Ever since it debuted in 1981, Bruce Campbell and Sam Raimi's Evil Dead franchise has shaped
the way people view horror films.
The increasingly wacky trilogy of movies, as well as the subsequent TV show, proved
to the world that the horror genre doesn't have to be all doom and gloom.
It can have moments of levity, and in some cases, downright bonkers action.
If you're looking for a movie to chase that horror-comedy vibe, here's what to watch next.
The primal phobia that Evil Dead expertly taps into is the fear of getting lost in the
woods.
Anyone who's ever gone off the beaten path and had even the slightest difficulty finding
their way back knows how incredibly disarming it can be.
That's part of what makes the 2017 British film The Ritual so scary.
The film focuses on a group of friends who go on a backpacking trip through Sweden as
a way to honor their good friend who was murdered in a liquor store robbery.
However, when one of the hikers injures his knee almost immediately, the friends hatch
a plan to cut through the wild to get him back to civilization with as little suffering
as possible.
That proves to be a bad idea, as they quickly discover that there's more to this stretch
of woods and the nearby villagers than meets the eye.
Like Evil Dead's hero Ash, each of the men is forced to figure out if they're simply
having difficulty maintaining their sanity while trekking through the woods, or if something
supernatural is actually lurking in the trees, waiting to kill them.
Also like Ash, each one is given the chance to figure out exactly what they're made of
when push finally does come to shove.
When the choice comes down to kill or be killed, maintain your composure or lose your mind,
or even fight or flight... where do you fall?
One of the things that makes the Evil Dead franchise so scary is the sense of claustrophobia
that builds up.
The viewers learn over time that our heroes are trapped in a remote location, surrounded
on all sides by evil, and forced to fight for their lives if they want to see the sunrise.
Fortunately, for those who miss that particular brand of survival horror, the 2015 movie Green
Room manages to combine all of those elements into one convenient horror-filled romp.
Although it doesn't have any supernatural villains, Green Room is sure to satisfy fans
looking for all-out savagery in their horror.
The film focuses on the members of a punk band who wind up playing a gig at a skinhead
bar.
But after the performance, one of the band members returns to the titular green room
and discovers something he was never meant to see.
As a result, the skinheads have to decide what to do with the rockers, and spoiler alert
they don't wind up asking for an encore.
Green Room not only boasts an impressive cast including Patrick Stewart as the main villain
and the late Anton Yelchin as the main protagonist, but it succeeds in creating intense drama
in a very tiny location.
And when it comes to the violence, you'll be watching through your fingers.
Plus, like any great horror movie, it constantly finds reasons for the viewer to ask themselves,
"What would I do in this situation?"
While the Evil Dead franchise started as a genuinely successful horror film, it embraced
its own campiness as the series rolled on, with some moments being straight-up comedy.
"All right, you primitive screwheads, listen up."
If your favorite part of Ash's story was his relentless gallows humor, you'll love the
science fiction monster comedy Killer Klowns from Outer Space.
Released in 1988, the first film was heavily inspired by the Evil Dead movies in that it
seamlessly blends some genuine shockers, claustrophobia, and monsters into a symphony of mayhem that's
guaranteed to leave you satisfied.
While it may not have you on the edge of your seat like some other horror classics from
the 1980s, it will definitely amuse anyone that's seen the lighter side of the genre
and wants more.
As for the plot, the film focuses on a sleepy town that's invaded by what appears to be
a flying circus tent.
When the townsfolk go to investigate, they find a mad carnival filled to the brim with
intelligent creatures that look an awful lot like clowns.
However, it quickly becomes apparent that the pranks these jokers like to pull are far
deadlier than the tricks performed by your average carnival creep covered in greasepaint
and floppy shoes.
While the movie is mostly played for yucks, it should be noted that anyone with a severe
fear of clowns won't be amused.
A lot of the fun in the Evil Dead movies involves Ash slowly slipping into gory, self-mutilating
madness.
As the trilogy's story progresses, he's left with no choice but to harm himself and finally
take up arms to brutally slay the monsters surrounding him.
And a lot of those themes carry over into 2019's wicked horror flick Girl on the Third
Floor.
Don, a man with a nefarious past, tries to get his life back in order by purchasing an
old fixer-upper for his pregnant wife.
However, he soon discovers that the house not only has a grim history, but a life of
its own.
All attempts to renovate result in supernatural occurrences, such as the walls oozing a black,
blood-like substance.
It isn't long before Don is forced to confront the reality of his situation, dive into the
horrific past of the home, and try to fend off whatever haunting he's now brought down
on his family.
Add in a sexy temptress played by Sarah Brooks and the surprisingly dark charisma of leading
man CM Punk, and you've got a movie that can help fill the wickedly twisted void left in
your life by the end of the Evil Dead franchise.
However, be warned that it also leans into the Evil Dead gore in a very 2019 way.
If you have a weak stomach, watch out.
There are a lot of films that have come out since the Evil Dead movies that bill themselves
as the comedian's solution to the horror genre.
In that spirit, The Babysitter is perfect for fans of horror comedies.
It does an amazing job of blending the craziness of its premise into a story that never goes
too long without a few laughs.
The film focuses on a young boy named Cole who's curious about what his babysitter is
doing after he goes to sleep, as preteen boys often are.
What he discovers is that his parents didn't leave him with some ordinary high school hot
girl.
"All right, tomorrow night: You, me, party."
As it turns out, this babysitter is part of some kind of demonic, ritualistic cult, and
she's enlisted her popular friends to be a part of the mayhem.
Fortunately, Cole turns out to be made of heartier stuff than your average kid.
If Evil Dead proved that a little bit of comedy can exist in a world filled with graphic and
horrific murder, The Babysitter takes that ball and runs a mile with it.
While casting young, unknown, and somewhat untested stars can often mean the death of
a good horror plot, this movie breaks the mold with its excellent cast.
And if you finished the first season of Ash Versus Evil Dead, you may recognize Samara
Weaving as the titular Babysitter herself.
One of the interesting choices that sets The Evil Dead apart from other horror movies of
its age is that it opts for its protagonist to be an able-bodied person that, quite frankly,
knows how to handle himself in a fight.
The 2014 found-footage movie Creep plays with that idea a little bit by making its core
villain and its protagonist a relatively even match.
The fear and horror comes from the speculation about whether or not our hero is actually
in a life-or-death situation.
The film focuses on Aaron, a videographer who answers an ad to film a man named Josef
for a day.
Josef lives out in the middle of nowhere, and he explains that he has an incurable brain
tumor and wants to record himself so that his unborn child can know his dad.
However, as the day progresses, Aaron has to decide if Josef is telling the truth, or
if he needs to fight his way out of the increasingly uncomfortable scenario.
After all, Josef might just be a really awkward guy... or he might be a psychopath with sinister
intentions.
In many ways, Creep is an incredibly grounded horror movie that keeps the viewer guessing
until the very end.
The film sets up a world and a villain that's unlike anything that has come before it, yet
it somehow feels like it could exist in our reality.
The movie was so unique and fun that it even spawned a sequel that you can watch immediately
after you're done with the first film.
A brilliant horror comedy that riffs on The Omen, Little Evil also borrows several pages
from the Evil Dead playbook by thrusting an everyday schlub into a supernatural situation.
Only this time, instead of Deadites, we're dealing with the spawn of Satan himself.
The film focuses on Gary, played by the always hilarious Adam Scott, whose stepson is a boy
named Lucas.
As he unsuccessfully tries to bond with the child in a typical stepdad way, Gary slowly
starts to learn that he may have married into the family of the Antichrist.
However, as he's not the type of hero that goes around chopping demons up with a chainsaw,
much of the movie's plot is driven by Gary trying to avoid murdering the boy at all costs.
With the help of his new local stepfather friends who make up the film's hilarious ensemble,
Gary is able to find common ground with his stepson.
However, by the time he does, the word is out about the boy's origins, and it may be
too late for Gary to stop the apocalypse and save his stepson.
This is a perfect movie if you're looking for something a little grim and spooky, but
you don't want to be kept up late by the stuff of true terror.
This dark comedy leans on the charm of its cast in order to provide a story with a few
scares here and there, and some very witty gallows humor.
Like The Evil Dead, The Golem focuses on a group of people who discover power in ancient,
magical texts.
However, unlike Sam Raimi's horror classic which relies on a mostly made up bunch of
movie mythology The Golem is based on real Jewish folklore and tells a much darker story.
Set in 1673, this film tells the tale of a woman whose village is threatened by invaders
making horrible demands of the local Jewish population.
They blame the Jewish people for the Black Plague befalling the area and decide that
they want to wipe them out.
So in an effort to save her village, the woman conducts an ancient ritual to create a Golem
- a mythical giant made of mud and clay - to keep her people safe.
However, when the woman's creation arrives with all the strength of a Golem but a body
similar to that of her deceased child, she must decide what cost she's willing to pay
to protect her people.
This dark and foreboding tale is perfect for fans of the first Evil Dead movie who want
to see desperate people surviving at all costs in the face of a magical villain and real-life
terrors.
Plus, anyone fascinated by the fictional Necronomicon will be equally enthralled by the real folk
horrors at work here.
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