How to watch all the Evil Dead movies in order

Here are all the Evil Dead movies in order, from Bruce Campbell's initial struggles with the Deadites right up to their terrifying return in Evil Dead Rise.

Alyssa Sutherland in Evil Dead Rise and Bruce Campbell in Ash vs Evil Dead

How do you watch the Evil Dead movies in order? Evil Dead just keeps coming back, with 2023’s Evil Dead Rise being the latest in the long and storied line of gore-soaked classics. From the beginning, these movies have brought together truly horrific violence and spectacular over-the-top imagery, a combo that went on to be the series’ legacy.

Evil Dead is back in our minds and the Deadites have been reborn once again thanks to Rise. You can read about one of the most shocking new movies of 2023 in our Evil Dead Rise review. But we’ve also gone through the best horror movies in the franchise in full. What better way to prepare for a potential Evil Dead Rise 2 release date?

We’ve scoured the history of the best body horror movies in the series to present the Evil Dead movies in order. The release order and chronological order are one and the same, which makes this pretty simple — perfect for getting you up to date.

The Evil Dead movies in order:

  • The Evil Dead
  • Evil Dead II
  • Army of Darkness
  • Evil Dead
  • Evil Dead Rise

Evil Dead movies in order: The Evil Dead (1981)

The Evil Dead (1981)

Where to watch: Amazon, AMC+

The Evil Dead became one of the best ’80s movies for horror fans due to its creativity and flare. Instead of striving for realism and pure darkness, The Evil Dead leaned more towards the camp of the best comedy movies, which resulted in some truly bizarre moments that have stood the test of time.

The scrappy nature in which the film came about at the hands of its then-unknown creators Sam Raimi, Bruce Campbell, and Rob Tapert, made it the darling of horror fans everywhere, even Stephen King.

The premise is simple: five friends stay at a cabin in the woods, where they find a mysterious book that ends up releasing the wrath of demons. While it’s a now-classic tale, the over-the-top practical horror and inventive approach at the time have made The Evil Dead an important part of horror history.

Evil Dead movies in order: Evil Dead II (1987)

Evil Dead II (1987)

Where to watch: TubiAmazon, Apple TV

Evil Dead II is considered both a remake and a sequel to the original outing, which makes for an interesting take on the pre-existing story. In the sequel, Ash returns to the screen when he takes his girlfriend for a vacation in the woods, where he discovers audio recordings of an ancient book that summons, you guessed it, evil demons!

This movie saw a bigger budget and stronger backing than its original counterpart, partly due to the impact of the first. As sequels go, Evil Dead II can be considered a success, with praise being given for its offbeat humor and effective gore. Similarly to the first movie, this would go on to become a cult classic and many horror fans would consider it among the best movies ever made.

Evil Dead movies in order: Bruce Campbell as Ash in Army of Darkness

Army of Darkness (1992)

Where to watch: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Max

If the series wasn’t already wild enough for you, Army of Darkness is where things really start to go off the rails. This sequel takes the form of the best time travel movies and follows Ash as he becomes trapped in the Middle Ages where he must battle the undead in order to return to his own time. Yes, this one mostly takes place way in the past, but because it’s time travel we’re still placing it here.

We know. On paper, it sounds like a completely unreasonable direction for the movie series to take. Many fans didn’t take to this piece of the Evil Dead puzzle, and some even consider it to blame for having ruined the franchise. However, as time has gone on, many have grown to love the quirky sequel, dubbing it a cheesy gem.

Evil Dead movies in order: Jane Levy as Mia in Evil Dead 2013

Evil Dead (2013)

Where to watch: Amazon Prime VideoApple TV, Hulu

Like many famous horror franchises in the 2010s, The Evil Dead got the remake treatment. Though it wasn’t as successful as its predecessors (and received its fair share of flack), it’s worth watching nonetheless if you want to make sure you’ve checked all the boxes.

Repeat after us: A group of young friends heads to a getaway deep in the woods, where they come upon the Book of the Dead and unknowingly summon evil spirits.

Evil Dead harkens back to some of the original film’s elements, such as the cabin in the woods setting and some recreations of iconic moments. Ultimately, the film lacked some of the heart and soul of the other movies (namely in its lack of protagonist Ash save for a brief post-credits scene) which is what ended up dragging it down.

Lily Sullivan in Evil Dead Rise

Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Where to watch: Amazon, Apple TV, DirectTV and Max

The latest iteration of the Deadites comes in the form of Evil Dead Rise, which hit cinemas in April 2023. This version also focuses on a small family who, after encountering an earthquake, stumble across the infamous Book of the Dead and bring a night of demon-infused terror upon themselves.

Penned and directed by Lee Cronin (and produced by Raimi), Evil Dead Rise puts a modern spin on the classic franchise tropes, and acts as a homage to the series so far, while also successfully standing on its own accord. It’s gross in the best way, and Alyssa Sutherland absolutely killed it (and many people).

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That’s it on how to watch the Evil Dead movies in order. You can also check out one of the horror world’s best TV series that ran between 2015 and 2018: Ash vs Evil Dead. It’s a must-watch for Deadite completists.

For more of Raimi’s world, find out why we think Evil Dead might be the best horror movie series ever, read our Lee Cronin interview, and check out why the Evil Dead movies might bring back Ash.

If that’s not enough scares and splatter, you can check out our lists of the best zombie movies, best ghost movies, and best vampire movies. And don’t forget to check out everything we know about the Saw 10 release date, and the best Netflix horror movies to watch now.