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The Evil Dead (1981)

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Videos & Photos

  • Trailer 1
  • Trailer 1

Movie Info & Cast

Director:

Sam Raimi

Producer:

Rob Tapert

Release Date:

Oct 15, 1981

Runtime:

1hr 25m

Synopsis

Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.

Cast

  • Bruce Campbell
  • Ellen Sandweiss
  • Richard DeManincor
  • Betsy Baker
  • Theresa Tilly
  • Philip A. Gillis
  • Dorothy Tapert
  • Cheryl Guttridge
  • Barbara Carey
  • David Horton

Letterboxd User Reviews

3.6
843.3K
234.3K
255.2K
RATINGS 7.5K FANS
3.6
  • Apr 14, 2019

    bruce campbell is my favourite final girl

    8.5K Likes
    coochie thomas howell
    coochie thomas howell
    Oct 1, 2019

    gore? heard of it

    5.4K Likes
    Lucy
    Lucy
    Oct 8, 2021

    Personally I think all horror films should be made with the budget of a ham sandwich. Really adds a sense of spice to the terror

    4.0K Likes
    Dakota Joaquin
    Dakota Joaquin
  •
    Jul 9, 2018

    Imagine trying to eat a snack while watching this

    3.3K Likes
    kayla
    kayla
    Nov 17, 2020

    those dead sure were evil

    3.3K Likes
    olivia
    olivia
    Apr 7, 2012

    Sam Raimi was 21 when he made this. If that fact is going to ruin my weekend, it may as well ruin yours.

    3.1K Likes
    Jeff
    Jeff
  •
    Nov 16, 2020

    white people need to stop messin’ around with demons, imo

    3.1K Likes
    Jamelle Bouie
    Jamelle Bouie
    Oct 2, 2020

    when cheryl got possessed it’s like... yeah that’ll happen when you fifth wheel a couple’s trip :\

    2.3K Likes
    cookie
    cookie
    Mar 22, 2022

    something shifted

    2.2K Likes
    Karsten
    Karsten
See All Reviews on Letterboxd.com

Queue Community Reviews

87%
Community 3,757
❤️ LOVE
31%
👍 LIKE
56%
😐 MEH
9%
👎 DISLIKE
4%
Top Reviews
  • fem film bro
    fem film bro liked
    The Evil Dead

    - I love horror and not a lot scares me, but this is genuinely one of the most terrifying films I’ve ever seen - Ash is fineee so that helped - Proof you don’t need the special effects we have today to make a scary film - All the characters are stupid, but that’s to be expected

    4 🔥 4 3Y
    Theresa
    Theresa disliked
    The Evil Dead

    Do people really like this movie or do they just think they have to say they like it to be considered true horror movie fans? I don’t get it. It’s terrible. It’s not even one of those “so bad it’s good” movies.

    2 🔥 😂 6 3Y
    Aidan
    Aidan liked
    The Evil Dead

    Very tight. Certified steez classic

    2 🔥 2 3Y
  • Kareem
    Kareem is "meh" on
    The Evil Dead

    The terrible awful acting, camera work/angles/cuts, sound quality, sound effects, writing, cringy lines, stupid characters, in the first 25 minutes really set the tone of the garbage I was about to get into. Really wished I was wrong or that it was js a bad first impression but-

    2 🤔 1 1Y
    ant
    ant liked
    The Evil Dead

    I don't get scared by watching horror movies but the gore in this one is crazy. the ending is fire and a lot of shots are really cool. one of the few horror franchise starters where I actually want to watch the sequel

    2 8M
    Rebekah Ferrell
    Rebekah Ferrell disliked
    The Evil Dead

    Not sure if I just wasn’t in the mood for this movie when I watched it, but I really couldn’t get into it. Least favorite horror movie I watched with Ben.

    2 2Y
  • Clay Werner
    Clay Werner liked
    The Evil Dead

    7.7 - This is an absolutely over-the-top, disgusting, gory, and wholly underrated cult classic and the definition of camp. But it’s pretty fun.

    1 🔥 1 3Y
    Sabrina Bondi
    Sabrina Bondi liked
    The Evil Dead

    The Evil Dead is a handily told scare-story which employs splatter effects in a caricatured way to accent a relentless mounting tension.

    🔥 🤔 2 2Y
    Troy D
    Troy D disliked
    The Evil Dead

    This was definitely the worst horror movie I have ever watched. It was so predictable, and the acting oh god the acting was dreadful!

    2 2Y
View More Popular The Evil Dead Reviews on Queue

Atom Users Reviews

5.0
1
0
0
0
0

Reviews

  • JT
    Jeffrey Thurman
    #terrifying
    #intense
    #original

Metacritic

71
metacritic
Based on 11 Critics
8.1

USER SCORE (329)

Universal acclaim based on 329 Reviews
75

The extreme nature of the gore isn't beside the point - it is the point. Raimi goes so far over the top in presenting these displays that they take on a campy, almost humorous appearance. It's impossible to take all this blood seriously. So, instead of being sickened, we're strangely amused - and this is all intentional.

View full review
Metacritic review by James Berardinelli
James Berardinelli
ReelViews
See All Critic Reviews on Metacritic.com

Frequently Asked Questions

Is The Evil Dead (1981) (1981) family-friendly?
The movie has been rated as R, meaning that Under 17 requires an adult accompaniment.
How long is The Evil Dead (1981) (1981)?
The movie is 1hr 25min long.
What's The Evil Dead (1981) (1981) about?
Five friends travel to a cabin in the woods, where they unknowingly release flesh-possessing demons.
Who's the cast of The Evil Dead (1981) (1981)?
  • Bruce Campbell as Ashley 'Ash' J. Williams
  • Ellen Sandweiss as Cheryl
  • Richard DeManincor as Scott
  • Betsy Baker as Linda
  • Theresa Tilly as Shelly
  • Philip A. Gillis as Fake Shemp
  • Dorothy Tapert as Fake Shemp
  • Cheryl Guttridge as Fake Shemp
  • Barbara Carey as Fake Shemp
  • David Horton as Fake Shemp
Who's the director behind The Evil Dead (1981) (1981)?
Sam Raimi directed The Evil Dead (1981) (1981).
Who produced The Evil Dead (1981) (1981)?
Rob Tapert produced The Evil Dead (1981) (1981).