It’s nearly impossible to ignore the impact the original “Evil Dead” had on the horror genre. But now, following the trend of nearly every other horror franchise from the ’70s and ’80s, “Evil Dead” has finally received the remake treatment.

The remake follows a storyline that is very similar to the 1981 film. David (Shiloh Fernandez) travels with his girlfriend Natalie (Elizabeth Blackmore) to his family’s cabin to join his sister Mia (Jane Levy) and her friends Eric (Lou Taylor Pucci) and Olivia (Jessica Lucas). Soon enough, the five venture into the basement where they find dozens of dead cats and a mysterious book bound with rusting barbs. Eric reads through the book on his own and in the process awakens a demon that begins to feed on their souls.

One of the best aspects of the film is the smart decisions in the choice of characters. Mia is the first of the group to succumb to the possession of the demon. As she is a drug addict, it makes sense that at first the others pass her antics off as a relapse. Another clever choice is making Olivia a nurse in training. When the others suggest bringing Mia to a hospital, Olivia becomes offended that they think she is incapable of helping Mia, and therefore they all stay in the woods.

The nature of the relationship between siblings Mia and David works quite nicely. There is also a simple yet touching narrative of a lost friendship between David and Eric that plays out without slapping the audience in the face and trying to be overly sentimental.

Now let’s talk about the gore. Yes, there is a lot of it. You will be cringing throughout the entire film, it does not hold back with its display of carnage. It’s definitely worth noting how much of this gore is makeup and practical special effects — something rarely seen in modern films, but was so crucial to the success of the original. But be warned: All the carnage you see onscreen is extremely convincing.

This film succeeds where almost every other remake has failed. The tight writing, for example, does not allow for a lot of stereotypical stupid character decisions. “Evil Dead” does not lack effective jump scares — expect to be caught off-guard several times. Also, the demon voice is great. It may be a complete rip-off from “The Exorcist,” but why fix something that isn’t broken? And, without saying too much, the film also has a refreshing sense of unpredictability.

However, there are many problems with “Evil Dead,” such as how the movie fails to be too scary. This is not a film that will keep you up at night. However, its biggest issue is its inability to find a concrete ending. There are two false endings before the actual ending, causing the movie to completely lose focus.

Ultimately, “Evil Dead” is a well-made horror film, and despite its flaws, a majority of moviegoers will not feel let down.

A version of this article appeared in the Thursday, April 4 print edition. Shawn Flanagan is a contributing writer. Email him at [email protected].