WARNING! This article contains SPOILERS for Evil Dead Rise!Danny makes a big mistake in Evil Dead Rise, but he is a very difficult character to hate. As the latest chapter in the Evil Dead franchise, Evil Dead Rise begins a new story with the Deadites being unleashed in an apartment complex. Unfortunately, the story takes a dark turn when Danny (Morgan Davies) uncovers the third Book of the Dead and a set of recordings, which unleashes the malevolent Deadites upon the unsuspecting group.
Initially intended to be released on HBO Max, Evil Dead Rise has achieved both critical and commercial success, with praise for its spine-tingling, blood-soaked tale that it introduces into the Evil Dead franchise. The movie also makes it very easy to blame the carnage that is unleashed on Danny's decision to play the recording despite the warnings of Bridget (Gabrielle Echols). However, Evil Dead Rise makes it incredibly hard to be truly angry with Danny.
Danny Is Right, It Was His Fault The Demon Was Released
Danny himself comes to see everything that happens as being "all my fault," and technically, he is correct. It is Danny who plays the recording and brings the Deadites out with it, and he is presented as a generally gullible character for entering the sinkhole in the first place. With that said, Danny is still just a kid, and one in a bad situation at that. Being tasked with being a second caretaker for his family after his father's departure is a lot for someone his age to have to deal with, and his altruistic motivations also make him harder to hate.
Danny's plan was to sell the book in order to get some much needed money for his mother Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland), which would have been a great assistance to her struggles as a single mother to Danny, Kassie (Nell Fisher), and Bridget. The fact that Danny's actions are completely devoid of greed on his own part makes his story intentionally frustrating since a kid trying to help his family is impossible to truly hate, and he could not foresee the recording and the book summoning Evil Dead Rise's Deadites. Additionally, Danny himself acknowledges the error of his ways.
Evil Dead Rise's Emotional Beats Make It So Hard To Hate Danny (Despite His Stupidity)
After Danny is stabbed by the Deadite-possessed Bridget, he tells Kassie that he is sorry for everything that has happened. His story is not quite over though, with Danny, Bridget, and Ellie being combined into a monstrous creature known as the Marauder, which Beth (Lily Sullivan) subsequently sends to a very bloody end through a wood chipper. All of this makes Danny the most tragic character in Evil Dead Rise.
Horror movies often make it easy to root for the demise of characters who unleash monsters, evil spirits, or other kinds of plagues through either stupidity or greed. That makes Danny quite an anomaly on many levels. It is true that Danny was not the brightest character in Evil Dead Rise with his actions being where all the deaths of the movie can be pinpointed to, but the tragic story and inherently good heart make him a very sympathetic character nonetheless.