The Evil Dead

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1:52

The Evil Dead

NC-17

1981

1h 25m

Horror

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

85%

Tomatometer

86 Reviews

84%

Popcornmeter

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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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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Kevin Maher

The Times (UK)

09/12/2023

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

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Diane Haithman

Detroit Free Press

03/24/2023

6/10

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.

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Owen Gleiberman

Boston Phoenix

03/24/2023

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.

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Yasser Medina

Cinefilia

Oct 13

6/10

A B-movie horror film in which Raimi demonstrates his technical expertise in building bloody atmospheres in the cabin in the woods, but its narrative often stumbles into clichés that take the chills out of the gore show. [Full review in Spanish]

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Bryce Hanson

Horror Movie Talk

Sep 23

8/10

Even with the jaded eyes of someone that grew up on the films influenced by Raimi’s directorial debut, it still is impressively violent, visceral, and darkly funny.

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Adrian Martin

Film Critic: Adrian Martin

Jul 30

3.5/5

The Evil Dead is the ultimate movie-nerd success story, flagrantly amateurish and hand-made in many of its effects.

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claudio

3h

Legendary classic status. Every horror fan should watch at least once

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aimee

5h

brilliant 👏 one of my absolute favorites an amazing turning point in the horror genre. this was my first time experiencing this beautiful classic historical masterpiece in the theater! what am amazing 👏 experience indeed just pre bliss from this horror fan. this is the making of a great franchise with 2 new movies on way. so excited for those as well! Bruce was born to be Ashley.

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Jorge

5h

Cult classic. Revolutionized the horror genre and produced some of the most entertaining sequels. Definitive recommend watching the rest of the movies and the tv show. If you want more you could also read the comics.

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BAPHOMETT

10/20/2023

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.

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Paul S

@RT91988760 3h

This is some of the most fun I've ever had seeing a horror movie in theaters. Even the parts that were bad were hilarious, and its classic feel gave it an incredible vibe. I definitely recommend it for horror fans!

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Isiah P.

@oOstutterOo 1d

It’s easy to see why this one is a classic. I can only imagine seeing some of these scenes in the early 80s. Even for as old as it is, it still managed to make me uncomfortable a few times thanks to its persistence. It’s a bit dated and doesn’t compare to its sequel but still a solid movie. I will return to this one but probably not for quite a while.

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Sam Raimi

Director

Bruce Campbell

Ashly 'Ash' J. Williams

Ellen Sandweiss

Cheryl

Betsy Baker

Linda

Richard DeManincor

Scotty

Theresa Tilly

Shelly

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 - They Won't Stop Laughing

3:17

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - Rising From the Grave

1:52

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - The Zombies Attack

2:33

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 - Killing the Zombies

2:43

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - Hacked to Pieces

4:46

The Evil Dead: Official Clip - Psycho Demon Girlfriend

2:23

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The Evil Dead: Trailer 1

1:52

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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
Producer: 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
Runtime: 1h 25m
Sound Mix: Mono
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.37:1), 35mm, 16mm