The Evil Dead franchise is an outlier even in horror, a genre associated with deranged killers and nightmarish monsters. The original, released in 1981, turned the typical remote-cabin-in-the-woods premise into one of cinema’s most beloved bloodlines. The sequel, released in 1987, turned up the insanity and manic energy to 11.
Since then, the Sam Raimi-created franchise has become only bigger and weirder. It has moved beyond just Deadites and even beyond the great Bruce Campbell. And with Evil Dead Burn on the horizon, now feels like the perfect time to revisit and rank every installment. Using IMDb ratings as our guide, here’s how all the Evil Dead movies, and one gloriously gory show, stack up against each other.
1. Ash vs Evil Dead (2015–2018)
- Creators: Sam Raimi, Ivan Raimi, and Tom Spezialy
- IMDb Rating: 8.4
- Streaming On: Prime Video
Plot: The highest-rated entry in the Evil Dead franchise is actually not a movie but the sole series. This show has Ash Williams living a lazy and directionless life. But he inadvertently utters a few words from the dreaded Necronomicon, and Deadites return. He is forced to go back into action by his co-worker Pablo (Ray Santiago) and Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo). They travel across the length and breadth of the United States, battling demons.
The show is gloriously over-the-top, and besides the expected bloodshed and dark humor, it also gives Ash Williams the much-needed character development that isn’t always possible in the cinematic format.
2. Evil Dead II (1987)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb Rating: 7.7
- Streaming On: Prime Video (rent)
Plot: Ash Williams just cannot catch a break. In the sequel, he visits another remote cabin with his girlfriend (why can’t he go to a crowded beach? What’s wrong with him?). And once again, he reawakened the forces of evil thanks to the Necronomicon and recordings left behind by a professor. His girlfriend, called Linda, becomes possessed, and Ash has to take up arms once again to battle the demons.
3. Army of Darkness (1992)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb Rating: 7.4
- Streaming On: Prime Video (rent)
Plot: In this film, Ash is transported back to the Middle Ages after the events of Evil Dead II. To return home, he must recover the Necronomicon, but his mistakes unleash an army of skeleton warriors. Armed with a shotgun and chainsaw hand, Ash leads a bizarre battle to save the kingdom.
4. The Evil Dead (1981)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb Rating: 7.3
- Streaming On: Prime Video (rent)
Plot: In this movie, five college friends go on vacation at an isolated cottage deep inside the woods, assuming that their stay will be a relaxing one. However, upon arriving at the cottage, the friends find a peculiar cassette player as well as an ancient book called the Necronomicon.
Upon listening to the tape, the friends end up invoking demonic powers that were dormant within the forest. And then, chaos reigns as the friends are taken over by these evil spirits and start attacking each other. Our hero, Ash Williams (Campbell), has to survive until morning.
5. Evil Dead (2013)
- Director: Fede Álvarez
- IMDb Rating: 6.5
- Streaming On: Prime Video (Rent)
Plot: It features a young woman called Mia (Jane Levy) who is taken to their family’s remote cabin by her brother and their group of friends to help Mia overcome her heroin addiction. And every Evil Dead fan knows what ensues in remote cabins. And indeed, things take a terrifying turn when a mysterious book (yes, the Necronomicon) is hidden in the basement alongside signs of mysterious rituals. An evil presence begins to spread and begins to possess the group members one by one.
6. Evil Dead Rise (2023)
- Director: Lee Cronin
- IMDb Rating: 6.5
- Streaming On: HBO Max, Prime Video
Plot: Directed by Lee Ronin, who also directed the recent The Mummy movie, this film shifts the action from remote cabins to an apartment in a locked-down building. The story follows a young woman called Beth (Lily Sullivan) who visits her estranged sister (and single mother) Ellie (Alyssa Sutherland) and her children. After an earthquake hits the area, it opens up a secret chamber underneath the building, where the kids discover the Necronomicon. And yes, they read it. The book unleashes evil forces and takes possession of Ellie.
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