Does The Dog Die In Evil Dead Burn?

Spoilers for "Evil Dead Burn" follow.

"Evil Dead Burn" is finally here (check out our review), and there's only one question on everyone's mind: Does the dog die? Okay, maybe that isn't the only question on everyone's mind, but I'm sure some people are wondering about it, especially if they're dog lovers who tend to find such a concept a tad upsetting. I count myself in this category. While I have absolutely no problems watching human beings get slaughtered in horror movies, whenever a dog (or any animal, really) meets a tragic end in one of these films, it bums me out. What can I say — I like dogs more than people.

If you feel similar, I must warn you that, yes, the dog does die in "Evil Dead Burn." In fact, this poor pooch dies multiple times. In "Evil Dead Burn," recent widow Alice (Souheila Yacoub) retreats a crumbling house with her in-laws after her husband is killed in a car accident. Unfortunately, the various members of Alice's husband's family soon become possessed by those pesky Deadites and start wreaking havoc. The first to be possessed is Edgar (Erroll Shand), Alice's husband's father. During a tense scene where the family is gathered around a dinner table, Max, the family dog, keeps whining for attention. It culminates in a shocking moment where Edgar violently stabs the dog to death with a piece of cutlery. But that's not the last time we see poor Max.

To be clear: there's a lot of death and dismemberment in "Evil Dead Burn" (the movie came close to getting an NC-17 rating). But Max's death is the only example that actually got to me. Thankfully, Max doesn't stay dead for long. Eventually, the dog returns from the grave possessed by a Deadite (this isn't a complete surprise, as one of the film's trailers gave it away already). I might be mistaken, but I'm pretty sure this is the first possessed dog in the "Evil Dead" franchise (although the spin-off TV series "Ash vs. Evil Dead" featured a bird possessed by Deadites, proving that yes, even animals are susceptible).

The fact that Max gets to return from the dead, albeit possessed, does soften the blow of his early untimely demise a bit. For the rest of the film, Deadite Max poses a threat to Alice as she tries to live through the night while everyone around her dies a horrible death. Eventually, Alice is able to get the upper hand and kill Max a final time with a special dagger that has the ability to kill Deadites. Rest In Peace, Max. You will not be forgotten.