How to watch every ‘Evil Dead’ Movie and Show in the correct order?

In 1981, director Sam Raimi launched his career with The Evil Dead, a low budget gorefest. Since then, he’s had an incredible job and has released record-breaking films.

Regardless of his success, however, Raimi has always carried a love for the Evil Dead franchise. Every few years, he returns to it in some form, either as director or producer. While the list may be short, it’s action-packed. Here’s how to watch all of the Evil Dead movies in order.

The Evil Dead Movies can be watched in the following three ways:

• Release Order
• Chronological Order
• Machete Order

Release Order

If you want to experience the entire live-action history of Evil Dead in the way that they were released, here’s how to go about it:

• The Evil Dead (1981)
• Evil Dead II (1987)
• Army of Darkness (1992)
• Evil Dead (2013)
• Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)
• Evil Dead Rise (2023)

The first three movies follow the story of Ash Williams, played by Bruce Campbell, as he battles demons and the undead. The fourth movie, released in 2013, is a reboot of the original film, featuring a new cast and updated special effects.

The TV series, Ash vs. Evil Dead, takes place 30 years after the events of Army of Darkness and follows Ash as he continues to battle the forces of evil.

Chronological Order

I. The Evil Dead (1981)

The cabin-in-the-woods thrill ride that started it all, The Evil Dead, delivers consistent scares and impressive special effects despite its incredibly minimal budget. The first film wastes no time introducing the future franchise hero, Ashley Williams.

Ash, his girlfriend Linda’s sister Cheryl, best friend Scott, and Scott’s girlfriend Shelly are all headed for a bit of vacation to a derelict cabin in the woods. Once they arrive, it doesn’t take long for them to discover the Necronomicon, a book bound in human skin and written in human blood.

Once the text is recited, the group unknowingly releases the Kandarian Demon, who slowly isolates the five teens and transforms them into horrific zombielike demons known as Deadites.

II. Evil Dead II (1987)

Sam Raimi returned to the woods in 1987 with Evil Dead II. Unable to secure the rights to footage from the first, Raimi filmed new scenes to recap the story from the first. Although he cut most of the characters from the flashbacks, making for a clearer intro.

While the film is meant to pick up where the first left off, the new scenes make it seem like Ash returns to the cabin for a second time with a new girlfriend. Either way, the sequel leans more into comedy than the first, although it still has plenty of gore.

III. Army of Darkness (1992)

So far, we’ve had a film that is a 100% serious horror nightmare and a sequel that balances horror and humor. For his original trilogy capper Army of Darkness (1992), Raimi abandoned the horror elements almost entirely and instead went in the direction of a full-blown action-comedy.

Those who want a healthy serving of scares won’t find them here, but Army of Darkness is still one cool and groovy movie, not to mention just damn fun to watch. After a brief introduction with some re-shot scenes, once again due to footage and rights issues, we pick up where Evil Dead II left off.

Ash is pulled into a portal that returns him to the Middle Ages. Armed with his chainsaw hand, all-powerful “boomstick” shotgun, and know-how from the modern age, Ash completes his evolution from a nobody S-Mart employee into a Deadite-slaying hero.

IV. Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018)

 By the time we get to the franchise’s only show, Ash’s tenure as the king of Deadite-slayer has faded as he’s older. Despite saving an entire civilization in the Army of Darkness, the Ash we follow in Ash vs. Evil Dead (2015-2018) still lives out his days as a lowly S-Mart employee.

That changes when Ash decides to get high with a lady friend, and they once again read from the Necronomicon, releasing the Kandarian Demon onto the Earth.

Now it’s up to Ash, two of his S-Mart co-workers, Pablo and Kelly, and mysterious Deadite hunter Ruby to prevent these demonic forces from causing the apocalypse.

V. Evil Dead Rise (2023)

Directed by Lee Cronin, Evil Dead Rise marks the first time a new Evil Dead story has entered theaters in a decade. Although Ash Williams is not involved in the plot this time, the sequel takes place in the continuity of the original trilogy and Ash vs. Evil Dead.

This new horror-centric adventure takes the franchise out of the woods and into a populated city, where one-time family mother Ellie is turned into a Deadite by a new Necronomicon.

Now it’s up to Ellie’s estranged sister Beth to stop her possessed sister and save Ellie’s innocent and scared children. Fans will see how the new film influences the big Evil Dead storyline. Evil Dead Rise arrived in theaters on April 21, 2023, and is already making fans crazy.

Alternative Watch Order

While the recommended watch order for the Evil Dead movies is, as I mentioned before, there is an alternative viewing order that some fans prefer. This order is known as the “Machete Order” and goes as follows:

• The Evil Dead (1981)
• Evil Dead II (1987)
• Army of Darkness (1992)
• Evil Dead (2013)

The main difference in this order is that it removes the Ash vs. Evil Dead TV series and Evil Dead Rise, as Sam Raimi did not direct it and it didn’t feature Bruce Campbell in a leading role.

Some fans argue that this order provides a more cohesive and streamlined viewing experience, focusing solely on the story of Ash and his battles against the forces of evil.

Ultimately, deciding which watch order to use is up to your personal preference. Both will provide horror and comedy fans with an enjoyable and entertaining experience.

About Evil Dead

Evil Dead is an American supernatural horror film franchise created by Sam Raimi consisting of four feature films and a television series. The series revolves around the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, an ancient Sumerian text which wreaks havoc upon a group of cabin inhabitants in a wooded area in Tennessee in America.

The protagonist, Ashley Joanna “Ash” Williams (Bruce Campbell) is the only character to appear in every installment of the original trilogy, with the notable exception of his main love interest Linda, who appears in Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness during only the prologues.