Is Evil Dead the best horror franchise?

I have a ton of respect for Sam Raimi and his entire body of work. I really love his sense of editing—especially when it comes to action sequences. His camera work is just unbeatable.
Now, visually, Evil Dead is incredible, but I just can't wrap my head around it. It’s stuck in this weird limbo where it isn't quite a comedy and isn't quite a horror movie. I don't get the point, and I certainly don't see how the Evil Dead films could be considered the greatest horror movies of all time.
What do you guys think?

As someone who’s always had a soft spot for that classic "gothic" horror vibe, I honestly think Sam Raimi's first Evil Dead had these specific moments that are just totally unbeatable—it's just that the movie itself is such a mixed bag, you know? It can't quite decide what it wants to be. Looking back, it feels much more like a comedy to me now, but if you had asked me when I was fourteen, I would have sworn up and down it was a "straight-up" hardcore horror flick...

The Evil Dead is pure horror, stripped of any comedic undertones, whereas Evil Dead 2 and Army of Darkness lean heavily into comedy and horror parody.
I wouldn't go so far as to call them the greatest films ever made, but they are certainly among my personal favorites.
As for Sam Raimi, he’s easily one of the best directors working right now—not just because his action sequences are incredibly inventive, but because he truly stands alone. The only director even remotely close to his level at the moment is Peter Jackson.

I'm with you on that 😉

Amy White2 said:I have so much respect for Sam Raimi—his whole style and vision is just incredible. I mean, his sense of editing, especially during those action sequences? His camera work is absolutely unbeatable.
And honestly, while the visuals in Evil Dead are stunning, I just can't wrap my head around the vibe. It’s stuck in this weird limbo where it’s neither a straight comedy nor a pure horror flick. What’s the actual point here? And does anyone truly consider Evil Dead one of the greatest horror movies ever made?
What do you guys think?

Exactly! You either love Evil Dead or the whole thing just gets under your skin! At its core, we're talking about trash/cartoon horror, where you really need to lean into that over-the-top energy to enjoy it! 😛
Look, it definitely fits within the horror genre, but you have to view it through the lens of the era when it was actually filmed. Some things that might seem tame by today's standards were actually pretty intense back then! 😉
Evil Dead is a total cult masterpiece!

I honestly value 👍 the 👍 Evil Dead 👍 series so much just because of how incredible Bruce Campbell is... it’s definitely one of the best trilogies out there

Man, just wait until you guys actually see how this movie was shot considering the budget! It's honestly mind-blowing. 😁 Talk about pure creative genius and sheer improvisation! I actually have that Evil Dead Trilogy DVD sitting right here at my place—it’s the four-disc set I picked up from Amazon, and it includes those incredible documentaries about the filming process. You absolutely have to see them! Honestly, it’s mind-blowing. You look at how they pulled it off and you just can't wrap your head around it. It’s wild how someone can cook up an idea that would easily cost 100% more if they had tried to do it all with modern CGI or some high-tech digital wizardry!

Noah Watson4 said:Exactly. You either love Evil Dead or the whole vibe just gets on your nerves. At its core, it’s trash/cartoon horror where you actually want everything to be over-the-top and exaggerated! 😛
Look, it definitely fits the horror genre, but you have to view it through the lens of when it was actually made. Things that look ridiculous by today's standards were genuinely unsettling back then. 😉
Evil Dead is a cult masterpiece!

It's a bit reductive to label the original Evil Dead as just "trash," considering Sam Raimi shot it as his film school thesis project with zero budget and no studio backing.
Given that context, 🙏

It wasn't just once that Sam Raimi's first short film for the academy served as the blueprint for everything to come—I mean, "Within The Woods" basically laid the entire foundation for the later Evil Dead, which is really just a feature-length expansion of WtW!
Check out this deep dive over at http://www.samraimi.iofm.net/wtw.html—it’s a fantastic look at Within The Woods! I really love how much heart goes into this breakdown; it’s one of those rare finds where you can tell someone actually cares about the nuances of the filmmaking. It’s definitely worth a read if you want to get lost in the details of the legend itself.

Gary Kelly8 said:Isn't it true that Sam Raimi's first short film for the academy was "Within The Woods"? It basically laid the entire foundation for what eventually became the feature film Evil Dead, which is really just a long-form expansion of "WtW".
http://www.samraimi.iofm.net/wtw.html

Yap! You hit the nail right on the head! 😉

I recall reading somewhere that during the filming of Evil Dead by Raimi, Sam Raimi actually crashed a motorcycle into Bruce Campbell and broke his jaw 😁

For me, nothing beats that shot where the red tube sprays raspberry juice everywhere after Ash blasts that thing through the door with a shotgun 😁

Gary Kelly8 said:Wasn't his first short film for the academy "Within The Woods," which basically laid the groundwork for the later Evil Dead? It's essentially just a feature-length expansion of "WtW."
http://www.samraimi.iofm.net/wtw.html

That’s all true, but here's the reality: Evil Dead started out as a student project. Sam Raimi couldn't wrap it up on a shoestring budget, so Tapert stepped in with enough funding to actually get the film finished.

So, I finally sat down and rewatched this after what feels like a damn eternity.
And yeah, it stuck with me just as much as the first time—seeing Sam Raimi's massive breakthrough ☕
Whenever I think about Evil Dead, my mind immediately jumps to that camera work, just tearing through the woods during the day (well, more like dawn, actually) instead of the usual nighttime trope 🙂 )
Man, even today, those scenes give me actual chills. The leaves, the skeletal trees, that eerie music, the cabin... it’s just pure gold 🙂
The rest of it is killer too. The tension and fighting inside that cabin are freaking terrifying, and even though I know it’s all just masks and movie magic
it still manages to trigger this inexplicable sense of dread and anxiety every single time.
I used to think the sequel might be better, but looking back at the whole saga now, I think this first Evil Dead is truly the best and most essential one.
The sequels feel like they're just recycling the same ideas, maybe with slightly better special effects. They definitely lean way harder into exploiting Ash Williams as a character, probably because Sam Raimi realized how much potential there was in Bruce Campbell's facial expressions—the guy was basically born for this kind of horror.

Absolute must-watch for any horror junkie

10/10 A total horror rollercoaster

Oh, almost forgot,
is it the greatest horror movie ever made?

Nah, not the absolute best, but it's definitely up there among the greats and the essentials.

Patrick Martin said:absolute must-read for any horror buff

man, I almost totally blanked on this,
but is it actually the greatest horror flick ever made?

I wouldn't say it's the absolute best, but it’s definitely up there in the hall of fame when you consider how much it changed things.

Double down on that, signed, sealed, and delivered! 👍

Just so we're clear though, I personally gave the first one an 8/10 and then the sequel a solid 9/10.

...I grew up on these movies. I could watch them anytime. The first one is basically my film school—it’s how you learn all those old-school camera tricks using a bike and a stick just to get the shot. The second one is a straight-up masterpiece, perfect mix of gore and laughs. And the third? Just pure, unadulterated fun, total trashy comedy bliss. I'd give the whole series a solid 10/11.