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Sam Raimi’s been a well-renowned director in Hollywood ever since his breakout work on The Evil Dead franchise and the 2000s Spider-Man trilogy. Raimi has continued to go strong in Hollywood by releasing further Evil Dead movies, as well as standalone feature films that have garnered acclaim. Read on to learn more about the top six films in Sam Raimi’s repertoire, ranked according to IMDb ratings.
1. Evil Dead II (1987)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
- Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video, Fandango, Plex Channel
Plot: Evil Dead II is the sequel to the iconic horror film that kick-started Raimi’s career, and a major influence on the direction of the franchise from that point forward. The film serves as a soft reboot of the original, with Ash Williams and his girlfriend Linda planning a getaway to an isolated cabin in the woods.
There, they come across the sequel iteration of the Book of the Dead, which is called the Necronomicon Ex-Mortis, and unwittingly summon the malevolent Kandarian Demon that seeks to possess Ash and Linda by any means necessary.
Compared to the straight horror approach of the original Evil Dead, the sequel is a lot more action-packed and takes itself less seriously. The film ends with Ash stranded in the Middle Ages, a plot point that would be revisited in the sequel, Army of Darkness.
2. Spider-Man 2 (2004)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Plot: The long-anticipated sequel to the 2004 film sees Peter Parker continue his work as Spider-Man while dealing with the fallout of the Green Goblin, Norman Osborn’s death from the last movie, which has seriously strained his relationship with Harry Osborn and Mary Jane Watson.
Peter struggles with reconciling his work as Spider-Man with his personal life, even as a new threat emerges in the form of Otto Octavius, a renowned scientist who goes down the path of insanity after a lab accident leaves him vulnerable to being manipulated by his own experimental mechanical arms.
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3. A Simple Plan (1998)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb Rating: 7.5/10
- Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video, Philo US, YouTube Movies
Plot: A Simple Plan is an adaptation of Scott B. Smith’s novel of the same name, and follows the story of Hank Mitchell (played by Bill Paxton) and Jacob Mitchell (played by Billy Bob Thornton). The two are brothers hailing from rural Minnesota, who discover a crashed plane with $4.4 million in cash.
The two, alongside Jacob’s friend Lou (played by Brent Biscoe) and Hank’s wife Sarah (played by Bridget Fonda), conspire to keep this discovery a secret, but eventually struggle to trust one another, resulting in the money’s poisonous influence driving them to deceit and betrayal.
4. Spider-Man (2002)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Plot: 2002’s Spider-Man was Sam Raimi’s first time working on a superhero movie, and the film that made him an international household name. The film follows the origin story of Peter Parker (played by Tobey Maguire), a socially isolated but intellectually gifted teenager who gains superpowers after being bitten by a genetically engineered spider.
Rounding out Peter Parker’s supporting cast are his love interest, Mary Jane Watson (played by Kirsten Dunst), and Harry Osborn (played by James Franco). Harry Osborn’s father, Norman Osborn (played by Willem Dafoe), serves as the film’s main villain, as his exposure to an experimental performance-enhancing drug, alongside his struggles with controlling Oscorp, drives him down the path of madness and transforms him into the malevolent terrorist the Green Goblin.
5. Army Of Darkness (1992)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
- Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Plot: Army of Darkness is the third film in the Evil Dead series, and takes the story of Ash Williams in a decidedly more outlandish direction by introducing time travel into the story.
The film begins with Ash Williams being transported into the Middle Ages in the 1300s. There, he’s caught between a war between the legendary Lord Arthur and his nemesis, Duke Henry, while still being hunted by the evil deadites that refuse to let go of him. Ash must figure out a way back home while still making the most of his situation and facing off against the evil dead.
6. The Evil Dead (1981)
- Director: Sam Raimi
- IMDb Rating: 7.3/10
- Streaming On: Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV
Plot: The Evil Dead was Sam Raimi’s breakout hit and the first film in his iconic Evil Dead franchise. This horror film introduced Bruce Campbell in the role of Ash Williams, who starts out in this film as an unassuming man on a trip with his girlfriend Linda, his sister, and some friends to a cabin in the woods.
However, things take a turn for the grisly when the friends come across the Naturom Demonto, or Book of the Dead, which unwittingly summons demonic monsters or “deadites” that seek to possess and destroy Ash and his hapless friends.
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