The Evil Dead

NC-17

Now Playing

1 hr. 25 min.

Horror

TRAILER

for The Evil Dead: Trailer 1

List

86%

84 Reviews

Tomatometer

84%

100,000+ Ratings

Audience Score

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.

Read More

Read Less

Now in Theaters

Now Playing

Buy Tickets

In Theaters

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Rent The Evil Dead on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

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.

Read Critics Reviews

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 out of 5 stars

10/22/23

Full Review

John H

Good classic gory horror movie

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 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 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 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 out of 5 stars

02/21/24

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Sam Raimi

Director

Bruce Campbell

Ashly 'Ash' J. Williams

Ellen Sandweiss

Cheryl

Betsy Baker

Linda

Richard DeManincor

Scotty

Theresa Tilly

Shelly

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - The Tree Attack

1:56

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - Trapped in the Cabin

0:56

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - Rising From the Grave

1:52

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - They Won't Stop Laughing

3:17

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - The Zombies Attack

2:33

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - Killing the Zombies

2:43

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - The Walls Bleed

2:15

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - Demons Possess Cheryl

2:48

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - Hacked to Pieces

4:46

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - Psycho Demon Girlfriend

2:23

View more videos

86%

87%

Santa Sangre

70%

88%

The Devils

33%

20%

Darkman II: The Return of Durant

33%

21%

Darkman III: Die Darkman Die

67%

43%

The Funhouse

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

The 8 Best Ways to Turn a Movie into an Amazing TV Series

Bruce Campbell Retired Ash, But Ash vs Evil Dead Finale May Leave Hope For Evil Dead 4

Bruce Campbell Says Ash vs Evil Dead Season 3 May Finally Break Ash

The Evil Dead: Trailer 1

1:52

View more videos

View more photos

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

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

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

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.

Director: Sam Raimi
Executive Producer: Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi, Rob Tapert
Screenwriter: Sam Raimi
Distributor: New Line Cinema
Production Co: Renaissance Pictures
Rating: NC-17
Genre: Horror
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 15, 1981, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 30, 2016
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1), 35mm, 16mm

Most Popular at Home Now