Sam Raimi Movies: 8 Of His Best

Okay, so this is a television series, but it is one of the highest-rated Sam Raimi productions, and it does concern his most celebrated character and frequent collaborator, Bruce Campbell. Ash vs Evil Dead is a comedy horror show created by Raimi, Ivan Raimi, and Tom Spezialy. Not only was it a big hit for horror fans and an expansion of The Evil Dead Universe, but it is Raimi's best-rated project by critics at 99%. That's an almost perfect score, and the series leans into comedy without sacrificing The Evil Dead's horror elements. It stars Bruce Campbell, Ray Santiago, Dana DeLorenzo, Jill Marie Jones, and Lucy Lawless.

Drag Me to Hell was a critical and financial success when released in 2009. It had its premiere at the Cannes Film Festival. I just felt I had to state that because it is impressive. From a script written by Ivan Raimi, who is Sam Raimi's elder brother, Christine Brown, who works at a bank and is trying to be promoted, declines to give another extension to a desperate woman on her mortgage. This action, taken because she's not seen as tough enough, leads to the woman placing a deadly curse on Brown. The film stars Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, and Dileep Rao. The film has a 92% rating among critics. Read more: The Next Installment In The V/H/S Franchise Is Going Sci-Fi.

Evil Dead II is the classic. A reimagining of the first Evil Dead film, with even more torture of the character of Ash Williams, this film made audiences laugh and scream. Its surreal elements significantly impacted horror fans, and even now, these fans discuss their favorite moments, like the flying eyeball, that they will never forget. The fact that the film is both hilarious and frightful and Bruce Campbell's grimly dedicated comedic performance is why the film has made such a spectacular impression on the horror genre. It stars Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, and Kassie Wesley. Directed by Raimi, the film is co-written by Raimi and Scott Spiegel and produced by Robert Tapert.

We can't forget The Evil Dead, the entire series's prototype, and the reason for this list. None of the other incredible entries in the series would be possible without it, and it is a great horror film in its own right. It's got the twin forces of gore and comedy with the acting power of Bruce Campbell. It introduces a different way to bring demonic possession into a horror film that doesn't rely on the most used tropes and creates a world of demonic activity. It is one of the most critical and influential cult films of its time. It stars Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Richard DeManincor, and Betsy Baker and is written and directed by Sam Raimi and produced by Robert Tapert. Read more: Totally Killer Director Nahnatchka Khan On Delivering The Laughs Between The Stabs.

Darkman was another innovation. The movie is about a scientist, Dr. Peyton Westlake, who is horribly wounded by a criminal gang leader, Robert G. Durant, who kills his colleagues. With his invention, a synthetic type of skin, Westlake can make disguises to find the criminals responsible for the ruin of his life and the deaths of his friends and co-workers. He becomes Darkman, a crime fighter who feels no pain and has a blinding rage, and makes a model of his face so he can see his beloved girlfriend, Julie Hastings. It stars Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Colin Friels, and Larry Drake. The film has excellent action sequences and similarities to classic horror films such as The Invisible Man and The Phantom of the Opera. Darkman is rated at 84% by critics.

Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is Raimi's Marvel movie. It is a multiverse-spanning superhero story centered on sorcery, directed by Sam Raimi and written by Michael Waldron. Essentially, it is a superhero story with horror elements, not a horror horror movie, but it has the Raimi magic. It stars Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Benedict Wong, and Xochitl Gomez. Critics gave it an average of 73%. Read more: Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness Will Apparently Make EVIL DEAD II Fans Happy.

Army of Darkness. I could stop there, but what fun would that be? In the third movie in the franchise of the Evil Dead films, Raimi wisely decided to transplant Ash Williams into an entirely different setting, namely Medieval times. Ash is now the only human in this period who can fight and triumph over the Deadites, and it just happens that the Deadites have invaded. He's their savior, and with it comes all the hilarity and horror you've expected from the series. It stars Bruce Campbell and Embeth Davidtz, directed by Raimi, co-written by Raimi and Ivan Raimi, and produced by Robert Tapert. It scores a critical average of 68%.

The Gift is something entirely different. A supernatural horror film written by Billy Bob Thornton and Tom Epperson that Thornton says is based on his mother's experience as a psychic. Its high-profile cast includes Cate Blanchett, Giovanni Ribisi, Keanu Reeves, Katie Holmes, Greg Kinnear, and Hilary Swank. The story is about a woman, Annabelle "Annie" Wilson, with visions that tell her what happened to the young, beautiful fiancee of the local district attorney. When the wrong man is arrested for the crime, Annie wants to find the real killer. Critically, the film comes in at an average of 56%.