Director Sam Raimi has made a name for himself in various genres, from superhero movies likeSpider-Manto stylish westerns likeThe Quick And The Dead. However, the filmmaker is most famous for his horror films, going back to his roots in 1981 with The Evil Dead, which jumpstarted a now-iconic franchise.
Since then, Sam Raimi has been considered a master of horror, directing multiple films over the years with his unique visual style, eccentric characters, and camera work with emphasis on Dutch angles. With several horror movies under Raimi’s belt, some have become more recognized than others.
6The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi Introduced Ash Williams And The Deadites To The World
Fresh out of collegewith his good friend Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi debuted with a low-budget isolated supernatural horror film known asThe Evil Dead. A good filmmaker uses a small budget wisely and Sam Raimi did just that, utilizing practical effects and a small location to deliver an effective horror romp with elements of comedy that traumatized audiences back in 1981.
Despite sequels improving in nearly every aspect, many horror movies today wouldn’t exist withoutThe Evil Dead. Since it came out, it has been parodied, homaged, or become the inspiration for other horror films.The Evil Deadpractically solidified the concept of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis in pop culture.
5Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Sam Raimi Injected Horror Into The Marvel Cinematic Universe
Taking over from horror director Scott Derrickson, Sam Raimi took the helm with Doctor Strange facing off against the Scarlet Witch inDoctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness. While it maintains itself as a superhero adventure, Sam Raimi added many horror elements, including gore, brutal kills, and terrifying imagery from Wanda Maximoff as the main villain.
The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for having a similar tone throughout its films, butDoctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madnessstands out for beingdarker than most Marvel movies. Sam Raimi also used familiar elements fromThe Evil Deadseries, from his bizarre camera angles to a zombie version of Doctor Strange harnessing cackling demonic entities to fight Wanda.
4Army Of Darkness
Sam Raimi’s Comedy Became The Forefront Of The Threequel
Sam Raimi’s third movie inThe Evil Deadfranchise,Army Of Darkness, has Ash Williams stuck in medieval times fighting evil. Sam Raimi continued to deliver on undeadmonsters and demons known as Deadites, but the horror element was reduced heavily in favor of slapstick and goofy comedy, which is partially why it grossed less money than other films.
Bruce Campbell remains iconic with some of his most famous quotes as Ash Williams stemming fromArmy Of Darkness, showing that it is still a strong horror comedy. Bruce also shines as not only Ash but also his evil Deadite clone leading an army of skeleton warriors, allowing him to portray the main hero and villain in the same movie.
3Darkman
Sam Raimi’s First Superhero Movie Was Far From Regular
BeforeSpider-ManandDoctor Strange, Sam Raimi was originally in the run to direct aBatmanmovie in the 80s, but that job went to Tim Burton. So, Sam Raimi sought to create his own original superhero in the form ofDarkman, who has aspects of dark heroes such as Batman, The Spirit, and The Shadow, and is injected withinspiration from the classic Universal monstersof the past.
WhileDarkmandepicts a hero who fights evil, he is not exactly a stable person, with Liam Neeson effectively portraying the trauma of a man who was brutalized and burned alive by criminals but can no longer feel pain. His rage combined with his dubious acts to get revenge make him like a reverse horror villain, with Sam Raimi’s style of humor to create an homage to comics.
2Drag Me To Hell
Sam Raimi Made A Knockout Return To Horror Movies
In many ways,Drag Me To Hellalmost feels like a spin-off from theEvil Deaduniverse, with similar uses of gore and twisted irreverent humor as a person istormented by a demonic presence. Only this time, instead of the Book of the Dead, a young woman named Christine is cursed by a witch after she commits a selfish act.
Drag Me To Hellis one of Sam Raimi’s darker films, with comedy being left more on the back burner, making everything Christine goes through as nightmarish as possible by featuring a healthy blend of practical and digital effects. Audiences praised Sam Raimi for his big return to horror after directing dramas and action movies throughout the 2000s.
Sam Raimi Made An Iconic 80s Horror Sequel
Sam Raimi introduced his style of horror with the first film, but many fans would attest that he perfected it withEvil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn. Technically more of a soft reboot than an actual sequel,Evil Dead 2makes the Deadites scarier and funnier than before with the gore dialed up far more.
In the first movie, Ash was a good protagonist, butEvil Dead 2helped transform Bruce Campbell’s character into an icon,wielding a signature chainsaw handand shotgun while spewing iconic one-liners. The blend of horror and comedy is at its most balanced with genuine laughs followed by terrifying sequences that resulted in a movie that many fans still consider the best inThe Evil Deadseries.
