Come Get Some: Ranking all the ‘EVIL DEAD’ Movies from Worst to Best

I have always been a huge fan of the Evil Dead movies ever since I was a kid. I remember seeing the first one in middle school and it legit scared the crap out of me. I am looking forward to the newest installment-Evil Dead Burn-that hits theaters in July and am hoping that it rules. While I like most of the films in the series, there are some I enjoy more than others, so I decided to do a ranking of the movies from worst to best.

Note that I didn’t include Within the Woods, the short film that started it all in my rankings as it is a short and I only wanted to include the main, full-length movies on my list (though I do dig Within the Woods in general.

5. The Evil Dead (2013)

I am generally not a fan of remakes, and as such I feel like this movie belongs on the bottom of the list. I went into it hoping that I would enjoy it, but alas it just wasn’t meant to be. I had a hard time getting into it when I first saw it and I just felt underwhelmed after everything was said and done. My biggest problem with it is that it didn’t really feel like an Evil Dead movie at all, and it didn’t help that Ash didn’t show up until the ten second cameo that had nothing to do with the rest of the movie that takes place after the credits.

I also felt like the Deadites were not scary at all and they were way too easy to kill off. While Jane Levy (Don’t Breathe, A Little Prayer) did an okay job as the main character I think that she was a poor substitute for Ash, and the movie just didn’t work for me as a result. I know that a lot of people love this film, but I just didn’t care for it and thought that it could have been a lot better for several reasons. I don’t think that the original needed to be remade as it still holds up nicely, and to be honest it could have been called anything else as it just didn’t have an Evil Dead vibe to it, in my opinion.

4. Army of Darkness (1992)

I’m sure I am going to tick a lot of people off by ranking this movie so low as I know it is beloved by a lot of people, but I’m just not that into it. It was a little too comedic for me and I was honestly disappointed when I saw it as I had been waiting for years for a follow up to the totally awesome Evil Dead 2 and I just don’t think that this installment delivered what I was hoping for.

The first two films have some dark humor, but this one goes overboard with the goofiness and there aren’t a lot of scares to be found here as a result. The previous movies managed to scare me at least a little bit, but this one didn’t creep me out at all. I do enjoy the ending that takes place at S-Mart, and I know that this film helped cement Ash’s personality, but I was just wanting another film in the vein of the previous movies and felt more than a little let down by this installment. I don’t hate it and enjoy it more now than I do when I initially saw it, but at the same time I just think that it is inferior to the first two movies in a lot of ways (Boy, am I going to get some hateful comments for this one, aren’t I?).

3. Evil Dead Rise (2023)

I was so excited to see this movie after I saw the teaser trailer months before it was released, and even though I enjoyed it I didn’t dig it as much as I thought I would (then again my expectations for it were super high and no matter what I don’t think it could have lived up to what I was expecting). I love the fact that it had a different setting this time around and it reminded me of Demons 2 in a lot of ways, but it honestly just felt like it was missing something that I can’t put my finger on.

The gore and death scenes are awesome and a lot of fun, and I appreciate that it brought back the elements of horror from the earlier installments, but some things about it didn’t work for me. I wasn’t into the constant fan service via all the nods to the other films as they felt a little forced and the ending left a lot to be desired if you ask me (then again I think that the opening and end scenes could have been cut out and it wouldn’t have made any difference in the long run). I thought the cast was awesome and the overall tone worked for me, but in the end, I just couldn’t help but feel a little disappointed in it as it wasn’t as awesome as I had hoped it would be. Still, it’s not a bad movie and it has a lot going for it, but it just wasn’t my favorite in the series by a long shot.

2. Evil Dead 2 (1987)

I love this movie and think that it is loads of fun with some awesome action scenes and some legit scary moments. While it is a little more comedic than the previous film, I still think that it works and does a great job of combining horror and comedy without trying too hard. I saw it when I was in the seventh grade, and parts of it creeped me out just like the first movie did. I always enjoyed the dark humor that is featured in the movie as well as it is legit funny in a warped way and helps make the movie a fun ride in general.

My only complaint is that the ending is a little odd and when I first saw it, I was more than a little disappointed as it just seems to come out of nowhere and wasn’t how I was expecting things to end. Other than that, this movie is loaded with greatness and Bruce Campbell does an excellent job of bringing Ash to life and making him a truly iconic horror character in this installment. It is just an all-around awesome movie, and if you were into the first film then you are sure to dig this one just as much.

And my pick for the best movie in the Evil Dead movie series is…

The Evil Dead (1981)

I am sure no one is surprised that the first movie is at the top of my list as I have always loved it and think that it is an almost flawless movie that helped start one of the most beloved horror franchises of all time. It is scary as Hell in my opinion, and I remember sleeping with the lights on the night I first saw it when I was a kid back in the day. Just about everything about it works and it is truly a modern horror classic in every sense of the word.

I have seen it countless times and it never gets old to me. It’s one of those films like the original Halloween, Jaws, Demons, and Sleepaway Camp that I can watch repeatedly and it is a little better each time I see it. This movie just rules in general and is one of my favorite movies of all time as a result. It is without a doubt a masterpiece.

There you have it, my ranking of the Evil Dead movies from worst to best. I am sure I probably offended some people with how I ranked them, so let me know if you agree or disagree with my picks in the comments.