Spooktober Review: Evil Dead II

Throughout “Spooktober,” Nicklaus Neitling reviews one horror property each weekday.

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While I respect what the first Evil Dead did, its sequel Evil Dead II arguably tells the same story better.

Co-written and directed by Sam Raimi, this film kickstarted a franchise that spawned another film, multiple video games, comics, a remake, and most recently a television show that lasted three seasons. The movie is now 26 years old and still holds up.

The plot follows Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) as he goes to a cabin in the woods with his girlfriend Linda (Denise Bixler) to enjoy a weekend retreat. There they find the Necronomicon and use the cabin’s previous resident’s tapes to translate the book. In doing so, they release the demons the book kept dormant.

Spoilers for Evil Dead II.

God is this movie a great time. Sam Raimi directs phenomenal horror. The iconic demonic POV shots that scream through the woods evoke terror, as our imaginations fill the gaps the camera refuses to show us. Tension builds constantly as the forces of hell berate and torture Ash, who spends most of the movie alone in the woods. Even when other characters make it to the cabin, the terrors haunting the woods still remain in control.

But despite the film’s terror, its violence becomes comical. Buckets of blood are constantly splattered across the cabin as the demons pick their victims. The demons act like crazy old people, which makes for some laughs. Furthermore, we laugh at the sheerly ludicrous gore, deflating any remaining tension.

The film takes a harsh shift in its third act. Getting his signature chainsaw hand and sawed-off shotgun, Ash decides to fight back. The film decides to lean into its campiness and goes all-out in a finale that ranks in horror’s best. It is so satisfying to watch powerless characters finally take it back… with a chainsaw. The film’s end scene is probably the most harrowing yet hilarious scene I’ve ever watched. After defeating evil, Ash is sent to medieval times to become their hero. It’s so painfully unlucky that all one can do is laugh.

The only issue I have with the movie is the inconsistency of Ash’s two possessions. On two separate occasions, demons possess him; however, through the power of plot armour, he is cured of his ailment. No other character receives this treatment. It’s even established in the rules of the film that once a demon possesses you, death is the only cure.

That said, the whole Evil Dead franchise is a good time. From its humble beginnings to the Starz series, you really can’t go wrong with any entry. All of them cement Sam Raimi as the genre master he is known as today.

You might want to just skip the video games, though.