The younger sibling of a legendary filmmaker, Ted Raimi has made tremendous waves in the horror genre since debuting alongside his brother, Sam. It’s a shame that he never gets the credit he deserves for his personal output in the industry, though. When most film fans hear their surname, they exclusively think of Sam.
And sure, it’s understandable, as many of the titles on this very list were in fact made by Sam. But plenty of other entries herein nonetheless hold up as some high-quality horror movies, and they were made without Sam’s assistance. Each puts Ted’s skills on underrated display. All that said, this is every horror movie with Ted Raimi, ranked.
15 Darkness Rising (2017)
Widely panned by critics, Darkness Rising (2017) also holds a particular paucity of popularity. Not many people know about it, and it’s easy to see why. Good thing Ted Raimi was only featured in a minor role — in fact, his character goes unnamed, while protagonist Madison is played by Tara Holt. Not too popular, and frankly, the same thing goes for the rest of the cast.
Paranormal Inactivity
Elements of the supernatural quickly rise to the surface as Madison breaks into her childhood home and stirs up spirits that still lie within. Typical story beats play out from there, and while some horror fans may find some positive takeaways, this entry fails to live up to the other Ted Raimi horror films. Don’t judge the rest of his impressive filmography based off the dud that is Darkness Rising.
14 Maniac Cop III: Badge of Silence (1992)
The final entry of the Maniac Cop film trilogy, Badge of Silence (1992) is also the only iteration that doesn’t feature Bruce Campbell. He comes into play in other horror movies alongside Ted Raimi, but with regard to Maniac Cop: this third project features Robert Z’Dar in the primary role, playing the titular officer whose name is Matt Cordell.
A Lackluster Sequel
Though not the most acclaimed horror movie you’ll read about today, a certain corner of horror hounds hold Badge of Silence in somewhat high regard. By no means a prominent piece of the genre, Badge of Silence also remains rather irrelevant in the career of Ted Raimi, who plays a reporter in minor fashion. It does add to his output, though.
13 Wishmaster (1997)
The first in a long line of dark fantasy horror films, Wishmaster (1997) was primarily a success with regard to the worldwide box office. Hence, three sequels in the following five years, which only got worse with each progressive entry. Though not saying much, the original Wishmaster remains the franchise’s pinnacle.
A Forgotten Franchise
Following the evil deeds of genies known as djinn, Wishmaster kicks off when a woman named Alexandra discovers one of the antagonists, who seeks to enslave the earth. Not the most endearing horror plot, but its star-studded cast manages a decently entertaining product. On top of Ted Raimi, it features appearances by Tony Todd and Robert Englund — a pair of horror legends who helped make Wishmaster a relative success.
12 Shocker (1989)
Written and directed by a famous filmmaker — who even plays a minor part as a neighbor — Shocker (1989) is the most unknown slasher of Wes Craven’s career. Granted, others include A Nightmare on Elm Street (1984) and Scream (1996), a pair of all-time greats. But still, Shocker received decent reviews from critics like Gene Siskel, and after all, it was made by Wes Craven. It’s bound to be of a certain quality.
Some Strange Plot Points
Whether it’s good or bad, Shocker is at the very least an unforgettable experience by dint of some strange plot points. After a serial killer murders the majority of Lt. Don Parker’s family, the latter seeks revenge with the help of his foster son Jonathan. What plays out is a supernatural horror movie within the slasher subgenre, replete with unexpected twists until the electrifying finale.
11 Skinner (1993)
Shout-out to Skinner (1993), the only horror movie of Ted Raimi’s career that features his name atop the bill. It’s a frightening adventure about his lead character Dennis Skinner, a serial killer who operates at night and hunts down sex workers as his victims. He flays them, but a prior Skinner target named Heidi lived to tell the tale, and now she seeks revenge.
Some Lesser-Known Talents
On top of Ted Raimi, another star worth noting in Skinner is Traci Lord, who plays Heidi. There’s also Ricki Lake and Richard Schiff, but when it comes to the crew, nearly everyone is unknown. From director Ivan Nagy to screenwriter Paul Hart-Wilden, everyone attached to Skinner deserves greater respect, but none more so than the man of the hour. He put great psychological research into his role as Dennis Skinner, and that’s evident in his performance.
10 The Attic Expeditions (2001)
Here in The Attic Expeditions (2001), lead character Tevor Blackburn (portrayed by Andras Jones) kicks off the plot by stumbling upon a book of black magic. As the title suggests, the attic of Trevor’s newly acquired home is where he finds the book, and from there, an entertaining horror movie plays out with twists galore.
The Interesting Production of The Attic Expeditions
Originally written as the Witchcraft franchise’s fourth film, director Jeremy Kastin implored that the producers expand it to something more. Thus, they created The Attic Expeditions, which features Ted Raimi in a prominent role. His name: Dr. Coffee. If it had indeed ended up as another Witchcraft film, there’s no telling if he would’ve even been involved.
9 Intruder (1989)
Another slasher, Intruder (1989) was written and directed by Scott Spiegel from a story he created alongside Lawrence Bender. The latter even appears among the star-studded cast, portraying Officer Adams. Meanwhile, showing up as his cohort Officer Howard is famous scream king Bruce Campbell, who’s appeared in several horror films with the actor at hand. Their most underrated is Intruder.
Slasher King
While he never gets full credit for the work he’s put in, the talented Ted Raimi has appeared in several slashers throughout the years. Many of them feature unique twists, and that’s the case for Intruder, which is set in one location: a grocery store. What’s more is that it features several horror legends like Bruce and Ted, along with the latter’s brother Sam. An original premise with an all-star cast — get in line and check it out.
8 Blood Rage (1987)
An underrated project from a fan-favorite decade, Blood Rage (1987) holds an unfortunate paucity of name value. Few critics reviewed its nuances upon release, and even then, not many horror fans were aware of its existence. That remains the case today in spite of a unique twist to the classic style of slasher movies.
Subverting Genre Norms
If it weren’t for Thanksgiving (2023) by Eli Roth, this would be the best horror movie set during that November holiday. Not too common, with most slashers being set of course during Halloween, and occasionally even Christmas. And sure, Blood Rage features Ted Raimi in his most minor appearance with regard to horror films, but still: It holds up well today, and it should commonly be cited among the most underrated movies in the history of slashers.
7 The Grudge (2004)
A famous, English-language remake, The Grudge (2004) was written and directed by Takashi Shimisu, the same filmmaker who made the original film on which this entry is based. Known as Ju-On: The Grudge (2002), the original received far greater acclaim than its remake counterpart. But at the worldwide box office, the English version cleaned up.
The Worldwide Fame of The Grudge
Raking in $187.3 million against a $10 million budget, The Grudge is among the most famous horror movies ever made. Easy to see why. Appealing to a wide range of genre fans, it’s a spooky tale about an American family who moves to Japan, only to discover an evil entity haunting their home in the form of a pale, long-haired woman. Creepy stuff, and although he isn’t the lead, The Grudge adds greatly to Ted Raimi’s legacy.
6 The Midnight Meat Train (2008)
Starring Bradley Cooper as an amateur photographer, The Midnight Meat Train (2008) kicks off when he happens upon and becomes obsessed with a serial killer. Trying to impress a renowned art gallery owner, protagonist Leon Kaufman capitalizes on this discovery by taking photos of the killer instead of reporting him to the authorities. Unique stuff, and entirely unforgettable.
Out of Their Element
Like lead character Leon branching out in his professional endeavors, almost every actor in The Midnight Meat Train was new to the realm of horror. Sure, actors like Bradley Cooper and Brooke Shields previously appeared in a horror movie apiece, but others such as Leslie Bibb were known entirely for their comedies. Same thing goes for Vinnie Jones, but making up for their lack of horror experience was the wonderful scream king at hand: Ted Raimi.
5 Candyman (1992)
With Bernard Rose as the auteur, Candyman (1992) was adapted from “The Forbidden”, a short story by Clive Barker. Both follow a graduate student named Helen, who in the original piece is doing a thesis on graffiti when she stumbles upon the tale of the Candyman. In the more popular adaptation, Helen is specifically writing her thesis on urban legends as a semiotics graduate, and a world-famous horror antagonist materializes from there.
Candyman
- Release Date
- October 16, 1992
- Director
- Bernard Rose
- Runtime
- 99
Starting a Franchise
Perhaps the best that its long-running franchise has to offer, the first Candyman by Bernard Rose holds up as an all-time great with some truly creepy moments. Part of its quality can be attributed to the performance of Tony Todd, who plays Daniel Robitaille — also known as the Candyman. Thanks to other stars like Virginia Madsen and Ted Raimi, the cast saw a truly creepy project into critically acclaimed fruition.
4 Army of Darkness (1992)
Frequently cast in his older brother’s projects, Ted Raimi plays four different parts in Army of Darkness (1992). He’s only credited as “Cowardly Warrior,” but upon further research, it’s clear that Ted also appears as a swordsmith, a villager, and a clerk at S-Mart. Quite the array of figures to master within a dark fantasy horror comedy.
Below-the-Radar Raimi Movies
For a Sam Raimi movie, Army of Darkness is rather underrated. Frankly, he has several features under his belt that could qualify as such, but it’s rare that one of Sam’s horror movies is quite this overlooked. A shame, considering the world-class work of its committed cast and crew — Ted Raimi played four separate parts, for crying out loud. Put some respect on his name!
3 Drag Me to Hell (2009)
A supernatural horror film, Drag Me to Hell (2009) marked the fourth genre collaboration of brothers Sam and Ted Raimi. But they’ve worked together within numerous genres, such as with superheroes — examples thereof include Darkman (1990), and all three entries of the Spider-Man trilogy. Of course, they’re most famous for their horror collaborations, and it’s easy to see why. Just look at the quality of Drag Me to Hell.
The Star-Studded Cast of Drag Me to Hell
With Alison Lohman and Justin Long as its primary players, Drag Me to Hell also features Adriana Barazza, and even a brief appearance by Octavia Spencer. Some talented names, and they all perform brilliantly in a technically adept project. With an imposing score and engaging visuals, Drag Me to Hell holds up perfectly as a creepy horror movie about a supernatural curse.
2 Evil Dead II (1987)
Few horror sequels live up to the caliber of Evil Dead II (1987), which was of course directed by Ted’s brother Sam. But unlike the first iteration, the middle Raimi sibling co-wrote Evil Dead II alongside another collaborator, named Scott Spiegel. Their story revolved around the return of Ash Williams, a fan-favorite protagonist who’s played to engrossing heights by the charismatic Bruce Campbell.
Working Once Again With His Brother
Though he didn’t grant Ted a prominent role, Sam nonetheless cast his brother once again for Evil Dead II. In their defense, this is the Bruce Campbell show — everyone else among the cast takes a backseat spot on this wacky journey through horror greatness. Easily the definitive Bruce Campbell role, Ash Williams is also known as one of the most iconic characters in the genre’s rich history. Given the quality of his respective films, it’s easy to see why.
1 The Evil Dead (1981)
Among the finest horror movies ever made, The Evil Dead (1981) started an era of dominance in the Raimi household. After writing and directing the amateur film It’s Murder (1977), middle brother Sam shifted his sights to the realm of screams. He’s created some all-time great horror movies, and The Evil Dead remains the cream of the crop.
The Evil Dead
- Release Date
- September 10, 1981
- Cast
- Bruce Campbell , Ellen Sandweiss , Richard DeManincor , Betsy Baker , Theresa Tilly , Philip A. Gillis
- Runtime
- 85
An All-Time Great
From scream king Bruce Campbell to composer Joseph LoDuca, several prominent figures of horror movie fame got their start on The Evil Dead. That includes the Raimi brothers, with Ted showing up in this original entry as a “Fake Shemp” — coined by Raimi himself, it’s a term for a type of body double. Replete with fascinating stories from production and beyond, The Evil Dead remains wholly influential in the landscape of horror, and that will forever be the case.
