Starting in 1981, the Evil Dead franchise has had a long and iconic run that helped not only create great horror entries, but also helped define the entire genre. It even helped inspire the original Doom game. Sam Raimi is the main driving creative force behind the project, and he has either directed or produced every entry thus far. At the very least, his creativity and vision has stayed consistent throughout the years. His choices have been questioned in the past, but his style and passion are visible on every single project that he works on.
All of these movies are fantastic, and each offers a unique watching experience while still retaining that “Evil Dead feeling”. With Evil Dead Rise around the corner, audiences can certainly expect another certified classic.
4 Evil Dead (2013)
TriStar Pictures
Released in 2013 and directed by Fede Álvarez, a relative newcomer to the industry, Evil Dead was an attempt to jumpstart the franchise after years of lying dormant. It essentially follows a similar trajectory to the first film, but offers up new characters and new motivations. There’s already an underlying darkness to the film, as the group of friends aren’t at the cabin to have fun - they’re at the cabin to help Mia (Jane Levy) detox from her addiction. That layer of tenseness from the start is a stark contrast to the first film, but it does work well for establishing a unique identity.
In fact - it’s very different from the others in its entire tone. Gone is the blend of camp and horror, and instead we have a film that takes itself very seriously. It’s darker, gorier, and aside from some iconography from the first film, one might be hard-pressed to see this as an “Evil Dead” movie. The pieces are there - but they’re put together differently. This isn’t a bad thing - as the film works fine on its own. It’s scarier and faster paced, and it introduced a new generation to the world of Evil Dead. If it works as a gateway movie to others - then it deserves props for that.
3 The Evil Dead (1981)
New Line Cinema
Made on a shoestring budget of $375,000, The Evil Dead wasn’t just a success financially - it was a cultural landmark. It’s impact on the horror industry is palpable, and it’s impact on modern pop culture is strong, too. It would even help create a spin-off television series as well. While it did spearhead these things - it would be tackled and done better by a sequel that’s coming up on this list. Even knowing that it was outdone, it’s still a great movie that works totally on its own.
The character of Ash (Bruce Campbell) is the heart of the franchise. His journey, although often painted as ridiculous, is also the story of trauma. This first film, more than any of the others, showcases this perfectly. His journey out of normality, on paper, is tragic. It speaks to the talent of Bruce Campbell that he’s able to play this journey in a multifaceted and often entertaining way. The Evil Dead is Ash at his most grounded, and it’s fascinating to go back and watch this one, knowing what terror this character would go through in the subsequent sequels.
2 Army of Darkness (1992)
Universal Pictures
Army of Darkness is markedly different from the other films in this franchise in almost every way. Yet, thanks to brilliant writing and direction, it feels like it belongs side-by-side with the rest, and would be the best in the franchise if not for the film that preceded it. Army of Darkness takes Ash on the biggest journey yet, both literally and metaphorically. His branding as an action star is perfectly solidified in this film. Ash is out there killing more deadites than ever, and doing it in a completely different style. It’s still an Evil Dead movie - but the genre has been flipped on its head.
In this film, Ash finds himself transported back in time to the medieval ages, where a group of people are struggling to fight against the deadites. The concept alone makes this film far sillier than the last, but the progression tracks and feels right at home with the rest of the films. It’s simply a movie that believes in itself and its premise. It proved that you can shake the foundation of a franchise and still stick true to the heart of it all. If you can only watch one version - watch the cut of the film that has the original ending. The original ending was considered too grim by the studio, and they were forced to shoot another ending altogether. The ending that the theatrical cut got pales in comparison to the original ending.
1 Evil Dead II (1987)
Renaissance Pictures
Evil Dead II is one of the greatest horror films of all time, and has some of the most iconic and adrenaline-infused pacing of any film in its genre. Incidentally, it’s also the greatest Bruce Campbell performance of all time. There’s no one on earth who could have played Ash like Bruce Campbell did. Heavily inspired by aspects of The Three Stooges, Campbell is the perfect blend of comedy and horror. You never doubt that Ash is suffering, but you’re able to laugh at the absurdity of it all thanks to his performance.
Co-written by Scott Spiegel and Sam Raimi, Evil Dead II had some initial trouble getting off the ground. It was originally pitched to resemble the plot of what would become Army of Darkness, and would have a lot of doors closed on it before it would take off. It would eventually become a soft reboot of the first film, as well as a sequel. This was due to some unfortunate licensing rights, and there were some questions as to why the character of Ash would return to the cabin with different characters. Once one is able to get over that initial confusing 15 minutes, what audiences find is a more sure handed film than the first. This is a movie that knows exactly what it wants to do, and how it wants to engage with the audience.
