stage for a series of powerhouse performances as the assembled crew begins to realize why they were really brought together.

Packed with incredible performances and a smart script that explores the lingering ramifications of war, Brooklyn 45 is a rousing horror-thriller that already feels timeless.

Brooklyn 45 will stream on Shudder later this year.

Cora Bora

The hilarious Megan Stalter (Hacks) gets the star vehicle she deserves with Cora Bora, an indie dramedy about a musician trying to get her career (and life) back on track.

Cora (Statler) is a struggling L.A. musician who returns home to Portland to surprise her long-distance girlfriend Justine (Jojo T. Gibbs). While ostensibly in an open relationship, Cora is unwilling to accept that her girlfriend has moved on in the time she’s been gone. Cora moves back in with Justine to the utter disbelief of Justine’s new girlfriend Riley (Ayden Mayeri), setting the stage for a reckoning as Cora is forced to deal with the reality of her situation.

Director Hannah Pearl Utt (Disengaged) manages the film’s oscillating tones perfectly, letting Statler’s natural charisma shine through while she eventually comes to terms with the trauma she’s been running from. The script by Rhianon Jones (who served as producer on the great Shiva Baby) juggles these disparate elements beautifully, moving from Cora’s awkward encounter with a group of swingers to the memories of the tragic death of her former bandmates.

Featuring a great supporting cast of comedy vets including Margaret Cho, Chelsea Peretti, and Darrell Hammond, Cora Bora is a moving and hilarious look at the process of growing up, regardless of your age.