Director Sam Raimi attacks the movie with a brutal kind of kinetic creativity, moving the camera in truly unique patterns.
Comment
12/20/07
The Evil Dead (1979)
100
%
Tomatometer
How does the Tomatometer work 
Reviews Counted:42
Fresh:42
Rotten:0
Average Rating:8.1/10
Consensus: This classic low budget horror film combines just the right amount of gore and black humor, giving The Evil Dead an equal amount of thrills and laughs.
Runtime: 2 hrs 6 mins
Genre: Horror/Suspense
US Box Office: $0
Synopsis: Director Sam Raimi's first film has achieved legendary status since its 1982 release, and for good reason. Though perhaps not as widely seen as its two sequels, EVIL DEAD 2 and ARMY OF DARKNESS,... [More]
Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly
Director: Sam Raimi
Reviews for The Evil Dead
The goofy gruefest that launched Sam Raimi's career.
03/10/03
What could have easily degenerated into a grade Z schlockfest is buoyed along by the young auteur's highly stylized camera movements.
02/13/01
The real stars of The Evil Dead are the direction and the effects.
01/01/00
A testament to how bliss and the spark of inspiration can elevate a film of any budget in any genre from routine to sublime.
02/21/02
Le premier film d’une excellente trilogie [...] mais les deux autres volets sont davantage des incontournables.
10/28/04
Think "The Blair Witch Project," but with the witch holding the camera.
09/16/03
...all of the flubs, the bad edits, and the cheesy matte shots are key elements of a low-budget aesthetic that enhances the movie's impact even as it makes excuses for itself.
01/01/00
Short on characterisation and plot but strong on atmospheric horror and visual churns.
01/26/06
...what it lacks in narrative weight, it compensates for with a relentless pace, disturbing atmosphere, as well as some imaginative displays of dismemberment.
04/17/01
The Evil Dead still feels like the punchiest horror flick this side of a Dario Argento gialli.
03/06/02
No, they don't make 'em like this anymore, folks.
06/20/08
Sam Raimi directed this 1983 horror feature fresh out of film school, and his anything-for-an-effect enthusiasm pays off in lots of formally inventive bits.
09/24/07
A testament to the power that low budget films still have to disturb us.
03/05/02
The Evil Dead's no-holds-barred resourcefulness places it among the masterpieces of the genre.
10/24/07
striking in the creative energy it invests in a generally uninspired story full of half-baked ideas
02/27/01
The film is as packed with gore as it gets, and the special FX are cheap but very effective.
09/10/02
Raimi's biggest grossout is schlock horror done the right way...
01/01/00
It is a minor horror classic, a film that combines low-rent camera tricks with impossible energy and an inspired lead performance by Bruce Campbell.
11/07/02
An inspired gross-out horror pic.
07/05/09
Latest News for The Evil Dead
November 06, 2009:
Evil Dead to Rise Again in 2010 
The cult classic that made Sam Raimi the object of horror fans' affections is being resurrected and brought back to theaters next year. The director has agreed to hold midnight... More...
February 08, 2009:
Campbell's in No Rush for Evil Dead 4
He's supposed to be promoting "My Name Is Bruce," but Bruce Campbell is smart enough to know that everyone wants to talk about "Evil Dead" -- especially the possibility of a... More...
October 21, 2008:
Fourth Evil Dead Still on Raimi's Back Burner
Remember a few months ago, when Sam Raimi hinted that he and his brother Ivan might be sitting down to write a fourth "Evil Dead" movie in August? Well, there still isn't a script. More...
September 08, 2008:
Evil Dead: The Musical Coming to Theaters...in 3-D?
Producers of the off-Broadway hit "Evil Dead: The Musical" are in negotiations with Sam Raimi to clear the way for a 3-D film adaptation of the show. More...
What’s Hot On RT
Other News
Fresh Links
Featured
Virtuoso Vistas of The Lovely Bones
Techland examines the visual splendor of Peter Jackson's upcoming film.
Animated Oscar?
Hollywood.com ponders whether or not an animated film could win Best Picture.
Wes Anderson on Fox
The director talks about puppetry perfection and his film, Fantastic Mr. Fox
Follow Rotten Tomatoes on Twitter
Get all the latest movie updates, reviews, interviews and features here.
Competitions
Win G.I. Joe Prizes
DVDs, toys and more to give away from the hit action film.
Win Wild Things Tickets
Free double passes to join Spike Jonze's wild rumpus.
Win 9 tickets
20 double passes to win to the new animated film, produced by Tim Burton.
IGN RSS Feeds