Horror films are designed to leave audiences shaken, but for Souheila Yacoub, Evil Dead Burn had that effect long before the cameras even started rolling. The actress admits that her first encounter with writer-director Sébastien Vaniček's screenplay was so relentless that she finished it emotionally and physically exhausted, immediately realising she was stepping into one of the most demanding roles of her career.
Yacoub plays Alice, a woman caught between unbearable grief and an impossible fight for survival. Having moved from France to the United States for love, Alice finds herself trapped with her late husband's family while confronting horrors far greater than loss itself. It is a character weighed down by emotional repression before being pushed to the edge.
Recalling her first reading of the screenplay, Yacoub says the experience was nothing short of overwhelming. "I remember how I felt after the reading… I was really exhausted and tired. There was a lot going on, especially for my character. I couldn't stop reading. It was like 'When does it end?… again, again, again, again, action again, blood again!' I felt bad for Alice!"
The actress says she instantly recognised Vaniček's unmistakable filmmaking style even on the page. "He has a really particular editing style that is very rough and very aggressive. And I knew he was going to make a very rough and dynamic movie."
At the heart of the story is Alice's deeply personal struggle. Rather than portraying her as an unsuspecting victim, Yacoub sees the character as someone already wrestling with her identity long before the supernatural nightmare begins. "She's a French girl. She left her country to move to the US because she fell in love with an American guy. She accepted too much and forgot a little bit about herself."
According to Yacoub, Alice's emotional journey begins well before audiences meet her. "She was already in the middle of a process, wanting to change something about her life, to get free of something she can't quite name. She wanted to leave, but because her husband dies, she's stuck with her in-laws, trying to keep going with the life she no longer wants."
As the story spirals into terror, Alice's emotional restraint finally reaches breaking point. "All the rage she's kept inside… at some point she just breaks and finally says everything she's wanted to say for so long."
Yacoub credits Vaniček for creating an atmosphere that encouraged experimentation while remaining laser-focused on his vision. "He was really open to what I gave. It was a beautiful collaboration. He's like a kid on set. He loves his job so much, and that joy spreads."
Ironically, despite leading one of the year's most anticipated horror films, Yacoub admits she isn't naturally drawn to the genre. In fact, preparing for Evil Dead Burn involved one of the sweetest gestures she has ever received from a friend.
Knowing how easily she was frightened, a close friend created a special re-edited version of the original The Evil Dead, replacing terrifying moments with footage of kittens and playful commentary. The actress says the customised cut allowed her to understand the world of the franchise without being overwhelmed by the scares, describing it as "the cutest and most thoughtful gift."
Once production began, however, there was no escaping the physical intensity of the role. From handling heavy equipment to performing emotionally draining scenes for hours at a stretch, Yacoub says the experience tested her in ways she had never imagined. "Even though you train, you are never really prepared for this. It's hours of me holding a brush cutter and crying and breathing and screaming at the same time."
For Yacoub, Evil Dead Burn ultimately represents much more than another horror film. She believes audiences are in for something far more daring than conventional genre fare. "There are so many things I've never seen before. I really admire Sébastien's boldness. It doesn't feel like a conventional horror movie. It's rough, it's hard, and it's full of surprises."
With an emotionally fractured heroine, relentless action and a filmmaker determined to push boundaries, Evil Dead Burn promises an experience that is as psychologically intense as it is terrifying. And if Souheila Yacoub's first reaction to the screenplay is any indication, audiences should prepare themselves for a horror ride that refuses to let up until the very end.
More Pages: Evil Dead Burn (English) Box Office Collection
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