Evil Dead 2 (1987) Review – A Groovy Masterpiece of Horror and Comedy

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are going to be looking at something that is simply a horror classic. Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead 2.

Groovy, Charming, And an Absolute Ton of Fun

Following the story of the horror megastar Ash Williams (Bruce Campbell) as he and his fiancée head deep into the woods to spend a weekend together in a cabin. Only to find themselves in the middle of a Deadite infested hell hole and a desperate fight for survival.

Evil Dead 2 acts as something of a reset for the Evil Dead formula while, at the same time, being a sequel. Taking the events of the first movie, scrubbing them out, and redoing them in what some class as a “Re-quel”.

The silliness of the practical effects, the buckets of gore and the ridiculous humour are all instrumental in making Evil Dead 2 such a great watch. The action starts within the first 5 minutes with almost no exposition or build and doesn’t let up until the credits roll. It is non stop violence and gore, blood spurts all over walls and faces as if shot from a fire hose.

“Expect a film version of a fairground ghost train ride and you will be a lot closer to what this movie delivers. It is pure chaos from beginning to end.”

Limbs are dismembered, people are beheaded, chainsaws are grafted to arms and boom-sticks are fired unrelentingly. Everything in the movie bleeds, even the cabin itself. It is continuous, brutal, brilliant mayhem and that’s what makes the movie so great.

Don’t expect a serious horror… It’s a comedic fairground ghost train ride

If you go into Evil Dead 2 expecting a serious horror with a slow build, tons of tension, and loads of scares. You are going to be beyond disappointed. You need to reset your expectations for this movie and that is something you should be doing with all 80’s horror.

Expect a film version of a fair ground ghost train ride and you will be a lot closer to what this movie delivers. It is pure chaos from beginning to end. Evil Dead 2 is almost the flag bearer for a type of horror that doesn’t get made anymore. Something that makes me rather sad.

A perfect mix of horror, action, and comedy

Evil Dead 2 deserves a whole bunch of praise for its balance of comedy, action, and horror. The action doesn’t relent for one minute and the horror is ever present but it is in its moments of pure hilarity that the film is at its most charming.

Ash Williams, played brilliantly by Bruce Campbell, is a catchphrase spouting, action movie star lampooning, icon of a horror movie protagonist. It takes some of the traits of the characters from the more serious The Evil Dead. Recognises the potential for laughs and turns them up to 11.

Everyone here is a caricature and Ash is no exception. He has an inhuman tolerance for abuse and should have been killed multiple times but his series plot armour keeps him coming back for more. Campbell’s consistently hilarious facial expressions, coupled with some brilliant one liners, make Ash one of the best horror movie protagonists of all time.

He will make you laugh throughout. Something that the spirits surrounding Ash also add to. It is massively charming and consistently amusing. It is just the right amount of funny, with the comedy never getting in the way of the horror or action.

Bruce Campbell is fantastic

Campbell’s acting deserves mention, here. Some may watch this movie and think that there is a lot of overacting and silliness but that would be missing the point. This is a movie that is very self aware and Ash is a character that is deliberately ridiculous. Campbell was very inexperienced going into the first film but worked closely with Raimi to bring the character of Ash to life. Years on, he is considered a horror icon and much beloved within the community.

“Campbell’s consistently hilarious facial expressions, coupled with some brilliant one-liners, make Ash Williams one of the best horror protagonists of all time.”

He is fantastic here in the only role really worthy of note. Campbell completely gets the type of character Ash is supposed to be and is pitch perfect in delivering it. His facial expressions and comedy timing are perfect for this movie. He completely gets the campiness and silliness needed for the role. Campbell would bring to life a character in Ash that would endure for years.

Ash has inspired dozens of video game and movie characters. That is in no small part thanks to Campbell’s brilliant performance here. It’s great to see him still acting in movies like Black Friday. He also hits the convention scene a lot giving fans a chance to meet the legend himself. What a fantastic guy!

Fantastic direction and effects

Raimi takes many of the things that made The Evil Dead great and expands on them here. He is a veritable hurricane of ideas and each collection of scenes acts as its own little set piece. There is more use of bike cameras to capture long trailing shots through the woods, creative use of mirrors and camera angles to aid special effects.

Great scene set ups that get the most out of the chaos inside the cabin and some brilliant lighting to add ambiance. Raimi manages to keep an immense pace throughout the movie with very little let up between shots. There are a few continuity issues here and there but nothing major.

It’s impossible not to be impressed at just what was achieved with this movie. Looking back on it now, the amount of work that went in to the practical effects is incredible. Trees come to life, disembodied heads attack people mercilessly, hands roam around of their own free will like Thing from The Addams Family. Best of all, it is all done practically.

“Raimi is a veritable hurricane of ideas. Looking back, the amount of work that went into the practical effects is incredible. Everything bleeds, even the cabin.”

There is a ton of stop motion and a whole bunch of creative effects work. And while some of it looks a bit hokey and silly today. It is no less impressive when you consider just how much an achievement this was at the time.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

Support the Site Knockout Horror is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program. Basically, if you click a link to rent or buy a movie, we may earn a tiny commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This helps keep the lights on and the nightmares coming. Don't worry, we will never recommend a movie purely to generate clicks. If it's bad, we will tell you.

Disclaimer: Images, posters, and video stills used in this review are the property of their respective copyright holders. They are included here for the purposes of commentary, criticism, and review under fair use. Knockout Horror makes no claim of ownership and encourages readers to support the official release of all films discussed.