Earlier this month, Evil Dead Burn arrived in theaters. It’s the sixth film in the franchise, from a fourth different director. This week’s binge looks at the franchise, placing them in order. Films appear in ascending order.

No. 6: Evil Dead Burn (2026)
About: This new one is the weakest for me. Sebastien Vanicek offers a certain style and vision, which is at times quite intense and graphic. I come to the franchise for the whimsy that was in Sam Raimi’s original films, and that was missing here. So, too, was a sense of plot and characters. It felt like a slog.

No. 5: Evil Dead (2013)
About: This was a re-boot of the franchise from Fede Alvarez. He’s another horror director whose style hasn’t always worked for me. That was the case here. This is a darker take on the world and the material, and I found it something of a slog.

No. 4: The Evil Dead (1981)
About: The original is this far down? Look, I love and appreciate the film. What Raimi and Bruce Campbell created is awesome. But this is a low-budget film and at times you feel that, especially with the filming techniques available in the early 1980s. It’s got charm, and it’s a film I like, just not as much as others on the list.

No. 3: Army of Darkness (1992)
About: This is probably an outlier in the franchise. It takes the action way back to the past, and while Campbell’s Ash is at the center, this doesn’t feel much like a horror movie. Does it provide important connections to lore still being used? Yes, it does. And I like the humor and the camp, but I don’t blame those that don’t enjoy it.

No. 2: Evil Dead Rise (2023)
About: This one came from Lee Cronin. It popped up a decade after Alvarez re-booted the franchise, and it offers a completely new story and take. While it is gorier than the originals, and doesn’t quite capture the camp in Raimi’s style, I liked this one a lot. I liked the story and characters. And I liked the confined location. It works really well and was one of my favorite horror films the year it was released.

No. 1: Evil Dead 2 (1987)
About: This is almost a re-make of The Evil Dead, only it has a real budget. It ups the gore a bit, but it still has a lot of fun. I like it a touch better than the original version and it’s always been my favorite of the franchise.

Matthew Fox is a graduate of the Radio, Television and Film program at Biola University, and a giant nerd. He spends his free time watching movies, TV, and obsessing about football. He is a member of the FSWA. You can find him @knighthawk7734 on Twitter and as co-host of the Fantasy Football Roundtable Podcast.