Here's every horror movie from director Sam Raimi, ranked. Sam Raimi has worked as a filmmaker since the late 1970s, and while he might be closely linked with both horror and comic book adaptations, he's touched on a wide range of genres. He made a full-blown Western with 199's The Quick And The Dead - starring Sharon Stone, Russell Crowe and Gene Hackman - sports drama For The Love Of The Game and devastating thriller A Simple Plan.
That said, he's best known for his most energetic and wild style of filmmaking. With the first two Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.
For some viewers, however, Raimi will always be known for his horror output. Here's his work ranked worst to best - though there's no such thing as a "bad" Sam Raimi horror film, really.
The Gift (2000)
The Gift, which was co-written by Billy Bob Thornton, stars Cate Blanchett as a clairvoyant investigating the death of a local woman. The Gift is an atmospheric thriller that is probably Raimi's most underrated work and features a fantastic ing cast, including Hilary Swank and a rare villain turn from Keanu Reeves. That said, it's also the least notable for the director's horror outings.
Army Of Darkness (1992)
Army Of Darkness is more of a fantasy adventure than a straight-ahead horror, but it contains some of the most memorable one-liners and setpieces of the series. Raimi is clearly having a blast with this one, though its sheer goofiness does undermine any attempts to chill.
Drag Me To Hell (2009)
After an extended stint with comic book movies, Sam Raimi proved he still had a horror edge with Drag Me To Hell. This sees Alison Lohman's Christine cursed by a woman with a demon that first torments her, and then plans to take her to Hell. The movie is an expert blend of horror and humor, being genuinely tense one moment and then gooey and gross the next. Lohman gives an extremely game performance, Raimi helms some bravura sequences and the ending is unforgettable.
Evil Dead (1981)
The Evil Dead was a scrappy independent horror feature made by inexperienced filmmakers that, nonetheless, became a genre landmark. The setup sees five teenagers - including Bruce Campbell's Ash - head to a cabin and finding themselves besieged by demons. Evil Dead is the most horror-focused of the series, featuring some visceral gore and eerie imagery, in addition to inventive camerawork. The acting is a little ropey and the effects don't always work, but there's no denying its power.
Evil Dead 2 (1987)
Evil Dead 2 is basically Raimi's Citizen Kane and is not only the best in the series but the one of the genre's best too. The story is essentially remake of the original, with Campbell's Ash once again fending off demons - and possession - whilst uncovering more mysteries from the Book of the Dead. The sequel is Sam Raimi firing on all cylinders as a filmmaker, with both the horror and comedy is perfectly measured.
