Evil Dead II: parents' guide
Best for ages 16 and up. Rated R.
A cult horror comedy for older teens with strong stomachs: Ash is trapped in a remote cabin where demons possess his girlfriend, his own hand and the strangers who show up. The slapstick tone keeps it from feeling grim, but the gore is constant and extreme, with a beheading, chainsaw and ax dismemberment, a self-amputated hand and geysers of red and green blood. Swearing includes a few f-words. It played theaters unrated, and the MPA later gave an edited version an R; these notes describe the original cut. The nonstop splatter puts it at 16.
What's in it
Violence
StrongGore is constant: a possessed woman is beheaded with a shovel, Ash saws off his own possessed hand with a chainsaw, an eyeball flies into someone's mouth, and bodies are hacked with an ax and chainsaw amid sprays of blood.
Language
ModerateStrong language is occasional rather than constant: a few f-words, including a motherf----r, plus bulls---, son of a bitch, bastard, damn, hell and exclamations using God's and Jesus' names.
Sex and nudity
NoneNothing beyond some flirting, touching and a near-kiss between Ash and his girlfriend. No nudity or sexual content.
Drinking, drugs and smoking
ModerateA character smokes cigarettes, and a bottle of champagne is shown but never opened. No drunkenness or drug use.
Scary or intense scenes
StrongSustained horror: cackling possessed corpses lunge from the cellar, a severed hand scuttles around, a tree monster attacks, and there are many jump scares and grotesque faces. The silliness undercuts some of it, but younger viewers will find it disturbing.
Sensitive topics
- Death of a parent
Worth talking about
The film plays extreme gore for laughs. Why do some viewers find over-the-top violence funny rather than upsetting, and where is the line for you?
On our lists
Similar picks around 16+
Checked October 13th, 2026 against Common Sense Media, bbfc.co.uk, Wikipedia, the MPA. The age is our judgment, not an official rating, and every family draws its lines differently: read the notes, not just the number. Spotted something we missed? Tell us. How we rate.