Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda find a log cabin in the woods with a voice recording from an archeologist who had recorded himself reciting ancient chants from "The Book of the Dead." As they play the recording an evil power is unleashed taking over Linda's body.
A flashy good-natured display of special effects and scare tactics so extreme they can only be taken for laughs.
– Variety Staff,
Variety,
21 Sep 2007
fresh:
Good acting would not have served the material well, since it would have diluted the comedy quotient and made the campy elements seem cheap and cheesy.
– James Berardinelli,
ReelViews,
21 Sep 2007
fresh:
Evil Dead 2's rampant inventiveness and manic energy have ensured that it will endure as a cult classic.
– Joshua Klein,
AV Club,
1 Oct 2013
fresh:
Evil Dead 2 is, pardon the expression, consistently lively -- a ghoulish splatter comedy that uses wildly excessive gore to provoke the kind of shock that lies between a laugh and a scream.
– Dave Kehr,
Chicago Tribune,
1 Oct 2013
fresh:
Just when things start getting too grisly, Raimi rushes in with a hilarious, sendup joke to remind us that all this blood and guts is meant in spooky Grand Guignol fun.