Director Sam Raimi has directed some truly iconic movies, yet his Western, The Quick and the Dead, is one of his most underrated films of all time, despite poor reviews. Raimi's rise to fame began back in 1981 when he directed the cult classic horror movie, The Evil Dead. From there, the director took on various different genres, from crime thrillers to fantasies. Notably, he helmed the much-loved Spider-Man movies from 2002 to 2007. Yet, one Raimi movie that is often overlooked, and is only now getting the attention it deserves, is his 1995 Western.

The Quick and the Dead is the seventh movie Raimi directed in his career, and is his only Western to date. The movie includes an incredibly star-studded cast, including Sharon Stone, Gene Hackman, Russell Crowe, Leonardo DiCaprio, and more. In the film, Stone plays "The Lady," a gunslinger who travels to the town of Redemption and enters a dueling competition to get revenge for her father's death. Upon its release, The Quick and the Dead gathered mixed reviews, with most critics panning the film for its clichés and failure to recreate the magic of previous Westerns.

The Quick & The Dead Is One Of Sam Raimi's Most Underrated Movies

What Critics Think Of The Quick And The Dead Now

Despite the poor reviews of The Quick and the Dead, the movie is truly one of Raimi's most underrated projects. Looking at Raimi's resume, it's easy to point out movies like Army of Darkness or Spider-Man 2 as his best works. However, The Quick and the Dead combines a number of Raimi's best qualities. The Western has an outstanding cast, innovative filmmaking, and a visually stunning story. Raimi certainly takes pointers from Western directors of the past, but it is hard to ignore his own style within this movie, and it is wild fun.

The Quick and the Dead has a 58% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes.

Fortunately, The Quick and the Dead has been reassessed in recent years by critics and audiences. Many entertainment writers have put The Quick and the Dead in their top three favorite Raimi movies, citing it as a snappy film that subverts classic Western tropes while also maintaining the core of a beloved Western story. Some have even praised the movie as being a feminist hit that unapologetically plows full speed ahead with its characters and visuals.

Why The Quick & The Dead Wasn't Appreciated At The Time

The Quick And The Dead Isn't For Everyone

One big reason why The Quick and the Dead was received so poorly was because it came out at a time when Westerns were on a decline. For decades, Westerns had been a staple of the Hollywood landscape, but during the 1990s, these films were being replaced with other genres such as thrillers, horrors, and rom-coms. In this way, audiences likely were not prepared for Raimi's mix of Western nostalgia and fresh new takes at this time. This definitely could have skewed opinions to be more negative.

The good news is, a few decades later, The Quick and the Dead has finally made its comeback. This movie definitely is not for everyone, but those who love Raimi's style, should definitely check this project out. There is over-the-top action, wonderful actors, and a story that isn't often portrayed in this specific genre. All in all, The Quick and the Dead deserves its newfound fame, even all these years later.