The Evil Dead

86%

Tomatometer

84 Reviews

84%

Audience Score

100,000+ Ratings

Ashley "Ash" Williams (Bruce Campbell), his girlfriend and three pals hike into the woods to a cabin for a fun night away. There they find an old book, the Necronomicon, whose text reawakens the dead when it's read aloud. The friends inadvertently release a flood of evil and must fight for their lives or become one of the evil dead. Ash watches his friends become possessed, and must make a difficult decision before daybreak to save his own life in this, the first of Sam Raimi's trilogy.

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The Evil Dead

What to Know

Critics Consensus

So scrappy that it feels as illicit as a book found in the woods, The Evil Dead is a stomach-churning achievement in bad taste that marks a startling debut for wunderkind Sam Raimi.

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Critics Reviews

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Kevin Maher

Times (UK)

Sam Raimi’s 1981 breakout feature remains profoundly unsettling due to the gonzo vigour with which he attacks his subject.

Sep 12, 2023

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Diane Haithman

Detroit Free Press

It may not be serious, but it's totally sincere; it never laughs at its own jokes. In fact, I'm not sure it even gets them. And you can't help but respond to Evil Dead at some level beyond the usual horror-movie fright and disgust.

Rated: 6/10

Mar 24, 2023

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Owen Gleiberman

Boston Phoenix

Sam Raimi's technique is equal to his perverse imagination. In his first directorial outing, he's already got a flair for the visual grammar of horror movies that John Carpenter might envy.

Mar 24, 2023

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Noah Berlatsky

Everything is Horrible (Substack)

No matter how many directors return to that forest, it's unlikely anyone will ever reproduce Evil Dead's weaponized feral clunkiness

Mar 19, 2024

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Sean Axmaker

Stream on Demand

... such a bravura bit of cinematic inventiveness that it’s too much fun to be genuinely grueling, but this unrelenting parade of funhouse terrors and creative low budget effects is one of the most entertaining American horror films of its time.

Sep 8, 2023

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Stephanie Archer

Film Inquiry

It is brutally violent and unrelentingly gory, yet it is also the work of an artist with a passion for the craft.

Jun 25, 2023

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Audience Reviews

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BAPHOMETT This movie is disgusting. My wife screamed the whole time and walked out before it was over because she couldn't handle it anymore. Personally I think it's a really cool movie though lol some of the scenes are very scary considering how old it is. But some also look super fake. Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 10/22/23 Full Review John H Good classic gory horror movie Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/11/24 Full Review Alec B Its impressive what Raimi was able to do here with so little. While this movie was understandably eclipsed by its sequel, I think it remains tense and transgressive. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/05/24 Full Review TheAngryDead 1 Solid horror but i just don't see why you would watch this when you could watch Evil Dead II. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 03/04/24 Full Review Kalu L Awaful acting! The protagonist Ash, most of the time, was just standing and doing nothing, while scotty was acting like he had adhd. Rated 0.5/5 Stars • Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars 03/04/24 Full Review Leaburn O But unsure why the sequels are rated so highly but this superior original is less acclaimed. Yeah it's ridiculous but it's actually a good horror film irrespective of the cheesiness. Surprisingly enjoyed it. Watched on Amazon Prime. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 02/21/24 Full Review Read all reviews

The Evil Dead

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Cast & Crew

Sam Raimi Director Bruce Campbell Ashly 'Ash' J. Williams Ellen Sandweiss Cheryl Betsy Baker Linda Richard DeManincor Scotty Theresa Tilly Shelly

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The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - The Tree Attack