The Evil Dead (Horrorverse)

The Evil Dead is a 2020 action, horror-comedy film and is the first film in the Horrorverse. It is loosely based on the cult classic of the same name, though there are many, many differences from the original.

Cast

 * Colton Haynes as Ashley J. "Ash" Williams
 * Hailee Steinfeld as Cheryl Willaims
 * Zoe Kravitz as Linda
 * Dominic Sherwood as Scott
 * Melissa Benoist as Shelly
 * Michael Leon Wooley as the voice of Astaroth
 * Bruce Campbell as Man On The Road

Plot
A group of College students, consisting of a jock named Scott, his girlfriend Linda, a promiscuous girl named Shelly, an outgoing girl named Cheryl, and Cheryl's shy and timid brother Ash, are told to make a movie by their film class' teacher. They decide to drive to an abandoned house in the woods to make a slasher movie with Scott playing their slasher. After filming the beginning where Scott kills Cheryl's character they decide to enter the cabin for the next scene. At the suggestion of Shelly, Scott decides that it'd be creepy if the slasher hides in the basement for most of the film. After making Ash burst his way into the basement, they find out just how creepy the house is, as the basement is full of disgusting things, such as a hand in a jar.

However, it turns out that most of them are fake, implying the house may have been used in an old movie. Because of this, no one questions it when they find a strange book that appears to be wrapped in flesh, as it is thought to just be another prop. They try to get rid of the props to make way for more filming, but Ash says he feels like they shouldn't get rid of the book. Linda calls Ash out for being strange and everyone, including Cheryl, agree, though Scott decides that there's no harm done in letting Ash keep the book.

Later, the group has filmed a few minutes of their movie and decide to take a break. During the break, Linda begins questioning Ash on the book, with Ash revealing that the first page says the book is called the Necronomicon. Ash goes on to claim that the book makes him feel "strange" since it has drawings in it of abnormal creatures. Linda, claiming Ash is overreacting, steals the book from him and reads a passage in it. Lightning strikes and noises are heard from upstairs. The two slowly walk upstairs and open the bedroom door, only to reveal Scott cheating on Linda with Shelly. This leads to a comical scene where everyone begins arguing with each other as Ash slowly sneaks out of the room.

Meanwhile outside, Cheryl is reading a book outside when the lightning strikes, which frightens her so much she runs into the forest. However, she realizes that it was just lightning and begins walking back to the house, only for something to grab her. It's revealed that to be what looks like Scott, who begins seducing Cheryl. Cheryl isn't too keen at first, but Scott convinces her to go along with it through sheer charm alone. Just before the two do anything serious, Cheryl begins complaining about a pain in her neck, which is revealed to be Scott biting her. She pushes him off, revealing "Scott" is now a decaying corpse that grins at her. Cheryl runs off screaming and "Scott" smiles, as the forest is filled with the moans and screams of the undead.

Back indoors, as payback for cheating on her, Linda has locked Scott in a room and left him there while she cools down. Shortly after, Ash gives Linda a necklace, asking her out. Linda laughs at Ash's awkwardness before claiming she'll need time to think about it. This upsets Ash, but he understands. After this, Cheryl bursts inside, screaming. Ash manages to calm her down and she reveals what she saw. After hearing that Scott has been inside the house the whole time, Cheryl is disturbed quite a bit. Ash's eyes then widen, revealing that he knows what the Necronomicon is now. Ash explains that a few years ago he read a story that mentioned the Necronomicon, revealing that it's the book of the dead and that Linda reading a passage from it woke up the dead and created an army of "Deadites".

Meanwhile upstairs, Scott has an encounter with his Deadite self, who brings to life a stuffed moose head that begins laughing. Scott is obviously put off by this, but as the rest of the room begins laughing Scott's sanity snaps as he proclaims that if you can't beat them, join them. Scott begins laughing manically himself as the Deadite laughs along with him, filling the room with blood. Shelly, who was hiding in a closet from Linda, bursts open the door, the blood spilling everyone, revealing that Scott has died, drowning in the blood with a large grin on his face. Linda and Ash also run upstairs, seeing what has happened. Ash shakes Scott for a minute before confirming that he is dead.

Both Shelly and Linda are terrified once they find this out, and Ash tries to comfort them, but out of nowhere Scott comes back to life and begins biting Ash's hand. Scott looks up at Ash, revealing his face has become decayed and deformed. Because of this, Linda grabs a shotgun from the wall and throws it to Ash, who grabs it and blows Scott's head off, killing him for the second time. After this, Ash pulls out the Necronomicon and begins reading it to himself in an attempt to find out what's going on. It's revealed that the demons that the Necronomicon set loose can only possess things they've put themselves in to, hence why the first Deadite filled the room with blood, if Scott drank it then that'd be a piece of the Deadite inside him.

Right after saying this, Ash has a horrifying realization. However, before he can say what it is, it instantly comes true as his bitten hand goes out of control and tries to kill Ash. While Ash tries to pry his own hand off him, Shelly and Linda look for something to help. Ash manages to get his hand off of him, stepping on his own hand before grabbing a cleaver and hacking it off. After this, Shelly runs off to throw up from all the violence while Ash grabs a cloth and wraps his hand up with it. Ash stops to catch his breath, only to realize that Cheryl was bitten too. Just as he realizes this, Shelly screams. Linda and Ash run downstairs, revealing a much more demonic looking Cheryl standing over Shelly.

The demon possessing Cheryl reveals that it was the same one that took Scott's form. It introduces itself as Astaroth before grabbing Shelly's legs and dragging her outside. Ash tries to go after her but is stopped by Linda, who points out Ash is still missing one of his hands. Ash, not wanting to just let Shelly go, runs into a shed in the back and grabs a knife, sticking on to the stump that was his hand before grabbing his new gun and heading into the woods after Shelly, Linda following after him.

They walk into the woods and encounter a few Deadites that Ash blows away. The sound of his gun draws more Deadites and Ash slices and blasts his way through them. Eventually, the remaining Deadites stop trying to fight him, with Linda reasoning that the Deadites are actually afraid of Ash after seeing him do all that. Ash, taking advantage of this, gives this film's rendition of the Boom Stick speech before walking deeper into the forest, revealing a large number of people stabbed on to the trees, implying that Ash and his friends weren't the first ones to summon Deadites. Linda gasps at the sight of one of them which is revealed to be Shelly.

Both Ash and Linda stare in both anger and fear before they hear Astaroth ask them what they think. They turn, revealing that Cheryl is completely gone as her face has now become a mockery of its former self and she is growing spike-like growths on her arms. After seeing this, Linda grabs Ash's gun and tries to shoot Astaroth, only to be grabbed and thrown back on to a tree branch, impaling her. Ash and Linda have their final goodbye, where Linda has one final request: "kick his ass for me".

Linda passes away and Ash grabs his gun back, completing his transformation from a timid coward to a brave and courageous hero. Ash and Astaroth have their final battle where Ash is dominating the fight. With every big hit, Ash proclaims that it was for one of his fallen friends. Astaroth tries to trick Ash by pretending to be his sister again, but it doesn't work and Ash begins blasting him away until he runs out of bullets. Once he does he begins walking away, only for Astaroth, now in his true body, claims that since he's a demon Ash can never defeat him and the only. Ash then pulls out the Necronomicon and asks if "this would help".

Astaroth is clearly taken aback at the sight of the Necronomicon, with Ash opening it up and reading from it. Ash then once again reads the same passage from the Necronomicon that Linda did, with Deadites coming from the forest to try and stop him, but in the end, he manages to read the full thing, sending Astaroth back to hell. After this, the Deadites realize they no longer have a leader and scatter into the forest, unsure of what they should do. Ash then begins walking out of the forest.

An unknown amount of time later, Ash is at the graves of his friends while narrating the recent events of his life. He reveals that he got a new hand and he's happy with it, even though it's made of metal. He also reveals the Necronomicon went missing after he read it, with his working theory being that a Deadite stole it. Because of this, Ash has dropped out of College to follow his new goal in life: find the Necronomicon.

Trivia

 * Just like in the original film, the line from the Necronomicon is an easter egg translating to "Bruce Campbell is the man on the road".
 * The laughing moose is ripped straight from Evil Dead 2, only, in that case, it was Ash himself that encountered the moose.
 * At one point Shelly jokingly claims that if chins could kill Ash's would be a nuclear bomb. This a reference to Bruce Campbell and his book "If Chins Could Kill: Confessions of a B Movie Actor"