Common Sense Media Review
By Joyce Slaton
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Buckets of blood and gore in quality horror comedy.
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Why Age 16+?
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Ash vs. Evil Dead
Parent and Kid Reviews
Based on 8 parent reviews
Based on 12 kid reviews
Kids say the show is a blend of comedy and horror, showcasing an outrageous amount of blood and violence that often undercuts its potential horror, making it both hilarious and grotesque. Reviewers love the main character, praising his comedic presence, but stress that the graphic content, including nudity and strong language, makes it unsuitable for younger audiences.
- violence and comedy
- graphic content
- unsuitable for kids
- strong characters
- fun atmosphere
Summarized with AI
Summarized with AI
What's the Story?
Thirty years after the events of the Evil Dead trilogy, ASH VS. EVIL DEAD picks up with our hero, Ashley "Ash" Williams (Bruce Campbell). He's working as a stock boy at the big-box Value Stop, pushing 60, and surrounded by 20-something coworkers such as the sardonic Kelly Maxwell (Dana DeLorenzo) and impressionable Pablo Simon Bolivar (Ray Santiago). But even with his wooden hand, dead-end job, and crummy living situation in a rundown trailer park, things aren't that bad for Ash -- until the night he gets stoned and tries to impress a bar pickup by reciting "poetry," which is, naturally, the Necronomicon Ex Mortis of the earlier movies. You know the one. It's the one that raises the dead and turns them into evil zombie-esque Deadites. Now Ash, Kelly, and Pablo must hit the road, fighting Deadites wherever they pop up, on a mission to save the world.
Is It Any Good?
It's pretty weird to have a 57-year-old guy providing most of the muscle on an action-comedy-horror show, and this show has great fun mocking both the concept and Campbell himself. Where Ash was once a virile young rebel-with-a-chain-saw-arm, now he wears sparkling dentures and a gut-concealing corset and complains that his heart can't take the constant jolts. However, he can still wield a chain saw (and a broken bottle, and a pair of scissors), and Ash vs. Evil Dead makes the most of the contrast between a grizzled (yet still square-jawed and handsome) Campbell and his young-and-vigorous (yet in need of leadership) crew of two, Kelly and Pablo. The chemistry between Ash and his cohorts is terrific, with Ash and Kelly matching each other in the deadpan game, and Pablo alternately breaking down emotionally before drawing the strength to do what he must.
Widening out Ash's world a bit: Amanda Fisher (Sleepy Hollow's Jill Marie Jones), a haunted state police officer who loses her partner to evil forces following a creepy house call involving a Deadite, and Ruby (Lucy Lawless), a mysterious woman who has a message for Ash. It all makes for a snappy, electric half hour of horror comedy, easily the equal of the cult-fave movies.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why Ash vs. Evil Dead is coming out at this time. Why might a show about zombies have particular resonance on TV now? Which shows or movies have made zombies a TV fad?
Horror-movie characters are generally less threatening stand-ins for things people fear. What might zombies symbolize for viewers?
Have you watched the movies that preceded this show? Does doing so increase or decrease a viewer's enjoyment?
TV Details
- Premiere date : October 31, 2015
- Cast : Bruce Campbell , Lucy Lawless , Ray Santiago , Dana DeLorenzo
- Network : Starz
- Genre : Drama
- TV rating :
- Last updated : October 9, 2025
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