The Best And Worst Bruce Campbell Films, According To Fans

The Best And Worst Bruce Campbell Films, According To Fans


September 19, 2025 | Marlon Wright

The Best And Worst Bruce Campbell Films, According To Fans


Favorites And Flops

Every performer carries a mixed bag of roles, and Campbell is no exception. His journey through comedies, horror, and odd experiments shows both his best work and the films that missed the mark. From a shameless Twister knockoff to the incredible dramatic depth of Bubba Ho-Tep, Campbell has certainly run the gambit.

Here are some of Campbells biggest wins—and biggest missteps.

Bruce Campbell - Intro

Advertisement

Army Of Darkness

Bruce Campbell, wielding a chainsaw in medieval times, remains one of cinema's most iconic images. Sam Raimi transported his wisecracking hero Ash Williams back to 1300 AD for this 1992 trilogy finale. His delivery of lines like "This is my boomstick!" has become legendary.

The actor’s physical comedy skills reach their peak as he battles skeleton armies with quips and boomsticks. Army of Darkness showcases Campbell's range from cowardly everyman to reluctant hero. Critics praised his "hammy charm" and ability to sell ridiculous dialogue with conviction.

2Universal Pictures, Army of Darkness (1992)

Advertisement

Evil Dead II

This 1987 sequel seamlessly blends horror and comedy in a way never seen before. Sam Raimi had a $3.5 million budget to refine his vision. Campbell battles his own severed hand in scenes worthy of Charlie Chaplin while maintaining genuine scares. 

The performance required incredible stamina as the hero screams, fights, and pratfalls for 84 minutes. His chemistry with practical effects creates memorable moments like the laughing scene and hand-chopping sequence. Campbell's athletic ability shines through demanding stunts and fight choreography. 

4Rosebud Releasing Corporation, Evil Dead II (1987)

Advertisement

Bubba Ho-Tep

Here, he plays an aging Elvis Presley in a Texas nursing home, complete with perfect vocal inflections and mannerisms. The premise sounds ridiculous. Elvis and JFK fight an Egyptian mummy, but Campbell's committed performance elevates every scene. He spent months perfecting The King's speech patterns.

Critics praised Campbell's unexpected dramatic depth and ability to find humanity in absurd circumstances. The story is based on a novella by Joe R Lansdale and won the Bram Stoker Award for Best Screenplay. It has a mix of dark humor, suspense, and touching moments.

6Vitagraph Films, Bubba Ho-Tep (2002)

Advertisement

The Evil Dead

This breakout performance launched his career and defined horror's everyman hero. As Ash Williams, he starts as an ordinary college student before becoming the sole survivor. The plot centers on five Michigan State University students—Ash Williams, his girlfriend Linda, his sister Cheryl, Scott, and Scott's girlfriend Shelly.

The actor’s natural charisma makes audiences root for his survival against impossible odds. His performance is said to strike a balance between vulnerability and growing determination as friends become monsters. Besides, Campbell's athletic background helps sell the physical demands of fighting possessed deadites.

8New Line Cinema, The Evil Dead (1981)

Advertisement

My Name Is Bruce 

This is a comedy horror film directed by and starring Bruce Campbell as a fictionalized version of himself. In the movie, Bruce is mistaken for his famous horror movie character and gets pulled into a small town's struggle with an absolute monster. 

Critics and viewers praise Campbell's energetic and charismatic performance as himself, noting his ability to carry the movie with humor and charm. It may not be for everyone due to its niche humor and uneven pacing, but it is recommended for fans who enjoy the star’s horror-comedy mashups.

10Image Entertainment, My Name Is Bruce (2007)

Advertisement

The Man With The Screaming Brain

Another campy science fiction slapstick comedy film starred and was directed by Bruce Campbell. Reviews are mixed, but often highlight Campbell’s lively and charismatic performance. Ted Raimi’s acting as the mad scientist’s assistant is noted for stealing scenes with over-the-top comedic flair. 

The film holds on to its B-movie aesthetic with goofiness instead of seriousness. Overall, Campbell shines as he balances playing a vain American businessman merged mentally with a former Communist cab driver, delivering charm and humor that enhance the quirky, bizarre premise.

12Syfy, The Man With The Screaming Brain (2005)

Advertisement

Maniac Cop

Its plot unfolds in New York City, where a figure dressed as a police officer commits brutal murders, developing widespread fear and mistrust of law enforcement. Jack Forrest is wrongfully accused of the killings after being framed by the real Maniac Cop, Matt Cordell, played by Robert Z'Dar. 

Maniac Cop is a cult classic American slasher film directed by William Lustig. Campbell stars as Officer Jack Forrest Jr. Many reviews talk about him for bringing a natural charm and presence to his role. The climax involves intense confrontations and a showdown at a warehouse.

14Shapiro-Glickenhaus Entertainment, Maniac Cop (1988)

Advertisement

Spider-Man 2

In Spider-Man 2, the actor has a memorable cameo as a snooty usher who refuses to let Peter Parker (Tobey Maguire) into a play featuring Mary Jane Watson. Campbell’s character humorously insists that no one is seated after the doors have closed.

His character is so well-liked that it inspired a humorous Marvel comic book appearance where the character makes a return, thus making the cameo part of Marvel Comics canon. However, even the grooviest actor has his off days. Next up are Campbell's most forgettable efforts.

16Sony Pictures Releasing, Spider-Man 2 (2004)

Advertisement

The Color Of Time

Campbell's involvement in this 2012 dramatic ensemble about poet CK Williams represents one of his most misguided career choices. The film attempts to chronicle the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet's life through pretentious artistic vignettes that fail to connect meaningfully with the audience. 

Campbell's dramatic performance feels out of place among the overwrought poetry adaptations and meandering narrative structure. His natural charisma cannot overcome the film's fundamental lack of coherent storytelling. The movie earned dreadful reviews across the board, with critics calling it a “poetic road trip”.

File:Bruce Campbell by Gage Skidmore.jpgGage Skidmore, Wikimedia Commons

Advertisement

Tornado!

This made-for-TV disaster movie represents the actor at his most forgettable in a shameless Twister knockoff. He plays a cowboy storm chaser trying to convince a government auditor to fund his tornado detection machine. Campbell’s acting feels phoned-in as he delivers generic action hero dialogue. 

The role requires none of his signature physical comedy or horror movie sensibilities. Tornado! lacks any of the production values or genuine thrills that made "Twister" successful. His chemistry with co-stars feels forced as the script provides no memorable moments or quotable dialogue. 

20Fox, Tornado! (1996)

Advertisement

Alien Apocalypse

Talk about this man’s least inspired leading man performance. He plays an astronaut who returns to Earth to find humanity enslaved by insectoid aliens, but his performance is low on conviction and energy. Campbell appears to be going through the motions without investing in the ridiculous premise.

His typically reliable charisma feels absent throughout most of the film's runtime. The low-budget production values cannot excuse Campbell's unusually lifeless acting in material that should suit his B-movie sensibilities perfectly. Where is the wit and resourcefulness that made his best roles memorable?

22Syfy, Alien Apocalypse (2005)

Advertisement

Serving Sara

Unfortunately, in Serving Sara, audiences saw the star as a process server alongside Matthew Perry and Elizabeth Hurley in a film that wastes his unique talents on generic comedy beats. His acting feels constrained by the studio system requirements, eliminating most of what makes him distinctive.

The film follows their wild journey filled with humorous mishaps, chases, and cons as they try to find Gordon (Campbell), who is elusive and protected by a bodyguard. Along the way, Joe (Perry) and Sara (Hurley) develop romantic feelings for each other amid the chaos. 

24Paramount Pictures, Serving Sara (2002)

Advertisement

READ MORE

October 6, 2025 Jane O'Shea

Celebrities Who Said No To Interior Designers And Did It Themselves

No hired eyes. No staged perfection. Just instinct, taste, and risk. The result? Rooms that feel like confessions, each corner whispering something deeply personal about its owner.
October 6, 2025 Jesse Singer

Italy’s Wild 1979 "Star Wars" Knock-Off That Became A Cult Classic

When Star Wars hit theaters in 1977, it didn’t just change Hollywood—it rewired pop culture. Suddenly, every studio (and every country) wanted their own galaxy far, far away. In 1979, Italy delivered The Humanoid—a shameless copy so weird, so earnest, and so campy that it became a cult classic.
October 6, 2025 Jesse Singer

Photos Of Michelle Pfeiffer Prove That Some Of Us Get Even Better With Age

Some stars burn bright and fade fast—but some stars just keep on shining and shining and shining, and Michelle Pfeiffer has only gotten more luminous with time.
George Michael Facts
October 6, 2025 Carl Wyndham

George Michael’s Life Was Even More Outrageous Than We Knew

George Michael's life was like a Hollywood movie. After skyrocketing to fame as a teenager, the rest of Michael’s life was documented for the world to see. Buried underneath the tabloids was a reality even more unbelievable than gossip columnists could think up. From wild scandals to tragic losses, here's the story that George Michael hid from the public.
October 6, 2025 Quinn Mercer

Joan Rivers joked about her own funeral plans years before it happened. She passed in 2014, but her sharp-tongued legacy lives on.

Joan Rivers lived with unrelenting wit, courage, and irreverence. Her story is one of groundbreaking comedy, devastating personal loss, resilience, and a legacy that influences the entertainment world.
October 6, 2025 Jack Hawkins

Movies You Didn't Realize Were Based On Real Events

Sometimes, movies are entirely works of fiction, usually those that are based on truth are historical dramas on topics of war and peace. But these movies based on real events may have slipped under your radar if you love films based on real events or people.