Plot: Quibi series explores stories based on urban legends from different places in the United States, taking viewers deeper into the horrors that lurk just beneath the surface.
Review: How long have you been waiting for Sam Raimi to return to horror? I know that his involvement with the Starz series Ash vs Evil Dead filled me with happiness, but that brief directorial effort from him was his first foray into horror since 2009's DRAG ME TO HELL and his first time behind the camera since the 2017 short film THE BLACK GHIANDOLA. While Raimi has been rumored to be taking over helming duties on DOCTOR STRANGE AND THE MULTIVERSE OF MADNESS, fans have been waiting with bated breath for something scary from the director of THE EVIL DEAD. Well, the wait is finally over as the Quibi anthology series 50 States of Fright arrives and the first story was directed by Raimi himself. And boy, is it worth the wait.
Produced by Gunpowder & Sky for the new streaming platform, 50 States of Fright presents short films which are each inspired by a folktale or urban legend famous in each one of the fifty United States. Raimi's entry, representative of his home state of Michigan, is based on the tale "The Golden Arm". Written by Raimi and his brother Ivan, "The Golden Arm" stars Travis Fimmel (History series VIkings) and Rachel Brosnahan (Amazon Prime's The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel). While this story is not unique to Michigan, this variation on the tale fits in with the Midwestern state and is given some local flair by the filmmaker. While not the most original story to kick of this anthology, Sam Raimi manages to take it and fill it with atmosphere, gore, and quite a few of his stylistic touches that will remind you instantly of THE EVIL DEAD.
"The Golden Arm" has gone by many names, but you know the story: a person takes something and the spirit of the owner gradually gets closer and closer until the protagonist has to give it back. Like many folktales, it is a simple plot that has changed over the years and by location. The Raimi variation centers on a married couple played by Fimmel and Brosnahan. When she loses her arm in a tragic accident, he spends all his money to craft her a solid gold prosthetic that gradually kills her. Before you cry "spoilers", all of this appears in the trailer. What Raimi manages to do is add some elements to the story, especially with the ending, that throw you for a loop. There is also no shortage of blood and, while I knew exactly what was coming, I still found my toes curling as I averted my eyes from what came next.
Told in three chapters which will be released daily, "The Golden Arm" features a direct easter egg to THE EVIL DEAD as well as Raimi's trademark zoom shots. It shares a lot in common with DRAG ME TO HELL, especially the make-up on Rachel Brosnahan as you can see below. In keeping with Quibi's turnstyle technology, the orientation of the chapters changes depending on how you hold your phone. Unlike other Quibi series, I noticed a couple of times where Sam Raimi used completely different takes of a scene to accomodate portrait versus landscape viewing. While none of these scenes were major moments in the story, it was interesting to see that the filmmaker took extra steps to ensure the story was formatted properly for the viewing experience.
Each episode also clocks in under Quibi's ten minute maximum. All together, "The Golden Arm" runs just shy of 25 minutes which puts it in line with a standard television episode. Each chapter ends at a natural point and feels perfectly suited for the platform. These stories are crafted to fit Quibi but could easily work on a more linear service as well. The performances are solud from both Brosnahan as well as Fimmel and balance that delicate line between dramatic and cheesy. Sam Raimi has always elicited that balance in his work and this is no exception. While the wraparound part of this story seems a little disjointed, that is a minor quibble. This is a solid scary story and that is what matters.
Anthology series have been making a comeback in recent years and some series work, like Jordan Peele's The Twilight Zone, while others are very hit or miss (Shudder's Creepshow). While Sam Raimi did not helm additional tales in this series, there are a slew of talented up and coming filmmakers including Ryan Spindell, Lee Cronin, Alejandro Brugués, and Adam Schindler & Brian Netto along with many faces, famous and familiar, like Ming-Na Wen, Danay Garcia, Asa Butterfield, Karen Allen, James Ransone and Emily Hampshire in the ensemble casts. 50 States of Fright is a series that takes each tale just seriously enough but still manages to have fun with it without devolving into something too campy. This is a genuinely fun format and one that will easily have you checking in for new chapters each day.
50 States of Fright premieres daily chapters starting April 13th on Quibi.