Horror's Most Uncomfortable Creature Feature Is A Must-Watch Before ‘Evil Dead Burn’
Sébastien Vaniček is gearing up to shock the world with Evil Dead Burn (2026) thanks to the franchise’s natural inclination for blood and gore. But Vaniček is no stranger to the horror genre and, more than that, no stranger to making you feel uncomfortable from head to toe.
Before checking out Evil Dead Burn, if you want to see the type of work Vaniček is famous for, look no further than the Shudder exclusive film, Infested (2023). A spider-themed creature feature that feels like the grossest parts of an Evil Dead movie, it’s a must-watch film to see what Sébastien Vaniček is capable of.
What Makes ‘Infested’ So Uncomfortable?
Infested takes all the cues of creature features like Arachnophobia (1990) and Tarantula (1955) to create a spider story about a deadly species captured in the Middle East and bought by an exotic pet and sneaker collector in France. Of course, things don’t go as planned when the spider breaks out, breeds rapidly, and doubles in size, all while killing the tenants of the apartment building they’re in.
More than anything, what makes Infested so creepy is how it covers every facet of what makes spiders terrifying, as well as the thresholds people have in terms of their fear. If you’re scared of smaller, realistic spiders, they’re there. But if you’re scared of massive ones, this film has that too.
Infested also puts its main characters against worst-case scenarios. This includes being trapped in a shower with a spider on the outside or walking through a hallway covered in spiders and webs. It’s a film where everything you may hate about creepy crawlies is explored in detail, and getting to the credits feels like finishing a marathon if you’re an arachnophobic.
‘Infested’ Is Very Similar to an ‘Evil Dead’ Movie
Sébastien Vaniček’s Infested doesn’t have a thing to do with the Evil Dead franchise in terms of continuity. But it does capture everything that makes the Evil Dead films such a rough watch for so many viewers.
Beyond the blood, gore, and vulgarity, the Evil Dead films, especially The Evil Dead (1981) and Evil Dead (2013), feel like normal people who have to get over a high wall that cuts them along the way. There’s no way around it or under it; you just have to take the hits and get over the other side.
Infested captures this idea as well, as it’s not a creature feature where all you need to do is avoid the ocean or don’t go to the desert. It’s a spider movie where hundreds of them are in your pipes, walls, and covering your windows. You have to fight to survive and get out, and you won’t do so without sacrifice.
The stakes of Infested feel like an Evil Dead movie through and through, and the deaths are just as gross in their own way, as well. If Evil Dead Rise (2023) can make you wince at the sight of a cheese grater, then Infested will make you feel itchy in a crowded room where a spider could easily hide.
You Have to Watch ‘Infested’ Before ‘Evil Dead Burn’
Infested is the perfect way to see what Sébastien Vaniček is capable of as a director. His camerawork is perfect to personify the Evil that barrels through the world to its next victim. More than that, he’s good at working with a large cast and humanizing everyone in a way that feels real.
Like Evil Dead Burn, Infested also plays on the hubris of humans and the idea that actions don’t have consequences. Just like foolishly reading from the Necronomicon, Infested is about a young man who recklessly cared for exotic pets and eventually met his match. The film doesn’t shy away from consequences either, as those he’s cared about suffer and even die because he thought he knew what he was doing.
It’s a story about hard lessons in humility having to be learned, and that’s what has made the Evil Dead franchise work for decades. Sébastien Vaniček is a highly talented director in the horror space, and if he can carry the Evil Dead franchise to a bright future, it proves why Infested is a film you have to watch.
