The following contains spoilers for Evil Dead RiseEvil Dead Rise is filled with clever little Easter eggs, references, and hidden details connecting it to the larger Evil Dead franchise (and beyond). Directed and written by Lee Cronin, Evil Dead Rise is the fifth movie in Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead series, which debuted in 1981 and helped Raimi as a filmmaker. The franchise has grown from a gonzo cult classic to an acclaimed institution, even as it’s left the former protagonist Ash Williams for new faces. For example, the characters in Evil Dead Rise are almost entirely disconnected from previous protagonists.
Cronin found ways to bring the Necronomicon and the Deadites into an entirely new setting but found creative ways to expand the lore of the franchise and reference previous entries in the series. As Beth and her family encounter the Deadites, there are classic lines, subtle references, and deliberate recreations of moments from prior films. It feels like a fitting tribute and way to keep Evil Dead Rise locked into the formal Evil Dead timeline. Here are 24 of the best Easter eggs and hidden details scattered across Evil Dead Rise.
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24 The Necronomicon
The Book Of The Dead
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The overarching connective tissue between the entire Evil Dead franchise is the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis. Also called the Book of the Dead, it’s a cursed object. Danny discovers a Book of the Dead underneath the parking garage of the family’s Los Angeles apartment building, which is later opened by drops of his blood. Drawings within the book reveal the demonic creature that is unleashed once specific incantations are spoken. This is the demon possessing Beth’s sister Ellie (and anyone she successfully turns into a Deadite.)
Evil Dead Rise’s book is one of the three Necronomicons that appear in front of Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams in 1992’s Army of Darkness. Ash contends with the first book in his movies, Jane Levy’s Mia contends with the second in Evil Dead (2013), and Beth faces the third in Evil Dead Rise. However, each demon is slightly different for each book, with Evil Dead Rise’s terrifying monster being called the Marauder.
23 The Priest Record’s Demon-Unleashing Incantation
The Same Turn Unleashed The Deadites In Evil Dead 2
In both Evil Dead 2 and Evil Dead Rise, the true danger of the Deadites is released by an audio recording. In Evil Dead 2, the Kandarian Demon was unleashed after Ash played a recording made by Professor Knowby. It was a verbal copy of him reciting an incantation over a tape recorder, inadvertently unleashing the demons long after his demise.
Evil Dead Rise’s demon is similarly unleashed when Dan plays the same incantation while checking out the record with his music equipment. This time, it’s recited by priests on a vinyl record player. This Evil Dead Rise Easter egg isn’t too subtle, directly reinventing what happened in the first movie. However, it still is a clever way of maintaining the trend with a new take on an old-fashioned callback.
22 A Familiar Voice On The Priest’s Records
Bruce Campbell’s Evil Dead Rise Cameo, Explained
One of the greatest hidden details in Evil Dead Rise is Bruce Campbell’s cameo, which occurs when Dan is playing the evil recording made by priests in 1923. At one point, an unnamed priest is heard warning the others about the dangers of the book, which he calls the “Book of the Dead.” This priest’s voice is actually Bruce Campbell, who is synonymous with the Evil Dead franchise. For decades, he’s played character Ash Williams, the lead of the first three movies and the TV show Ash vs. Evil Dead.
While the characters believe he’s a priest from 1923, Bruce Campbell’s Ash Williams might be in Evil Dead Rise. Cronin noted to NME that the priest Campbell is voicing isn’t necessarily “someone else – that could very well be Ash Williams.” As such, it’s possible that Ash still is in Evil Dead Rise via a one-line audio cameo, but there may not be any confirmation until Evil Dead 6.
21 Henrietta’s Pizza Box
The Pizza Joint Has A Shout Out To Evil Dead 2
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The references can even sometimes be more subtle. Before the earthquake hits the apartment building early into Evil Dead Rise, Ellie sends her kids to go buy pizza. When they return to the parking garage and drop the pizza during the quake, the name of the pizza place — Henrietta’s — and the image on the box can be seen.
The pizza place is Henrietta’s, with the logo being that of an older looking woman. This is a reference to the character Henrietta Knowby, the human-turned-deadite wife of Professor Knowby from Evil Dead 2. Henrietta also returned in the Ash vs. Evil Dead series and battled the time-traveling Ash Williams. This pizza box is a clever nod to the earlier films in the series, referencing a memorable character who couldn’t appear in the new film.
20 “Mommy’s With The Maggots Now”
Maggots Are Connected To Evil Dead
One of the most iconic lines in Evil Dead Rise is spoken by Deadite version of Ellie, recalling a key element of the lore. When confronted by her children, says “Mommy’s with the maggots now” in response to their pleas for her return to normalcy. It’s a harsh taunt and a reminder that the victims of Additionally, Bridget vomits up maggots upon turning into a Deadite.
Evil Dead Rise’s maggots are a callback to the original Evil Dead movie’s ending. At the end of The Evil Dead, Ash burns the Necronomicon, leading the Deadites to rapidly decay in a manner that maggots crawl out of their decomposing bodies. The line amplifies the connection to death felt by the Deadites, and highlights the fate of the souls taken by them.
19 Beth Is Passed The Chainsaw
Beth Continues A Major Evil Dead Trend
As was with the case with Mia in Evil Dead, Evil Dead‘s iconic chainsaw is passed down to Beth. A chainsaw has been featured in almost every media form of The Evil Dead. It all began with Ash Williams using one to defeat Deadites in the original movie.
Later, the connection was amplified by having Ash modified the chainsaw to fit onto the stump of his hand, establishing the weapon as a franchise staple. Similarly, Mia used a chainsaw to battle The Abomination in Evil Dead. At the end of Evil Dead Rise, Beth uses a chainsaw to fight and destroy the Marauder, carrying on the tradition.
18 Beth’s Chainsaw Continues Ash’s Car Easter Egg
How The Chainsaw References An Easter Egg That Wasn’t Otherwise In The Film
The chainsaw scene in Evil Dead Rise features a second Easter egg that is a bit harder to recognize. Every Evil Dead movie features a reference related to the Oldsmobile Delta 88 car. The iconic yellow vehicle driven by Ash Williams in the early films.
However, Evil Dead Rise breaks tradition by not featuring the actual car. Instead, Cronin (via Bloody Disgusting) revealed that Beth’s yellow chainsaw was designed to match the exact color of Ash’s car. This way, the weapon quietly satisfies the Delta 88 Easter egg requirement.
17 Bloody Woodchipper
How Evil Dead Rise References The Coen Brothers
As the chainsaw isn’t enough to effectively obliterate the Marauder, Beth is able to force the monster through a wood chipper. This ends up spraying blood all over. The specific framing of the shot should familiar to fans of the Coen Brothers.
Evil Dead Rise’s dead bodies going through the wood-chipper moment is an Easter egg callback to the 1996 movie Fargo. That film notably featured a scene in which a criminal disposes of a body in a blood-spraying wood chipper, with blood pumped out the other side in a similar fashion. It’s a clever way to reference the larger world of cinema beyond the horror genre.
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16 Raining Blood
A Dark Visual Connection
The Marauder going through the wood chipper in Evil Dead Rise’s ending causes blood to rain all over the parking garage. This is a memorable visual element that plays into the climax of the film. It also directly connects Beth to the protagonist of the prior entry in the series.
In 2013’s Evil Dead, blood rained down as Mia battled the Abomination. In both cases, Mia and Beth’s final stands against the demons left them unrecognizably covered in blood head-to-toe. It’s a clever visual cue that the two films share, and in turn quietly references the way Ash would be covered in blood in previous films.
15 “Come Get Some!”
Ash Shares A Line With Beth
One of the more iconic lines delivered by Ash in the original trilogy is repeated in Evil Dead Rise. As Beth prepares to attack the Marauder with the chainsaw in Evil Dead Rise’s ending, she utters a triumphant “Come get some” at the demon. This is a fun connecting element between Ash and Beth.
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The Evil Dead Films & Shows |
Year Of Release |
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The Evil Dead |
1981 |
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The Evil Dead II |
1987 |
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Army of Darkness |
1993 |
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Evil Dead |
2013 |
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Ash vs. The Evil Dead |
2015-2018 |
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Evil Dead Rise |
2023 |
This is a reference to the end of Army of Darkness. At the climax of that movie, Ash remarks “Come get some” to the Deadite attacking him in S-Mart. It’s a cool way to highlight how Beth and Ash went through similar arcs and came out the other side heroes.
14 “I’ll Swallow Your Soul”
The Deadites Are Coming For More Than Just Your Body
Alyssa Sutherland in Evil Dead Rise.
Another line that gets quite a bit of usage in the Evil Dead franchise is “I’ll swallow your soul,” as said by Deadites to their intended victims. It’s a grim line that highlights the true danger of the demonic entities. It’s also one that’s appeared in multiple films in the series.
The line was screamed by the Deadite Ellie during her rampage in Evil Dead Rise. This same line was also memorably uttered by Deadites to Ash in Evil Dead II and Army of Darkness as a threat before he could kill them. This thematically binds the Deadites, even when they are summoned in different settings.
13 “Dead By Dawn”
A Dark Portent Of Things To Come
Custom Image by Grant Hermanns
Evil Dead Rise doesn’t miss a chance to get iconic franchise lines into the movie. Cronin’s 2023 installment also repeats the familiar line, “dead by dawn.” As Beth and Kassie escape down the apartment building hallway, the Deadites in the hall taunt them by all yelling that everyone here will suffer that fate.
Cronin’s 2023 installment repeats the familiar “dead by dawn” quote late in the film. This is a direct shout-out to Evil Dead 2. There’s a scene late in that film where h orrifying Deadites also chanted “dead by dawn” at Ash back in Evil Dead 2 in a bid to break his spirit.
12 Party Of Five
The Third Evil Dead Film With A Dwindling Cast Of Five Main Characters
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Evil Dead Rise’s main characters consist of a family of five, sisters Beth and Ellie along with the latter’s three children Danny, Bridget, and Kassie. This number is a familiar character set-up for the franchise. Many films in the series have focused on five characters.
The Evil Dead featured five characters, Ash, Cheryl, Scott, Linda, and Shelly. The subsequent 2013 remake Evil Dead followed suit with a five-character set-up (Mia, David, Eric, Olivia, and Natalie). However, Evil Dead Rise marks the first time that more than one character from the main five survives, as both Beth and Kassie survive the film.
11 A Nightmare On Elm Street Marathon
A Nightmare Down The Hall
Evil Dead Rise slyly references another major horror film franchise from the same era as Evil Dead. Before Ellie’s Deadite attack begins, Bridget is asked by the neighbors if she wants to watch all the A Nightmare on Elm Street movies. Beth declines the invitation before getting trapped in her own horror story.
The reference to Wes Craven’s iconic A Nightmare on Elm Street franchise is a fun nod. The reference is taken further in Evil Dead Rise as Beth prepares a bath for Kassie. The scene includes a shot of the former’s fingers going into the water that is reminiscent of the 1984 horror movie’s iconic bathtub scene.
10 The Shining Elevator Moment
How Evil Dead Rise Amplifies The Horror Of The Shining‘s Most Iconic Shot
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One of the most recognizable Easter eggs in Evil Dead Rise is a reference to the classic horror movie The Shining. As Beth and Kassie attempt to escape the building through the elevator, it begins to fill up with blood. This leads gallons upon gallons of blood to crash out in a massive wave once the elevator doors open.
This is a direct shout-out to Stanley Kubrick’s horror classic. In The Shining, Danny Torrance saw visions of gallons of blood bursting from an elevator in the Overlook Hotel. Evil Dead Rise adds a dark but fitting twist by trapping two characters in that flood, but it’s a clever nod to another horror film.
9 Swallowing An Eyeball
Keep Your Eye On The Prize
One of the most disgusting scenes from Evil Dead II receives a revival in Evil Dead Rise. When Deadite Ellie attacks the neighbors in the hallway, she chews the eyeball off Gabriel’s face. She then spits it out, and it flies directly down the throat of Jake, who chokes on it.
This is a gross moment, and one that happened previously in the series. An almost identical situation occurred in Evil Dead II when an eye popped out of a Deadite’s head and flew across the room into the mouth of Bobby Joe.
8 The Flying Demon’s POV
The Deadite Cam
Evil Dead Rise features a new version of a classic Evil Dead visual cue. At one point, the camera shifts to the POV of the demon as it speeds towards the apartment building. This is a direct reference to the end of The Evil Dead.
The Evil Dead‘s ending featured a shot of a speeding demon flying through the forest as it attacked Ash. It’s a clever shot, and one that’s been referenced by many other horror films. These POV shots are just another example of how Lee Cronin keeps the history of the franchise fresh and alive while maintaining the classic trademarks of Raimi’s movies.
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7 Ellie Is Tied Up By The Demon
The Deadite Capture Process
One notable detail in Evil Dead Rise that serves as a clever callback to past installments occurs when the demon initially attacks Ellie in the elevator. Ellie is tied up by elevator cable wires that bind her wrists and suspend her in the air. This is a common method used by Evil Dead’s demons to subdue hosts.
The shot is particularly reminiscent from a dark beat in The Evil Dead and Evil Dead, where tree branches and vines tied Cheryl and Mia up in a similar fashion. All three moments are brutal in their own right. Notably, all of these moments proceed an important Deadite possession.
6 Evil Dead Rise’s Opening Cabin Scene
Another Horror Story In The Woods
Evil Dead Rise primarily taking place at an urban apartment building instead of a cabin in the woods. This is a first for the franchise, which has typically used remote locations to isolate characters. However, Evil Dead Rise still features nods to the isolated cabins’ importance.
The opening scene of Evil Dead Rise focuses on a flashforward trio trying to hang out at a cabin. However, one of the young women was infected by a Deadite after the conclusion of the film, setting up their possession. This Deadite attack sets the tone for the movie, and ensures a haunted cabin appears in every instance of Evil Dead.
5 Deadites Reading Without Seeing
Deadites Can Do A Lot
The opening scene in which Jessica becomes a Deadite also features a nod to the curious powers of a Deadite in The Evil Dead. As Teresa reads Wuthering Heights, Deadite Jessica sits on her bed facing the other direction. Despite this, she is able to read the words aloud on the page.
It’s a clever reference to the unsettling and all-seeing nature of the Deadites, and a warning of their intellect. This detail is recreated in Evil Dead Rise after Cheryl is also possessed. She frightens her sister by reading the correct playing cards without looking at them, similar to The Evil Dead‘s cards moment.