The runtime for the horror sequel Evil Dead Rise is announced and it’s the longest in the franchise, though it’s still shorter than many blockbusters.
Evil Dead Rise‘s official runtime has been announced, and it’s the longest in the entire franchise. Coming to theaters on April 21, the film will follow a story largely unrelated to the previous films and the sequel television series Ash vs. Evil Dead. This time the action will take place in a high rise apartment building in Los Angeles, where a single mother becomes unwittingly possessed by a Candarian demon, forcing her sister and her children to do everything in their power to save her soul – and their own skins – while she enacts violent mayhem.
Per Collider, the official run time for the hotly anticipated Evil Dead Rise has been announced. The film will be 96 minutes long, making it the longest in the entire franchise. The 2013 Evil Dead remake is the second longest at 91 minutes, followed by the original 1981 The Evil Dead at 85 minutes, 1987’s Evil Dead II at 84 minutes, and 1992’s Army of Darkness at 81 minutes.
Less is Usually More When It Comes to Horror Movie Runtimes
The average run times for blockbuster movies have been getting longer and longer in recent years. Perhaps in an effort to make sure ticket buyers know they’re getting enough bang for their buck, it’s more and more rare to find a franchise tentpole that clocks in under two hours. As such, a 96-minute runtime being the longest in a franchise of five movies is an increasingly rare occurrence.
However, the Evil Dead franchise has the right idea when it comes to horror films in general. In order to provoke fear in an audience, viewers need to be alert and on edge for the bulk of the film’s runtime. Anything over 100 minutes runs the risk of tiring moviegoers out too much to be invested in the film for the entire duration.
Some horror films break this rule of thumb, including every entry in the Scream franchise, which all take up extra time for an extended whodunit finale where the killers explain their motives. However, many still steer clear of runtimes that are 100 minutes or higher, even nowadays. Given the extreme violence and mayhem promised by the Evil Dead Rise trailer, this seems to be the right move for the upcoming horror film.
Source: Collider
