Every Sam Raimi movie, ranked

This movie stands out in the Raimi filmography in some not very good ways. Why did he make it? Why was this prequel to “The Wizard of Oz” made at all? It felt like a cash-grab kind of job, but then he proceeded to not direct a movie for nine years. For a while, it felt like an unfortunate swan song.

Kevin Costner loves making baseball movies. They vacillate in quality. “For Love of the Game” is not a bad movie. It’s a generic movie. It’s a total shrug, and it lacks any of the staples of a “Sam Raimi movie.” That’s a disappointment.

Raimi directed a movie that he cowrote with the Coen Brothers. It has to be great, right? Well, they were all still young filmmakers. Everybody involved has basically written it off. Bruce Campbell, Raimi’s frequent collaborator, has been particularly vocal about despising “Crimewave.” We aren’t as negative on it, but it’s certainly got a sloppy feel to it, and not in a good way.

“The Quick and the Dead” has a killer cast, including a pre-“Titanic” Leonardo DiCaprio and a new-to-America Russell Crowe. This gussied-up Western centers on a dueling contest in a desperate town. This is, much like a duel, a hit-or-miss movie. It has great moments and awful ones, and all in all that leaves it here on our list.

Well, you know two more “Spider-Man” movies are coming. You also likely knew you would see this one first. “Spider-Man 3” is not without its charms. It’s also overstuffed and feels like the work of a director who had reached his limits with a character. We get why they didn’t go ahead with a four film in this particular series.

A lot of people swear by “A Simple Plan” as an underrated ‘90s classic. We aren’t on that wavelength. It’s a pretty good self-contained crime movie. Raimi wanted to make something more restrained, something that was more Oscar bait. He did that, but it was not the best thing for him.

“The Gift,” like “A Simple Plan,” involves the presence of Billy Bob Thornton, this time as a cowriter. Hey, let’s not forget that he wrote “Sling Blade.” This film is purportedly based on Thornton’s mother’s psychic experiences. It stars Cate Blanchett, and that can carry a film a long way.

The movie that started it all. Raimi, Campbell, and their friends headed into the woods and made a low-budget horror film. It turned into an innovative cult classic. However, it probably leans a little too fully into the nasty, violent nature of independent horror movies of the era. It’s important, and it’s interesting, but it’s also a rough hang at times. Perhaps it's right for the middle of these rankings.

This is the last movie that screams “Sam Raimi movie.” It’s not him trying to do a different genre. It’s not him working with an established intellectual property. “Drag Me to Hell” is a gross, funny, sometimes mean-spirited movie, and that, to us, is Raimi in a nutshell.

Raimi’s return to the big screen turned out well, especially given the circumstances. He was taking over another director’s film, and at times that is abundantly clear. At other times, you feel like you are watching Sam Raimi direct a Marvel movie, and that makes it all worthwhile. Not the best MCU movie, but definitely a worthy addition to the oeuvre. And, of course, Bruce Campbell has a cameo.

When Raimi got his chance to jump to studio movie-making with elevated budgets and more at his disposal, he made “Darkman.” A slightly left-of-center choice, but one that was right for him. It’s kind of like “What if a superhero movie was gross… and also not really a superhero movie.” Liam Neeson is well cast as the main character. It’s bizarre, but quality, and was a surprise hit.

Nothing about Raimi’s career said “Hey, you should direct a Spider-Man movie.” However, this was before the big superhero boom, and after “Batman & Robin” had quashed the Caped Crusader for a while. We ended up with a good movie, and a massive hit as well. Raimi and company helped usher in the film world we now live in, and when you watch this movie you get why people were enthused.

“Army of Darkness” is in the “Gremlin 2” camp of films. It’s a horror comedy that leans heavily on the comedy, and throws everything into the mix that it can think of. Bruce Campbell’s Ash is sent back to the Middle Ages, but the hassles are the same. He’s also now a pompous buffoon, adding to the humor. Even if you don’t like horror, you can enjoy the romp that is “Army of Darkness.”

To many, this is still the best comic book movie. People loved “Spider-Man 2,” generally considering it a real step up on the first film in the trilogy. Maybe that’s because they were past the origin story. Maybe it’s because Alfred Molina’s Doc Ock is a great villain. Also, we should note that the fact this Peter Parker shoots his webs out of his body is a very Raimi touch.

This list is topped by two sequels in the middle of trilogies. “Evil Dead II” is basically a remake of “The Evil Dead,” but with the more-brutal moments excised and the comedy ratcheted up a bit. It’s palatable while still being gory, funny but still freaky. “Evil Dead II” is perhaps the quintessential horror comedy. Raimi proved himself the king of that genre with this one.