Really good by the standards of 80s low-budget amateur horror. Compared to the over-the-top comedy horror the series would go on to be known for, the first movie is more of a grounded (comparatively, it still gets pretty wild by the end) college kids in the woods type horror movie that is almost entirely played for straight horror. I feel the Deadites are an underappreciated horror movie monster; I love a monster that just feels like it's having a great time being evil. The special effects are a mixed bag, owing to the film's extremely low budget. Stuff like the monsters dissolving at the ending looks really cool if not particularly convincing. On the other end sometimes you get someone hitting what is very clearly a bad dummy in the face with an axe. Not a particularly deep or complicated film, but overall a fun gory schlocky experience.
4/5