The Evil Dead
New Line Cinema | Release Date: April 24, 1983 CRITIC SCORE DISTRIBUTION
71
METASCORE
Generally favorable reviews based on 11 Critic Reviews
Positive:
8
Mixed:
2
Negative:
1
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Critic Reviews

Critic scorePublicationBy date
100
Los Angeles TimesKevin Thomas
Unquestionalby it's an instant classic, probably the grisliest well-made movie ever. [26 May 1983]
83
The A.V. ClubZack Handlen
Then the carnage comes, and when it does, it delivers on all promises and more, with a parade of gushing wounds, demonic howls, and oceans of gore which approach the line of good taste, toe it, then gleefully dance across. [22 Sept 2010] Read full review
80
VarietyStaff [Not Credited]
While injecting considerable black humor, neophyte Detroit-based writer-director Sam Raimi maintains suspense and a nightmarish mood in between the showy outbursts of special effects gore and graphic violence which are staples of modern horror pictures. Read full review
80
EmpireStaff [Not Credited]
Unbound by cinematic convention, Raimi unleashed his free-range camera, and ghoulish, omnipresent sound effects to create a bleak, paranoid atmosphere and a raft of sudden, effective shocks. Read full review
80
Total FilmJamie Graham
Shot on 16mm for less than $50,000, Sam Raimi's visceral debut remains a benchmark of modern horror. Plot and acting are minimal - five stooges inadvertently awaken demonic forces - but then this isn't about intellect or intricacy: it's about intensity and intestines. [1 Oct 2001] Read full review
75
ReelViewsJames Berardinelli
The extreme nature of the gore isn't beside the point - it is the point. Raimi goes so far over the top in presenting these displays that they take on a campy, almost humorous appearance. It's impossible to take all this blood seriously. So, instead of being sickened, we're strangely amused - and this is all intentional. Read full review
75
Slant Magazine
Raimi's script is riotously deadpan, his compositions undeniably breathtaking and inventive. [6 March 2002] Read full review
70
Chicago ReaderPat Graham
The film is ferociously kinetic and full of visual surprises, though its gut-churning reputation doesn't seem fully deserved: if anything the gore is too picturesque and studied, an abstract decorator's mix of oozing, slimy color, like some exotic species of new-wave interior design. Read full review
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