Evil Dead Movies Ranked
4. Evil Dead Rise (2023)
With time comes perspective, and no more is this true than for the Evil Dead franchise. When the 2013 remake from Fede Álvarez came along, it seemed like a fresh take on the original trio. Though it had some bumps along the way, it was ultimately a nice attempt at something new. It didn’t always work and it split audiences, but it could be appreciated for the effort. The latest addition to the Evil Dead world, Evil Dead Rise, illustrates how time has proven that this new direction isn’t one that works.
Whereas the original trilogy and the TV-spin off ‘Ash vs the Evil Dead’ lean towards the cheesy fun end of the scale, the films by Fede Álvarez and Lee Cronin are spiritually linked in their attempt at a more brutal direction for these movies. The original three are certainly gory and insanely violent but always in such a way that it feels almost cartoonish – over the top and often funny. The new films take the same level of blood (which is a lot) but none of the spirit, instead replacing it with the overly harsh sounds of bones cracking, skin tearing, and blood-curdling screams.
Evil Dead Rise takes this direction and does something more entertaining and engaging with it than its predecessor: the apartment building setting keeps things contained but offers a lot of wiggle room so far as set pieces go, and the attempts at the more cheesy/goofy end of the scale do work pretty well. Sadly, however, we simply do not care about the characters – they’re not well written nor well acted enough to make us care whether or not they live or die.
If you turn your mind off and sit back Evil Dead Rise can be a fun time, and it does get better as the runtime ticks on. However, no matter how good a taste it leaves in your mouth, it proves itself as a forgettable addition to the Evil Dead franchise before too long.
3. Army of Darkness (1992)
When it comes to the original Evil Dead trilogy, it’s difficult to rank each film due to the fact that they’re all so different and every fan of the series has their own unique opinion on which film is the best and why.
Army of Darkness is, without a doubt, the most over the top, campy and silly movie of the series and, due to this, is perhaps the best representation of what the Evil Dead franchise is all about: witty one liners, catchphrases, general craziness, and an iconic action hero in Ash Williams. After all, what other horror films are revolving around time travel?
For the most part, the Middle Ages setting allows for an incredibly fun and unique feature, with balls to the wall set pieces such as the unforgettable Good Ash vs Evil Ash showdown and mini Ash’s attack on regular Ash.
Army of Darkness’ main issue is its pacing, but it is so fun that it’s very difficult to notice. And, with a performance by Bruce Campbell that is undeniably his best in the role, there’s plenty to remember about this iconic third instalment.
Army of Darkness is a damn good, ridiculously fun time. For first time watchers of the movies, Army of Darkness is essentially the perfect introduction that is almost certain to create an Evil Dead fan.
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“Drop the ‘the’. Just Evil Dead, it’s cleaner.” -some studio executive ~2012