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The Evil Dead franchise has always been one that marched to the beat of its own drum. While horror movies that were released around the same time largely stuck to the same kind of story beats and tropes, Evil Dead seldom followed suit. With the original films, rather than a “final girl” who survives the whole thing, it was Bruce Campbell’s lovable dope, Ash, who walked away from each film. Since then, the series has put female characters front and center, like 2013’s Evil Dead, 2023’s Evil Dead Rise, and this Friday’s Evil Dead Burn, but even then, they’re not playing by the rules.
Speaking with in a new interview, Evil Dead Burn star Souheila Yacoub revealed how her character, Alice, deliberately breaks the “Final Girl” tropes, partially because she claims she’s “sensitive” to horror movies. “I don’t know much about horror… I’m a little flower,” Yacoub said. “So I remember when Sebastian asked me to be part of the movie, we really wanted to make a very not superhero-ish final girl.”
Souheila Yacoub’s Alice is the key piece of Evil Dead Burn, taking on the role of a grieving widow who looks for solace after the death of her husband by spending time with her in-laws at their family home. As one might expect from an Evil Dead movie, the Deadites begin to take over, turning this family reunion into a hell of a time. For Alice, it means facing literal demons wearing the face of her late husband’s family, and the torment will be real.
“For me, it was very important not to sexualize this woman and to be like one color of emotion,” Yacoub added. “It was very important to me that I make a complex and very human Alice with flaws. I feel like I received some script now where the woman is this or a strong woman or a victim or it’s not. I need complexity. So I worked on that with him.”
Yacoub also offered a hint of what she hopes audiences come away with after seeing the film, adding: “I think they will get emotional as well. I hope they notice the fact that we try to do like a good movie before a good horror movie.”
Her co-star Hunter Doohan had a marginally different take, adding he hoped the audience would walk away with the “Sh-t scared out of them.” Luciane Buchanan had an addendum as well, hoping Evil Dead Burn offered: “And laugh as well, have a little laugh.”
Evil Dead Burn Director Details Why He Used Real Fire Instead of CG, “Imperfections Are Hard To Recreate”
