Director Sam Raimi has made a name for himself in various genres, from superhero movies like Spider-Man to stylish westerns like The 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.
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6 The Evil Dead
Sam Raimi Introduced Ash Williams And The Deadites To The World
- Release Date: October 15, 1981
- Starring: Bruce Campbell, Ellen Sandweiss, Betsy Baker, Theresa Tilly
- Budget: $375,000
- Box Office: $29.4 Million
Fresh out of college with his good friend Bruce Campbell, Sam Raimi debuted with a low-budget isolated supernatural horror film known as The 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 without The Evil Dead. Since it came out, it has been parodied, homaged, or become the inspiration for other horror films. The Evil Dead practically solidified the concept of the Necronomicon Ex Mortis in pop culture.
5 Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness
Sam Raimi Injected Horror Into The Marvel Cinematic Universe
- Release Date: May 6, 2022
- Starring: Benedict Cumberbatch, Elizabeth Olsen, Xochitl Gomez, Rachel McAdams
- Budget: $414.9 million
- Box Office: $955.8 million
Taking over from horror director Scott Derrickson, Sam Raimi took the helm with Doctor Strange facing off against the Scarlet Witch in Doctor 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.
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The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for having a similar tone throughout its films, but Doctor Strange In The Multiverse Of Madness stands out for being darker than most Marvel movies. Sam Raimi also used familiar elements from The Evil Dead series, from his bizarre camera angles to a zombie version of Doctor Strange harnessing cackling demonic entities to fight Wanda.
4 Army Of Darkness
Sam Raimi's Comedy Became The Forefront Of The Threequel
- Release Date: February 19, 1993
- Starring: Bruce Campbell, Embeth Davidtz, Ian Abercrombie, Marcus Gilbert
- Budget: $11 Million
- Box Office: $21.5 Million
Sam Raimi's third movie in The Evil Dead franchise, Army Of Darkness, has Ash Williams stuck in medieval times fighting evil. Sam Raimi continued to deliver on undead monsters 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 from Army 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.
3 Darkman
Sam Raimi's First Superhero Movie Was Far From Regular
- Release Date: August 24, 1990
- Starring: Liam Neeson, Frances McDormand, Larry Drake, Ted Raimi
- Budget: $14 Million
- Box Office: $49 Million
Before Spider-Man and Doctor Strange, Sam Raimi was originally in the run to direct a Batman movie in the 80s, but that job went to Tim Burton. So, Sam Raimi sought to create his own original superhero in the form of Darkman, who has aspects of dark heroes such as Batman, The Spirit, and The Shadow, and is injected with inspiration from the classic Universal monsters of the past.
While Darkman depicts 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.
2 Drag Me To Hell
Sam Raimi Made A Knockout Return To Horror Movies
- Release Date: May 29, 2009
- Starring: Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver, Adriana Barraza
- Budget: $30 Million
- Box Office: $91 Million
In many ways, Drag Me To Hell almost feels like a spin-off from the Evil Dead universe, with similar uses of gore and twisted irreverent humor as a person is tormented 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.
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Drag Me To Hell is 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.
1 Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn
Sam Raimi Made An Iconic 80s Horror Sequel
- Release Date: March 13, 1987
- Starring: Bruce Campbell, Sarah Berry, Dan Hicks, Ted Raimi
- Budget: $3.5 Million
- Box Office: $6 Million
Sam Raimi introduced his style of horror with the first film, but many fans would attest that he perfected it with Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn. Technically more of a soft reboot than an actual sequel, Evil Dead 2 makes the Deadites scarier and funnier than before with the gore dialed up far more.
In the first movie, Ash was a good protagonist, but Evil Dead 2 helped transform Bruce Campbell's character into an icon, wielding a signature chainsaw hand and 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 in The Evil Dead series.
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