Much like its predecessor, Evil Dead 2 was critically and financially successful. On Rotten Tomatoes, critics approved of the film 98% of the time and audiences approved of the film 89% of the time. After giving the film 3 out of 4 stars, acclaimed critic wrote the following of the film: "[Evil Dead 2 is] a fairly sophisticated satire that makes you want to get up and shuffle." However, the film was not without its detractors. Richard Harrigton of The Washington Post wrote that "the acting [of Evil Dead 2] is straight out of '50s B-movies. The exposition is clumsy, the sound track corny, the denouement silly. Then again, who said bad taste was easy?"And although not as financially successful as the first Evil Dead, Evil Dead 2 still had some financial success. On a budget of $3.6 million, it made back $5.9 million at the United States box office.
Originally, Sam Raimi wanted the film to be set in medieval times. However, due to budget concerns, that idea was scrapped and a new story for the film was created by writers Scott Spiegel and Raimi. The film tells the story of Bruce Campbell's Ash Williams as he takes his girlfriend named Linda to a secluded cabin. When they get there, they find an exceptionally strange book and must thenceforth fend off evil spirits until the morning finally comes.
