The Evil Dead (1981) Review

 

The Evil Dead (1981)

The Evil Dead follows Ash Williams and his four friends, who after traveling out to a cabin in the woods, find a book that when read aloud, awakens the dead, unleashing a flood of evil on the cabin and forcing the group to fight for their lives. 

What more can be said of Raimi's legendary cult-classic that hasn't already been beaten to death like a zombie that crosses paths with Ash? Not much, but I’ll give it a shot. Working on a shoestring budget, The Evil Dead delivers what it promises—the ultimate in grueling horror—spooking the audience through a chilling atmosphere and some of the most violent effects ever put on film (best not watch if you’re squeamish). 

From the start, it does a fantastic job of building an impalpable amount of tension and terror, all while never letting up on the scares, creating tension for a looming scene scenes in advance, while scaring us in between. It greatly benefits from the masterful camera work of one Sam Raimi, which is aggressive and fast, and yet always knows when to stick around a little longer. My favorite thing is it's self-aware of the fact that it's a simple zombie movie and never takes itself too seriously, and doesn't expect the audience to do so either. It's meant to be campy, cheesy, revolting and chilling at the same time. 

In the 40 years since it’s release, the movie does look a bit dated in terms of it’s effects but that’s one of the many things that keep me coming back for more honestly. It’s gory body horror, and the constant bloodbath that is being poured upon Ash, borders on horror and hilarity, especially considering that he, along with everyone else in the movie, is running through high levels of shock from very early on (yannow, from having to chop up their friends). It utilizes Ash’s deteriorating mental state to progressively turn the film into utter madness. 

We also get a wonderful cast in Theresa Tilly, Betsy Baker, Richard DeManincor, Ellen Sandweiss, and Bruce Campbell. Before he was the man with the killer chin, Campbell shined as Ash, subverting expectations and giving us a crazy, maniacal, and intense performance as my all time favorite final boy. He truthfully makes this film and there’s no Ash, or Evil Dead, without him. 

The Evil Dead, directed by Sam Raimi, is B-horror movie camp at it’s finest, with it’s puss-oozing zombies, copious amounts of blood, and the best final boy to exist, we’re left with a raw and shocking modern classic that is still as entertaining 40 years later. 

9.1/10