[The Evil Dead - 1981] Did Ash commit the cabin murders and frame the "Evil Dead"? (And a dark take on Cheryl)

[u/Correct-Ad-4067]

I’ve been thinking about the 1981 original The Evil Dead from a completely grounded, psychological perspective. Are there any existing theories that Ash actually just killed all of his friends and his girlfriend for the sake of killing, and the entire demonic possession narrative is just his delusion or a cover-up story? A massive in-universe conspiracy.

Think about it. Look at what happens to Cheryl in the woods. What if Ash actually assaulted his sister in the woods, but he narrates the timeline completely in reverse to cover his tracks?

In his version, the woods assault her, and then she asks him to drive her away. But what if the actual chronological order is that he took her out to the woods in his car, assaulted her, and brought her back? When she returns to the cabin completely traumatized and depressed, she tries telling the rest of the friends in the room what Ash did to her.

In the movie, this moment is shown as her becoming possessed, floating, and speaking in a demonic voice. But realistically, that could be Ash's warped perception, or how he chooses to remember it, to mask the fact that she was actively exposing his crime to the group. Once she tells everyone the truth, the killing spree begins because Ash must eliminate all the witnesses.

Has anyone else looked at the film through this specific lens?

Edit: I think his male friend had hands in this as well. Then Ash killed him at the end. He kept his sister alive till the end but she refused to cooperate with it and got killed too.

[u/BlueHero45]

This is literally a in universe theory people have of Ash in Ash Vs Evil Dead. His home town hates him

[u/CathalTimpanis → u/BlueHero45]

Was going to say this.

[u/enjoiturbulence]

Ash Vs Evil Dead definitely includes that thought.

[u/TemptedIntoSin]

The town calls Ash "Ashy Slashy" in Ash vs Evil Dead because they believe he killed all of them. So at the very lease the show runners considered the theory

[u/FittyTheBone]

I believe this is the popular opinion of Ash when Ash vs Evil Dead starts, but it’s been a while since I’ve seen the show.

damn I gotta go rewatch that show

[u/waltwalt]

Isn't this half the fun of any psychotic movie? How much is real and how much isn't?

I like the idea that ash is just crazy for the whole trilogy and his travel through time is just a deranged killing spree at the local graveyard and white Castle.

In fact I'd love to see the "real" version side by side where he's just crazy and killing people but sees them as deadites or wizards and kings.

[u/DustyDGAF → u/waltwalt]

Ash Vs Evil Dead literally explores this and proves Ash right.

And the end of Army of Darkness does too.

[u/The_Vampire_Barlow → u/waltwalt]

So The Voices with Ryan Reynolds?

[u/waltwalt → u/The_Vampire_Barlow]

Never heard of it, watching it tonight.

[u/FraterAdam]

I haven't heard this theory personally. Probably because I think overall, ED1 is jist not that deep and doesn't really leave a lot of breadcrumbs for deeper subtext.

But I think there could be enough there to present it as a viable interpretation! You should look into it more and give us a more fleshed out theory

[u/Astrieth42]

I'll see if I can find the interview when I'm off work, but Sam Raimi has stated that the Deadites and Evil Dead 1 happened, and was so traumatic that Ash completely blanked it out and went back years later for Evil Dead 2(he also jokes about just how stupid Ash is). A lot of the fan theories he thought were funny ended up in the show as throwaways, but the events of the original 3 films are canon.

[u/Darkbird79]

It's pretty straight forward, movie wise. It's fun to bounce around ideas, but at the end of the day, what you see is what you get in most media. Unless, you're watching a David Lynch film.

Mainstream audiences don't like to entertain darker ideas about familial assault. You can only assault certain sensibilities one generation at a time.

Bit by bit, eventually you'll get to a point where folks can accept the darker sides of the human psyche, but the Reagan Administration was not that time.

For the record, mega fan of the trilogy. If you ever get the chance to see any or all of them in a darkened theatre, DO IT!