The legacy of movie magic left by filmmaker Sam Raimi always adds a certain flavor to his unique stories. Whether it’s a new episode of the first live action Spider Man franchise or a foray into truly terrifying terrain, his individualistic creative style always shines through. Throughout his career, he has quickly built his stature as a critical director, writer and producer whose unique vision has proved essential within the film industry. Before spinning his larger-than-life superhero stories, he staked his claim in the horror genre with deeply disturbing images and ominous atmospheres, constantly exuding a sense of urgency and impending danger.
Adding elements of horror to already alien buildings, he really finds his success and brings the obscure into familiar environments. A Rolling Stone interview With Raimi, he was able to extend this process: “The audience can always create something in their minds more effectively than we can show them. We just need to give them the right tools to build that monster.” Let’s look back at the best moments in Sam Raimi’s movies, ranked.
8 The Surprise Ending – Sleep Me to Hell (2009)
drag me to hell filmed 2000s horror at its peak, using tropes and a simple set-up to create one of the most surprising ending scenes in modern horror history. After making the difficult choice not to renew old Sylvia Ganush’s mortgage, Christine Brown will regret her decision for the rest of her shortened life. Christine’s effort to undo the curse is as extreme as it gets, but all seems well after she exhumes Ganush’s body to return the cursed bud. But of course she gave her the wrong envelope, which she realizes at the train station in the middle of an approaching proposal. Understandably panicking, she falls on the tracks, which become the fiery coals of hell itself, before finally being engulfed in a sickening final scene.
7 Terror on the Train – Spider-Man 2 (2004)
Known for his iconic interactions with Doc Ock and his handful of campy moments, Spider Man 2 stands as a decent sequel. So it’s no surprise that this movie’s villain would add some flavor to an already freaky situation. Doc Ock and Spidey battle it out over New York City, resulting in a subway falling into battle. When Doc Ock slams on the brakes and propels the car toward an impending doom, Peter springs into action and things slowly come to a painful halt. Sure, Peter makes some funny faces here, but anyone would be pushing with the weight of the world behind them. The collective kindness of strangers instantly rescues him, as they pull him back to safety despite revealing his face after his mask falls.
6 Peter Casts the Symbiote – Spider-Man 3 (2007)
Spider Man 3 positions Peter Parker against some of his greatest opponents to date, including himself. Throughout the story, the symbiote merges with his suit, turning it jet black and encouraging the more underhanded aspects of Peter to come out. After a series of cases highlighting its negative impact on him, he finally realizes the error of his ways after it begins to affect Mary Jane and some hapless bouncers. His character’s strength drives him to find a way to remove the creature, so he reaches a bell tower atop a church where the sound and metal help him peel off his influence. In this scene, we see him willingly choosing to free himself from his dark side personified.
5 Doctor Strange Opens His Third Eye – Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2022)
The long-awaited second episode in the Doctor Strange series of stories left moviegoers gasping in amazement and extremely excited for a third. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness brings the audience right into the action right from the start. But Steven’s darkest reflection is revealed when he enters a crumbling universe and heads for the shrine there, where he comes into contact with the Darkhold. When his shadowy self reaches for it, he sprouts a third eye on his forehead, a product of the grimoire’s powers. A Vanity Fair Review of the film noted that “Raimi even manages some real jump scares, to satiate his old ones” Evil Dead fans and to give this unwieldy franchise a jolt of the visceral.”
4 Ash Messes Up His Words – Army of Darkness (1992)
Continuing the shockingly successful Evil Dead franchise, army of darkness pushes Ash back to the Middle Ages. To return to his correct timeline, he must use the Necronomicon Ex Mortis, a book of the dead. Once he finds out where it is, he finds three multiples of the book and fudges the magic words that will make it leave with him. He gets stuck at the very last word, and believing he has said it right, he picks up the book and sets off. But of course he was wrong, and this causes the version of himself from the broken mirror to return from the grave Ash placed him earlier, ushering in the climax of the story as the other Deadites join forces.
3 Ash’s Hand Betrays Him – Evil Dead II (1987)
Picking up the pieces of the original, Evil Dead II follows that Ash and Linda’s vacation goes awry after a demonic entity visits him again. After having to kill a possessed Linda, her head literally comes back to bite him. When Ash’s right hand is chewed, it’s only a matter of time before it turns against the rest of him. Of course, when it starts to squirm, he knows his painful next steps and chooses to cut off his own hand with a chainsaw. But since the hand has Deadite power, this doesn’t put it down once and for all. Ash tries to kill it again, but it sneaks away and comes back to haunt him again towards the end of the story.
2 Cheryl Changes – The Evil Dead (1981)
One of the scariest movies to grace the liveliness of the 80s, The Evil Death continues to deter success as a quintessential horror classic. While Raimi’s Prime Minister plunges into the professional pool of horror, this film understandably remains a necessity among fans of macabre movies. While the film is filled with unforgettable examples of terror, perhaps the most memorable is Cheryl’s transformation as she goes from friend to foe. The first of the hapless victims, the process is visually and emotionally painstaking as the group watches the entity possess her in a nightmarish sequence. After being flung into the air, she screams that she wants to kill the group, forcing them to lock her in the basement and onlookers cover their ankles.
1 The Upside Down Kiss – Spider-Man (2002)
As the most tender moment on this list, the kiss between Peter and Mary Jane is one of the most visually recognizable examples of Sam Raimi’s masterful directing. The first Spider Man film in the original franchise introduced audiences to a clumsy Peter Parker struggling to come to grips with his newfound powers — and his love life. After rescuing MJ from a scary situation, he circles back to hug her, and the two kiss in the rain with his identity literally on the line. What’s most impressive about this scene isn’t just the aerodynamics of the situation, but the fact that MJ leaves the scene, none the wiser about Peter’s secret.