The trope of the “cabin in the woods” horror (which focus on a group of characters that venture into some rural, isolated part of the world and find themselves confronted with sinister forces, whether tangible or supernatural) has become so taut and overworked, it seems impossible to fully comprehend where it started, if such a distinction can ever be made. In the case of The Evil Dead, we aren’t entirely sure whether this was made as a riff on this archetype, or if it has its origins within this film itself – it’s a question of almost indeterminable resolution, especially since there are arguments that lend credence to both viewpoints. What is not subjected to debate is the importance of this film, both in terms of the era in which it was made, and its overall contribution to the horror genre. When one of a film’s first significant proponents is Stephen King (who was at the height of his creativity and popularity), then it is clear that it is something quite remarkable – and it’s even more impressive considering this was Sam Raimi’s official directorial debut, made after a few amateur short films he made, as well as a conceptual, shortened version of this story used to promote the film and hopefully attract investors to make a more polished, expanded version of the concept. Raimi is one of our great artistic eccentrics, someone who has traversed many different genres, embraced new cinematic developments and formed his own distinct authorial voice, while still maintaining a versatility that makes all of his work so varied, but still incredibly consistent in the broader sense of having the director’s unique touch on all of them. It all started with The Evil Dead, an ambitious and unquestionably compelling horror film that truly earns every moment of our time, especially in those sequences that are slightly more ambitious in how they push the boundaries of a genre that is in perpetual motion, something that Raimi takes full advantage of when constructing this strange oddity of a film.

Horror is a genre that is constantly evolving, which usually occurs due to a variety of actors. In the case of The Evil Dead, this occupies a specific niche in which directors take on subjects that cannot be condensed to a single genre, but rather need to blend a number of different styles into a singular project. In this film, we have a straightforward premise that usually lends itself to supernatural horror, combined with slasher horror and folk horror, two additional styles of cinematic terror that Raimi integrates into the plot of the film, evoking concepts of witchcraft, paganism and ancient rituals, which immediately sets the film apart from many others with the similar subject matter. Additionally, the film is tied together with a thin but notable thread of dark humour, with the sheer absurdity of the violence and deadpan comedy leading to The Evil Dead being unexpectedly funny in ways that many of us may not expect – the media franchise that would evolve from this film smartly leans more heavily into the dark comedy, but even here there are moments of unhinged humour that add a touch of levity to this overly violent and unquestionably disturbing film. Raimi has fashioned himself as a master of the genre, insofar as he rarely directs a film that only employs one particular style of storytelling, and instead pursues something much deeper, blurring the boundaries between genres in ways that can often be quite intriguing, especially when we aren’t entirely sure what were are getting ourselves into, which is perhaps the very impetus behind the radical success of this film, and the reason why it has been so widely embraced, being considered one of the true classics of a genre that is often dismissed when it becomes too grotesque and violent, an assertion that The Evil Dead actively works to disprove.

At this point, it seems to be a frustratingly common adage to hear “they don’t make horror films like they used to”, which makes it seem like contemporary cinema consistently fails to terrify us as it did in the past, which is not entirely true, but at least has some basis in reality. It seems like horror films used to be so much more ambitious, at least at the core. Recently, the focus has been on either creating the most high-concept narratives, or trying to push the envelope further than it perhaps out to have been, which is why it is a genre that can sometimes produce masterpieces, but usually tends to feel overly-saturated and frankly quite plain at the best of times. This is not a problem for a film like The Evil Dead, which was built on the most simple of premises, and which adheres very closely to its fundamental vision as a film that exists purely to entertain and disturb, long before it intends to provoke any thought. This is the great delight of this film, and the reason it has withstood the test of time. However, it makes us wonder what it is about this particular era of horror that has held up so well – it is possibly the influence of New Hollywood making it possible for more small-scale directors to have their work produced at a slightly higher scale (or at least seen by wider audiences), while still maintaining their fierce independence. The charm of the lower production values also should not be underestimated, especially since there is an element of joy that comes with witnessing the profound creativity lingering in these films, particularly in a landscape that has been overtaken by technology, which has removed the soul from these films. More than anything else, the appeal of a film like The Evil Dead and those that exist in its proximity is very simple – it implies that anyone can make a film, should they have the time and willingness to commit to the challenges that come in the process. The fact that this is a film made by two young artists who employ their friends and members of the community to help them realize their ambitions is truly aspirational, and the “do-it-yourself” aspect is motivating, since it shows that a shoestring budget is not an obstacle, but an opportunity to prove your mettle without the constrictions of a studio hovering over the production, dictating what can be shown on screen.

Any solid horror film needs to possess one of two elements – either a memorable villain, or an exciting hero. In the case of The Evil Dead, the antagonists are a lot more ambigious, since they are unseen entities that possess various characters, who transform into the physical manifestations of these sinister forces (borrowing both the zombie and vampire trope), so logically the responsibility to carry this film falls onto the hero of the story. Mercifully, the character of Ashley “Ash” Williams is one of horror cinema’s finest creations, and the prototype for countless films that were to follow. Dashing, heroic and slightly deranged, Ash is the kind of character we appreciate both for his bravery and his eccentricity, which is a credit to Bruce Campbell, who created the character alongside Raimi, his childhood friend and lifelong creative collaborator, and his co-creator of this entire franchise, which started with the short film Within the Woods, the aforementioned “dress rehearsal” for The Evil Dead, made to introduce this concept to potential investors and exhibitors, long before the actual film went into production. This is not simply a case of a director employing a friend, who agrees to star in the film as a favour – Campbell risks just as much as Raimi, investing both his resources and time into this film, almost becoming an uncredited co-writer of the entire story, which is arguably built on his character, despite the ensemble-nature of the narrative. It isn’t surprising that Ash would not only become the central figurehead of this franchise, but one of the most iconic horror movie characters in history, a fact that Campbell has always embraced, never feeling particularly dismayed by the fact that he will always be associated with a low-budget, darkly comical supernatural horror, precisely because he genuinely believed in the merits of this film and what it was doing, which is a fact that has become far more commonplace in recent years, especially as more viewers discover the delightful and irreverent brilliance of this film and its place within the culture.

Nearly half a century since its release, The Evil Dead remains one of the most influential horror films of its era, a fact that is not difficult to understand, granted we are able to comprehend the appeal that exists behind the film and its creation. All these years later, and after at least two attempts to entirely reboot the franchise, as well as several additional projects made around the character of Ash, it is undeniable that the original is where all the merit resides, at least in comparison to the later attempts to revisit this material – we’ll speak about this more when we get to Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness (both of which are compared favourably to this one, in terms of being continuations of their fundamental themes), but there is something so fascinating about seeing these ideas manifested in smaller, more unhinged ways. This is not a pleasant film to watch – the visuals are hideous at the best of times, and the tone is extremely disturbing and perhaps even quite insidious, which is not something that many of us may necessarily enjoy on an aesthetic or psychological level. However, logically no one who is faint of heart or averse to gore and disturbing imagery should seek this out (and the films make it very clear beforehand that they are not going to appeal to those who don’t at least partially possess those peculiar perversions necessary to appreciate the film and its bizarre style), and instead, this will play best to those who can handle the off-the-wall tone and graphic violence. The Evil Dead has aged incredibly well, and still feels like a fresh, exciting and compelling addition to the horror genre, which may not have been changed by the arrival of this film, but was certainly enriched by its presence, which has only steadily grown in the subsequent years, and will continue to evolve as more viewers are introduced to the perverse and delightful world Raimi has so graciously created.