45 Years Later, The Evil Dead Franchise’s Best Sequel Is Not A Movie

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Although all the Evil Dead movies are enjoyable, the strongest film in the series isn’t one of the scary horror installments. The increasing number of deaths throughout the Evil Dead films actually reflects how the series itself has changed over time. It began in 1980 with Sam Raimi’s intense and ambitious supernatural horror, The Evil Dead. Then, in 1987, it evolved into the classic horror comedy Evil Dead II, with a more playful tone. By the 1993 sequel, Army of Darkness, the body count was much higher, signaling that the Evil Dead series had become a full-on comedy.

The 2013 Evil Dead reboot went in a different direction, focusing on a smaller group of survivors trapped in one location. Director Fede Alvarez made it much darker and grittier than the original, with less comedy. The 2023 film, Evil Dead Rise, brought back some of the series’ signature dark humor while still maintaining its intense brutality. The upcoming 2026 reboot, Evil Dead Burn, appears to be adding even more action to the already unique mix of horror and other genres.

While all the Evil Dead movies are fantastic, the three-season Starz show Ash vs Evil Dead truly embodies what makes the franchise so great. Picking up thirty years after Army of Darkness, the show features Bruce Campbell reprising his role as Ash Williams, now a struggling and weary hero from Evil Dead II. After managing to avoid Deadites for a while, Ash is forced back into action when the monsters reappear, and he has to team up with his coworkers to defeat them.

Ash Vs Evil Dead Is The Franchise’s Most Impressive Achievement

Directed by Sam Raimi, Ash vs Evil Dead was a bold effort to adapt the popular film series for television while maintaining its unique blend of comedy, horror, action, and gore. The first season was a critical success, earning a 98% rating on Rotten Tomatoes. The show continued to impress, with seasons 2 and 3 achieving a perfect 100% rating from reviewers on the site.

The Evil Dead films were known for blending humor and horror, and it was a challenge for Ash vs Evil Dead to capture that same feel. The show remarkably succeeded, consistently delivering genuine laughs, suspenseful scares, engaging characters (even with their silliness), and shocking gore over its three seasons, especially considering it premiered in 2015.

Ash Vs Evil Dead Fleshed Out The Franchise

Since Ash vs Evil Dead first aired, several horror-comedy shows have tried to combine gore, scares, and humor in a similar way. These include Happy, Preacher, The Bondsman, Chucky, Hysteria, Daybreak, and Crazyhead. Ash vs Evil Dead really set the stage for these shows, particularly by expanding on the established story and world of the franchise.

Expanding on the Evil Dead universe, Ash vs Evil Dead delved into Ash’s family history, explored the backstories of key characters beyond Ash himself, and even offered a clear explanation of the Deadites for the first time. The show managed to balance genuinely scary moments with humor and strong character development, creating a richer and more immersive experience than the films. Ultimately, Ash vs Evil Dead felt like the strongest installment in the entire series.

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2026-05-17 17:38