Why It's Impossible to Rank All of the Evil Dead Films

The Evil Dead franchise is one of the few in the horror genre that has remained fantastic with every single film. I feel that each movie brings a 'different kind of horror' to the table for the fans of the franchise. I am aware that some fans have their own personal ranking of the films, but in opinion, I think it's kind of hard to rank these movies. 

This franchise has something special that many franchises really don't have. 

None of these films actually feels like a continuation. You don't really have to watch any of the films in order. 

Each film is their own standalone story. 

(I'm going to completely exclude the TV series for this article, and only focus on the films).

The Evil Dead is the main introduction into the horror of the franchise.

I think that The Evil Dead is the only film in the franchise that does not possess any form of comedy at all. This film is pretty gritty, focusing on the story of Ash Williams, who is struggling to survive against demons that are picking off his friends and family one by one. 

It's a great intro for what to expect from the franchise going forward, but I think this is the only Evil Dead film that maintains pure horror and agony throughout the film. And it's the only film in the franchise that left me so pissed off with that cutthroat ending. 

Evil Dead 2 is the first film to bring comedy to the franchise.

Evil Dead 2 is a different retelling of the first film. Instead of Ash's friends and family from the first film, we get only his girlfriend, and a random group of people find themselves in a horrible situation. The bloodbath in this film is cranked to 100%, and the kills of the characters are even more brutal. Plus, I think the demon possessions are even more ugly than the first film, but in the original, they were definitely creepier. 

I do consider Evil Dead 2 to be my favorite film in the franchise, because of how creative the horror is used in this film. The cabin becomes like its own possession, messing with Ash for a long time during the film. I think it's the only film in the franchise that actually uses the entire environment to its advantage, and the crew definitely were on a sort of ball game with the use of horror in this film. 

The ending to this film does lead to the third film in a way, but again, the third entry feels like its own movie. 

Army of Darkness is the most campy film in the franchise, that takes place in another world.

Army of Darkness is the only film in the franchise that takes place in a different time period. Ash is teleported at the end of the second film to medieval times, where he must battle the demons to save a kingdom. It's so random from the other films in the franchise, and it's kind of cool to see Ash take on the persona of a true hero, like a prince trying to save his people. 

And yeah, it also lacks gore, but the campiness of the movie and the battle sequences really are what make this film stand out. The third film did unfortunately go through a lot of studio changes, but at least we got something special with the third film. 

The Evil Dead (2013) is a complete remake of the original, but it feels like its own movie.

The Evil Dead remake feels like a praise type of movie for the splatter gore horror genre. I think the remake is by far the most gory film in the franchise. We follow a different set of characters in the remake, who stumble upon a cabin and find themselves trying to survive against absolute evil. 

I was so impressed by the remake, and I thought it was awesome how it refused to follow the original. It did its own thing with the story, throwing in twists and turns during the story that I was not expecting to happen. It's like a reimagining of the original Evil Dead, and it I think it works quite well. 

Evil Dead Rise is the only film that focuses on a family theme, and takes place in an apartment complex.

I think Evil Dead Rise is another bold move in the franchise. This time we get a family that becomes targeted by demons, and I think it's the most tragic film in the franchise. Each loss feels like a punch to the gut, knowing that these characters are family to one another. 

It's a fantastic add on story to the franchise, and I loved how the film did not hold back on the gore, or the people in the family that get killed. It also does its own thing with the demons, having them undergo a sort of transformation toward the end of the film to hunt down the remaining survivors. 

How do you feel about this? Do you think it's possible to rank the films? Or do you think each film is perfect in their own way when it comes to the horror and their stories?

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Thank you for reading!

Emy Quinn