WITHER is an explosive gorefest

RATED- Unrated

RUN TIME- 95 Mins

WRITER(S)- Sonny Laguna, David Liljeblad, and Tommy Wiklund

STARRING- Patrik Almkvist, Lisa Henni, and Patrick Saxe

DIRECTOR- Sonny Laguna and Tommy Wiklund

Synopsis taken from IMDb

Ida and Albin are a happy couple. They set off to a cabin in the vast Swedish woodlands to have a fun holiday with their friends. But under the floorboards waits an evil from Sweden's dark past.

A friend of mine gave me the title of this film, and told me it's the Swedish version of "The Evil Dead" (1981). Upon hearing which, I quickly found this flick and had to give it a watch. Those of you who read my reviews from time to time know that I'm obsessed with "The Evil Dead" series. So, telling me this is similar to the films I love so much isn't going to get any sort of reaction out of me other than me rushing to watch it.

Reading up on it, I came to discover that a lot of miss information has been spread about this movie, mostly by Swedish newspapers which stated that it was the first Swedish zombie film. False. The first Swedish zombie film is 2005's "Die Zombiejager". However, while reading, I found a quote from a critic stating that this is "the film that 'Evil Dead' 2013 should have been." So of course, my interest was only piqued even more.

What is clearly a low-budget production, opens with a paranoid and gory beginning. Right from the go, you know what type of motion picture you're in for. It's got balls like the original "Evil Dead", and isn't afraid to go to new lengths of brutality. About a minute into it, I knew I was going to like it. It was a little eerie watching such a crazy flick late at night, by myself. But, it's not scary.

Although the plot is far from original or inventive, it managed to keep me enthralled. Though, there's a lot of predictability, it's still a very fun watch for those who love their violence with an abundance of gore. You can smell the influence that Sam Raimi's classic has had on this entire project, and some can even say that this is a foreign remake. The lead character even has a blue button-up shirt on, and other obvious nods to Bruce Campbell's portrayal of the hero, Ash Williams.

There are differences though, such as, what's in the basement isn't a creepy book and a shotgun with some ammo. Instead, it's a Vittra. A nature spirit that lives underground and one of the animistic elements of the Norse religion. Again, while not scary, there is a level of creepiness to this creature and the entire film.

The only problem is, if you've seen the "Evil Dead" series, then you know what to expect from this. It doesn't really offer anything new that's worth mentioning. It's just very graphic and bloody. It's definitely a gore flick, for sure. There's not much story or character development, much like the "Evil Dead" remake. There's just a ton of chaos and confusion spread amongst characters.

My criticism would be that while I appreciate a good homage to a classic movie, you also need to have something of your own to offer. And this is one of those films where you've seen what's in it before several times over. I'm sure for the Swedish population who haven't ever seen "The Evil Dead", that this is something mind blowing to them. However, to me and the rest of us, this is just a fun rehashing.

So, if you're in the mood to see a bunch of young adults turn on each other due to possession, and start hacking each other up with various weapons, you should probably check this out. For those of you who have the "been there, done that" attitude, you're probably better off sitting this one out. I don't think there are too many positive things someone with that mentality will have to say about it.

Not the best thing I've ever seen, but I am definitely a fan. To me, it's fun seeing other cultures take a stab at this type of thing. And it's a testament to how Sam Raimi's original film is still as influential as ever, and one of the greatest horror films ever made.