Every ‘Evil Dead’ Movie Ranked from Worst to Best

For over four decades, the ‘Evil Dead’ series has bounced from scrappy cabin-in-the-woods terror to slapstick splatter and modern studio mayhem, spawning sequels, a reboot, and fresh lore while keeping the Necronomicon at the center of the chaos. Across five films, directors Sam Raimi, Fede Álvarez, and Lee Cronin have played with tone, effects, and settings—rural cabins, medieval battlefields, and high-rise apartments—while anchoring everything to practical gore and possession-driven set pieces. Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams became a cult icon, the book of the dead a recurring catalyst, and each entry carved out its own identity through style, pace, and escalating carnage. Below, we count down every movie in the franchise from X to 1.

‘Evil Dead’ (2013)

Directed by Fede Álvarez, this reboot follows a group of friends who head to a remote cabin to help one of them detox, only to unleash demons after reading from the Necronomicon. Jane Levy leads the cast, with practical effects and extensive makeup work driving the film’s grisly set pieces. The story reimagines the original premise with new character dynamics and a relentless single-location siege. It was produced by longtime franchise stewards Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Robert Tapert and released by TriStar Pictures alongside Ghost House Pictures.

‘Evil Dead Rise’ (2023)

Lee Cronin shifts the action from a forest cabin to a condemned Los Angeles apartment building, centering on two estranged sisters and a newly discovered volume of the Necronomicon. Alyssa Sutherland and Lily Sullivan headline, with large-scale practical gore, wire work, and sound design emphasizing enclosed, vertical spaces. The film introduces new lore threads—particularly how the book surfaces—and stages its set pieces around household tools, elevators, and cramped corridors. It was produced by New Line Cinema and Ghost House Pictures, expanding the series’ urban scope while keeping the possession mechanics intact.

‘Army of Darkness’ (1992)

Sam Raimi pivots into swashbuckling horror-comedy as Ash is transported to the Middle Ages, where he battles Deadites and a skeletal army. Bruce Campbell returns opposite Embeth Davidtz, with kinetic camerawork, stop-motion effects, and large-scale practical battles. The plot revolves around retrieving the Necronomicon from a graveyard and bungling a crucial incantation, which triggers the climactic siege. Universal Pictures released the film, and multiple cuts exist, including differing endings that alter the tone of the conclusion.

‘The Evil Dead’ (1981)

Sam Raimi’s feature debut traps five friends in a Tennessee cabin, where an audio recording unleashes Kandarian demons and drives the group to possession and dismemberment. Bruce Campbell leads an ensemble that endured low-budget, guerrilla-style production, aggressive camera moves, and copious prosthetic effects. The film’s signature techniques—ramming POV shots, stop-motion decomposition, and homemade rigs—became hallmarks of the series’ visual language. Initially distributed by New Line Cinema, it grew into a cult classic that set the template for everything that followed.

‘Evil Dead II’ (1987)

Raimi blends remake and sequel as Ash returns to the cabin for a faster, more elastic follow-up that layers slapstick into the splatter. Bruce Campbell’s physical performance anchors elaborate sequences involving possessed limbs, contorted set pieces, and Looney Tunes–style mayhem. The production uses miniatures, reverse photography, and puppetry to stage the Deadite encounters while expanding the Necronomicon mythology. DeLaurentiis Entertainment Group released the film, which directly tees up the time-warp premise that leads into ‘Army of Darkness’.

Share your own order of the ‘Evil Dead’ films in the comments!