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The Evil Dead
The Evil Dead
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The Evil Dead

The Evil Dead

1981
Suspense/Thriller, Fantasy
1h 25m
Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

The Evil Dead

1981
Suspense/Thriller, Fantasy
1h 25m
Your probable score
Avg Percentile 57.94% from 6456 total ratings

Ratings & Reviews

(6516)
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Rated 27 Mar 2016
85
62nd
What did she expect, walking through the forest dressed like that?
Rated 21 Sep 2019
90
92nd
Now stand back as I explain the comedy of tree rape.
Rated 20 Jul 2008
100
98th
The ultimate low-budget achievement from Sam Raimi. A pure shocker from start to finish with massive amounts of trashy gore and blood, along with intentionally hilarious and over-the-top goofiness also elevated to a whole new low with the king of B-movies himself, Bruce Campbell. Classic.
Rated 30 Aug 2012
74
52nd
Using proprietary software on a custom-designed Bell and Howell industrial punch card computer system, I've concluded that 11.56 points go to Sam Raimi and his camerawork, and the remaining 62.44 to Bruce Campbell and his chin.
Rated 17 Sep 2018
10
99th
Oh boy, here we go. The Evil Dead is a borderline classic, no other way around it. To me, Sam Raimi is one of the most underrated directors of all time, for something so small and done on a small budget, Raimi and Campbell (who deserves a lot of credit too) created a very fun, creepy, and funny masterpiece. It's very unique in its approach and some of the cinematography is just amazing to me. This easily goes down as one of my most beloved franchises only behind Alien.
Rated 25 Nov 2008
6
35th
Not the horror film I was expecting. Just like 'The Thing' and 'The Exorcist', it's gory and suspenseful, and worth a watch for its amazing make-up effects and sketchy camera work. In the end, it lacked a satisfying story (lets face it, the film was silly). I blame the low budget, abundance of crazy laughters ("hihihihihihi" ==> headache),... I hope the 2nd installment features better acting and script. Ooh and: raped by a tree ?!
Rated 24 Mar 2013
95
95th
Two quick thoughts: I saw this at a film festival and there was a gentleman in the audience who sighed as loudly as possible every time they have to go downstairs. If you go to see a movie called "The Evil Dead" and you don't expect suspense plot points, leave the theater. There's a Keira Knightley period piece down the hall. Secondly, I love the digital age and crisp beautiful high def images, but this movie was made to be seen on a worn out, way too dark VHS cassette.
Rated 29 Mar 2007
75
90th
It was awful being left in an empty theater (ok, I asked for it) when I was about 7-8 year old. I couldn't move for a second from the start to finish. Probably the scare of my life. Fuck, I thought everything happening in movies was real!
Rated 03 Aug 2017
87
91st
The cult classic 80's horror B-movie that inspired a generation of filmmakers. Sam Raimi's low budget horror film would spawn its own franchise as well as countless imitations and homages. However without the true savior of humanity, Bruce Campbell, all others were doomed to fail.
Rated 24 May 2017
45
18th
One of those movies you hear about when you really start getting into movies as THE cult classic and then you rent it from Blockbuster and don't like it but pretend to because you think it makes you a bad movie buff to not like it until you get older and stop caring what other people think and are more than willing to admit you think it's not good.
Rated 02 Mar 2009
86
91st
Rough-edged but appealing performances and ridiculously exaggerated gore FX give this the pulpy feel of a horror comic book, and there's some especially invigorating camerwork.
Rated 27 Jun 2022
70
76th
This wasn't as funny as I remember. Maybe I got it confused with the second film. I don't care for the gore. I don't mind dismemberment but stuff rotting at the end is a bit too unnecessarily gross-out like Fulci. It's interesting to rewatch in 2022 after Raimi's later works, such as Spider-Man trilogy and Dr. Strange 2. Fav scene: Linda teeheeing was so creepy.
Rated 16 Jul 2019
84
73rd
Harsh, ugly, unsubtle horror opus is Raimi's aggressive greeting to the film world; by any standard it is grotesquely over-the-top horror, but its clear shoestring budget gives it a crazy air of desperation which helps sell the madness and even make it palatable (though the cream corn during the climax was a bit much!) Wears its influences proudly on its sleeve (especially THE EXORCIST) and is overall good fun, anchored by Campbell's perfectly blocky leading performance. Terrific makeup effects.
Rated 24 Oct 2018
6
42nd
Fittingly rough around the edges; the bumpy tracking shots and ramshackle editing is the perfect wrapping paper for the campy acting and over-the-top gore and jump scares that emerge from the classic dumb-young-adults-on-a-pleasure-trip premise (the only thing that didn't fit was the unpleasantly dark tree rape scene). The wild third act and its ridiculous gore (bountiful buckets of blood and other unidentified fluids spilling and spewing and oozing out of everywhere) is truly amazing to behold.
Rated 22 Apr 2018
75
65th
Top badass moment? Finding out a book with a MASSIVE picture of SpongeBob's face on the front is REALLY scary. The rest of the film's about Ash pulling lots of horrified expressions as his girlfriend turns into the bitch from Hell. (Don’t worry mate, we’ve all been there.) Meanwhile, his friend pisses off the local vegetation; (been there too; last week a hawthorn hedge tried to rip my arm open). 1 chainsaw (but no PPE), 2 to 4 decapitations (depends how picky you’re being) and no cats.
Rated 27 Mar 2018
90
91st
I'm not really a "people trapped in the woods" type of guy but this did it for me. There were some genuinely creepy parts, I didn't really see much in the way of intentional comedy but some of it was pretty silly. Cool camera work. It doesn't have to be the scariest movie ever because it's so entertaining that the time flew by. Demonic beings just wanna have fun, and I actually love movies where they terrorize with such glee.
Rated 12 Jun 2017
78
89th
(Viewed on 20/05/13): Evil Dead is a testament to low budget ingenuity and the complete triumph of talent over adversity, marking the arrival of two promising newcomers in Raimi and Campbell, who went on to do bigger but not necessarily better things. The plot is merely an excuse to stage bloody mayhem, which Raimi does in high style, offering a series of disorienting angles and crash zooms and a nightmarish tone pitched somewhere between horror and farce. Its great reputation is well deserved.
Rated 20 Jan 2011
87
72nd
"The Evil Dead" is one of the greatest indie movies ever made. Like "Night of the Living Dead", it has a lot of guts. The story is clever, the leading character is likable, the effects are cool, and the camerawork is truly something to behold. If you like horror films and haven't watched it yet, what are you waiting for? You know that you've heard of it...so watch it!
Rated 17 May 2008
88
95th
so many unknowns make a fantasticly amazing movie. this is a first for american horror. had this been a high-budget movie it would be the best horror movie of all time.
Rated 20 Mar 2007
80
60th
This B-movie classic is more revolutionary than it is good. It has a fun plot and acting of high enough quality to be a great film that is worth seeing by everyone.
Rated 27 Mar 2020
25
13th
I've tried to watch this movie on a few occasions and honestly I just don't get it But I will say the gore and effects were pretty amazing
Rated 23 Mar 2020
48
13th
I've always heard this described as kind of the original horror-comedy, and maybe that created an unrealistic expectation. While there were some hints of humor, it mostly felt like generic horror schlock.
Rated 08 May 2017
80
59th
Effortlessly likable and charming from the offset, while also being a genuinely unnerving excercise in horror, "The Evil Dead" is a film that is helped by its shoe-string budget and inherent, unintetnional campiness, not hindered, and one that has shaped the way that mainstream horror looks, feels, and shocks, thanks entirely to Sam Raimi's absolutely masterful direction.
Rated 04 Apr 2017
80
80th
Unlike the even more OTT sequels, the original Evil Dead combines its comedy and horror in a rather subtle way (yes, I'm aware of the absurdity of using the word subtle in anything related to the Evil Dead). It's never clearly comedic or really straight-faced horror either but maintains a delicate balance. I think that's lovely & intriguing but some might find it a bit disappointing in this day and age. Uses the bare bones budget well and, tree-rape aside, has a tangibly infantile charm to it.
Rated 02 Apr 2017
80
62nd
The Evil Dead is a classic of the horror genre. This movie picks up where The Night of the Living Dead left off in the genre. The Evil Dead is revolutionary because it is one of the movies that started the comedy/horror subgenre. The acting in the movie has it's bright spots and a lot of low moments. All of the special effects in this movie are practical and they look both well done and goofy. The Evil Dead is a true B-movie. It's a great movie and it is done really well on a short budget.
Rated 16 Sep 2014
98
99th
A student film that reinvented the whole genre. While shot on a tight budget, it 's still evident that there's a vision and drive behind the production. It really shows the talent of Sam Raimi for both horror and comedic timing.
Rated 29 Nov 2012
90
63rd
Gloriously campy and ultra violent. Take away the tree scene and it’s a perfect film in my opinion. It’s easy to pick apart and it’s very rough around the edges, but that’s kind of the glory of it honestly. It also spawned off one of my favorite horror franchises to date. It’s a shame horror movies that try to be campy nowadays are just criticized for it. Very unfair. Do yourself a favorite and throw this in. Watch this and II back to back while you’re at it.
Rated 21 Sep 2011
53
48th
Although the budget doesn't always allow for convincing effects, and it doesn't fully embrace its corny aspect, it still manages to shine it quite a few places. The amount of gore, when done right, makes this a legitimately disturbing horror film at some points, especially along side other twisted ideas that came out of Sam Raimi's mind, and some gems of hidden humor.
Rated 25 Sep 2010
71
84th
Fun silly horror comedy, set the table for what was to come.
Rated 21 Sep 2010
90
94th
An exceedingly good horror film. While the plot may not be innovative, the execution is creative and kind of brilliant. The odd touches of humor help balance out the shocks and the gore. There've hardly been any films of this genre that've done better in the past 30 years.
Rated 21 Jan 2010
75
71st
Sam Raimi's original "serious" effort that is all about offering a non stop nightmarish ride. Back in the early part of the 80's when the only horror was slasher Raimi's style was a breath of fresh air. Low budget but incredibly gory with special effects that were definitely ahead of its time.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
90
90th
A resounding "yes" is my answer when people ask me if they should see this movie. You need to see this movie, just to see why Sam Raimi and Bruce Campbell are such big deals in their own rights. This is the film that started it all, and they did so much with so little...truly a miracle of modern filmmaking.
Rated 20 May 2022
84
44th
Pretty good, lots of the classic tropes I like and the practical effects were hilarious.
Rated 09 Jun 2019
100
84th
A masterpiece of fright and insanity. The origin of Ash, and still my favorite Raimi.
Rated 18 May 2019
50
10th
Voice of Evil Force: "Join us…"
Rated 04 Sep 2018
70
65th
This is some scary and messed up stuff. I never really understood why people think it's very funny apart from a couple lines, but that doesn't mean I don't enjoy it. Bruce Campbell is awesome in this as well.
Rated 03 Mar 2018
90
72nd
Love this entire franchise, all started here
Rated 09 Aug 2017
76
83rd
A horror classic, tautly made by Raimi, full of scares and that gets a lot of bang for its buck.
Rated 26 Dec 2015
75
62nd
When Raimi made this in 1981, you would have thought that it would have been a lesson to us all not to go to isolated cabins in the woods for short vacations, not to stand in front of flimsy glass windows, not to go down into cellars with only a candle, not to put the key back on the outside of the doorframe, pick up weird rubbery looking books with pictures of skulls and demons on it, or go out into the woods in your PJ's. But no, we just dont learn, do we? Terrible, but a lot of fun
Rated 04 Sep 2014
59
10th
Probably the most amateurish theatrical film I've ever seen. Bad acting, bad continuity, bad storytelling, but passionate as hell. It feels like a skeleton film crew heading into the woods to make their first film with little to no resources or expertise because, well, that's what it is. It's chock full of interesting and experimental techniques that elevate the material, all of which I certainly appreciate. It's just the material itself I'm not too crazy about.
Rated 23 Jul 2014
4
70th
Suffers from the same thin writing and bad acting that plague a lot of low-budget films; the difference is that Sam Raimi, even at this early stage, demonstrated a talent for cinematography and effects that placed him far beyond most of his slasher peers. Occasionally creepy and always entertaining.
Rated 14 Mar 2014
65
37th
Evil Dead still holds up very well and is very tense. You start to feel like you're trapped in the cabin with the characters. I've heard people complain about the actors, which makes no sense to me as I think this has one of the best casts of any low-budget indie movies I've seen (I guess people don't realize this takes place around the 50s which explains the corny dialogue). The only part that hasn't aged well is the childish chanting of the monsters. Annoying as hell.
Rated 17 Apr 2013
50
0th
an excellent low-budget horror movie
Rated 13 Apr 2013
6
46th
Behind the nostalgia, behind the obvious dummies, behind the hilarious performance by Bruce Campbell, The Evil Dead is a moderately entertaining film I was able to watch without wanting to do something else. Other than that, I don't feel much for the film. It's never scary or gory enough to frighten, and it's never corny enough to amuse.
Rated 11 Apr 2013
87
83rd
People underrate how funny this movie is, calling the other two "the comedies". There is still a lot of humour in this though!
Rated 06 Feb 2013
75
43rd
Terrible acting is offset by wonderful direction in Sam Raimi's horror classic. I prefer the more comedic sequels, but there is no denying the achievement in filmmaking and the ease with which Raimi unsettles the viewer. Raimi seems to revel in cheap but effective gore effects and it is easy to get sucked into his world.
Rated 31 Oct 2012
7
67th
I was unsure about this movie until one of the throwaway characters began levitating shortly after getting raped by a tree.
Rated 22 Jul 2012
62
37th
The plot is paper-thin, the screenplay barely improves on it, the dialogue is awful at times and the acting is mediocre at best. How, then, did I enjoy this so much? Well, Raimi does a brilliant job directing, the photography is incredibly well judged and the balance between gory scares and stupid humour works perfectly. I recommend watching 'The Evil Dead' with friends to get maximum enjoyment.
Rated 10 Jul 2012
3
45th
Lowbrow horror done right. The script and acting may be literally laughable, but the film transcends its own campiness with imaginative visual schemes. There are so many memorable images throughout, establishing a great sense of location and inspiring some moments of genuine discomfort.
Rated 10 Jul 2012
90
90th
This classic low budget horror film combines just the right amount of gore and black humor, giving The Evil Dead an equal amount of thrills and laughs.
Rated 15 Jun 2012
74
15th
A serviceable horror movie. I have some issues with how it treats women, but I suppose that's not unusual for horror films at that time.
Rated 30 Dec 2011
86
97th
Love a good tree rape.
Rated 21 Mar 2011
83
34th
This is one of those films that set a new standard for pretty much every other modern horror film in existence (my opinion). By taking a group of characters and throwing them away in the woods, we really began to understand that shit has gotten real here. There was no way of knowing who would live or die, and we're still not so sure when it's over. Maybe it was cheesy by 1981 standards as well, but I think that's part of this horrific classic's gory charm.
Rated 30 Dec 2010
83
89th
A chop-chop-chop gore school film that has striking special effects, a great atmosphere and the best black humor ever. Evil Dead is a young classic filled with tons of quotable lines: "We are gonna get you!", "Join us", "Shut up, Linda" and the greatest (and longest) one "Now the sun will be up in an hour or so, and we can all get out of here together. You, me, Linda, Shelly. Hmm... Well... not Shelly, she?".
Rated 25 Sep 2010
44
19th
Without the goofy charm that the sequels have, it's just not any good.
Rated 05 Jul 2010
62
38th
I'm all for campy-horror-comedies (and I realize this was a pioneer of the genre) but it kinda felt like the same 10 minutes of zombie wrestling on loop for 2 hours.
Rated 03 Feb 2010
77
33rd
Raimi is still learning here, but this is a scary thriller teetering on the edge of farce. Well worth a watch.
Rated 10 Oct 2009
42
39th
promising debut from Raimi, but i found the demons more annoying than scary. some epic scenes though, and Campbell was made for that role.
Rated 14 Jul 2009
90
93rd
this score merely reflects the fact that i watch this on a yearly basis and never get sick of it. tree rape? yes please.
Rated 02 Jul 2009
85
90th
So funny. And awesome makeup!
Rated 06 May 2008
6
95th
The best horror / worst acting for the series.
Rated 28 Apr 2008
6
55th
If I said I loved this - I'd be lying. Trashy gore is not my thing although this is still pretty enjoyable. Evil Dead 2 is amazing though.
Rated 01 Nov 2007
49
29th
I'd be lying if I said I thought this movie was good from start to finish. Some parts are funny, intentional and unintentional, but overall the movie drags. Yes it's impressive for a student film and you can see Raimi's distinct almost cartoonish style of camera work. However Bruce Campbell doesn't have enough of his trademark quips to really keep you interested throughout the entire film. It's worth watching if you're a Raimi or Campbell fan but not more than once.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
55
63rd
It's a classic, doesn't really scare me that much anymore, but I always enjoy watching it.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
85
85th
I love this movie. It has all the energy of genuine independent cinema, hilariously gross sight gags and some real scares.
Rated 14 Aug 2007
6
71st
The least of the trilogy because it seems a little bit more like it's trying to be a real horror movie and not a comedy, but it's still over-the-top and bloody and goofy and has the Bruce Campbell factor. And tree rape. Let's never forget the tree rape.
Rated 29 Jun 2007
73
44th
The first half of the movie is a long, slow start. The second half of the movie is filled with zombies, dead people, body parts, blood and various other goodies. Worth watching, even if you have to fast forward past the typical "group of friends finds run down cabin in the woods" part.
Rated 08 Jan 2007
76
76th
Not as great as it's sequel, but not disappointing in the least.
Rated 16 Dec 2006
44
38th
Overrated as a cult hit. Poor production values hurt inventive, eager filmmaking.
Rated 12 Dec 2006
36
3rd
I don't like gory horror, especially when coupled with amateurish acting.
Rated 01 Nov 2024
70
15th
A horror classic that just didnt land for me I am not really a horror guy
Rated 26 Aug 2024
57
48th
Hilarious. Idk, maybe you have to be a teenager or in the right mood. I went through a phase of adoring this.
Rated 21 Aug 2024
6
60th
This is a movie about not reading books (it's bad for your health). Zombies are better when they have personalities instead of being mindless hordes. Limited by its budget, its awful fx and sfx, and the truly grating voices of the evil dead. Pretty fun nonetheless. As much as I want to, it's impossible to dislike.
Rated 24 Jun 2024
94
91st
j'ai kiffé, l'ambiance qui à un peu vieilli donne un charme époustouflant au film
Rated 30 Apr 2024
15
0th
kifo is running to outside he is so scared about this movie me too this movie is crazy my little brother kifo is so değerli :)
Rated 13 Sep 2023
68
30th
Repetitive gore-fest b movie doesn't do much, but has some welcome comedy and effective creepy setting and atmosphere.
Rated 02 Jul 2023
65
23rd
a tree rapes someone in this campy, exploitation, student film that is 90 minutes and could still stand to lose some runtime.
Rated 30 May 2023
60
47th
Just as the non-story and rather pedestrian first two-thirds of the movie threaten to sink this, the dizzying creativity (made all the more impressive that this is in 1979) brings this movie back up to a satisfying level.
Rated 17 May 2023
72
47th
audiovisual 75 acting 60 overall feeling 80 avg 72
Rated 08 May 2023
40
24th
It fell a bit flat, all these years later. Bad acting, not quite scary, not quite funny, but just entertaining enough to not get too distracted or bored watching it.
Rated 01 May 2023
70
9th
possesion ve hallowen gibi zamanının abartılmış korku filmlerinden. dandik kamera kullanımı, boktan kurgu, klişe hikaye (klişeleri yaratan film bu bla bla umrumda değil). fakat pratik efekt ve makyaj konusunda başarılı orada hakkını verelim. lakin bu iki şey iyi bir film yapmak için yeterli değil.
Rated 04 Nov 2022
60
35th
I probably wouldn't give this a high rating just because horror (especially the gory parts) isn't my thing. The cheap-o sets and the slightly-better-than-average makeup effects are the highlights. And there's only so many times a guy can get knocked out by a bookcase.
Rated 27 Oct 2022
65
26th
A real mixed bag for me. The less over the top scenes are surprisingly effective and weave a pretty nice atmosphere, but whenever things start going crazy it's downright annoying to watch.
Rated 27 Oct 2022
45
4th
Pretty funny at times. Wait, what do you mean "this was not supposed to be a comedy" ?
Rated 28 Apr 2022
59
25th
Not very interesting at all tbh
Rated 12 Mar 2022
71
47th
the grimy one
Rated 20 Feb 2022
20
2nd
Just a cheap trashy storyless gore
Rated 26 Oct 2021
40
3rd
Rootsfuckherlmao+pencilanklelol+coolcreepyshit
Rated 25 Aug 2021
90
87th
Timeless.
Rated 04 Jul 2021
100
78th
classic
Rated 02 Nov 2020
75
65th
atmospheric, grotesque, campy, violent and fucked up movie. relishes in torturing the main character relentlessly but remains fun while doing so
Rated 31 Oct 2020
80
41st
well-made with creative shots and impressive sound effects. absurd in a way that has to be comedic, but played pretty straight. frankly gross gender dynamics
Rated 31 Oct 2020
60
34th
pretty funny at parts with some killer shots but like not much else going on. the violence feels weirdly gendered & it's all like "for its own sake" which is what it is
Rated 22 Oct 2020
76
49th
Practical (!) effects.
Rated 17 Oct 2020
66
40th
It almost feels like a serious horror movie that couldn't hold its own, so it does everything tongue-in-cheek under the guise of satire. Kinda funny, kinda entertaining and surprisingly shocking visuals make it worth a watch for the cool points on this cult classic.
Rated 06 Aug 2020
50
7th
I guess I should give them some credit for making the movie with like $50k...
Rated 17 Jul 2020
10
3rd
If you want a good laugh, see this movie. I wonder why so many people & reviews recommended this movie. It's filled with stupid scenes: 1- The first lady victim went out of the cabin at night to an unfamiliar forest. That's highly stupid & unnatural. 2- The last man standing seems unnerved by the unusual events & acted normally when talking to his pals. 3- The possessed move like puppets, etc. MY SCORING: 99-96=Great; 95-90=Very good; 89-85=Good; 84-80=So-so; 79-70=Boring; 69-1=Forget it
Rated 24 May 2020
80
14th
I don't think it really rises to its own legend, but The Evil Dead is still surprisingly effective at times, given its super small budget and sparse plot. Raimi knows how to exact the maximum amount of tension out of his scenes, and the film's creepy setting and ghoulish special effects really do make for some scary (at the very least, unsettling) moments.
Rated 08 Mar 2020
77
70th
76.8
Rated 19 Feb 2020
60
77th
so ridiculously grotesque lol

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