Streaming exclusively on Quibi, 50 States of Fright is the newest work by Sam Raimi of Evil Dead fame. He and his brother Ivan Raimi are writers for the anthology series, bringing a variety of genre talent to write and direct episodes that explore local urban legends in the United States. This fictional series features episodes directed by Scott Beck (A Quiet Place), Isa Mazzei (Cam), and Eduardo Sánchez (The Blair Witch Project).
Quibi is the newest streaming service to join the market, advertising itself as being ideal for users on the go and taking its name from a shortened form of ‘quick bites.’ As it explains in its web bio, Quibi is “Quick bites of captivating entertainment, created for mobile by the best talent, designed to fit perfectly into any moment of your day.”
However, because of its relatively new status, most users have been reluctant to join yet another streaming service, especially with Shudder being the premiere service for horror fans. However, a Sam Raimi horror series might be just the thing to bring some genre fans on board, or at least convince them to give the service a try.
Why 50 States of Fright Is Worth A Watch
From Evil Dead to Spiderman to Crawl, filmgoers of all types will recognize Sam Raimi’s name, but horror fans have a special relationship with the director, writer, and producer thanks to his special contributions to the genre over the years. Therefore, Quibi might have made a strong appeal to horror fans with an exclusive genre series by Raimi.
For fans of urban legend documentaries like Cropsey or Killer Legends, 50 States of Fright is a devilishly spooky and fun series that brings something new to the table with every episode. The anthology format, becoming more popular in recent years, allows the series to explore a new urban legend, a new state, and a new story with every few episodes, also featuring a variety of writers and directors from more well-known names like Raimi himself to relative newcomers to the genre.
So far fourteen episodes have been planned for season one, with a series of two or three episodes exploring each story. The states that have been explored thus far include Michigan, Kansas, Oregon, Minnesota, and Florida, with episode subjects that range from a golden arm to the world’s largest ball of twine to bizarre taxidermy. Should the series do well, it’s intended to feature stories from all fifty states with unique stories of urban legends from all of them.
The first three episodes follow the story of Heather (Rachel Brosnahan from Marvelous Miss Maisel) and Dave (Travis Fimmel from Vikings) and their struggles with a horrible accident that leaves Heather disfigured. Obsessed with her own beauty, Heather insists on a prosthetic arm made entirely of gold, but there are consequences for her choice that might spell trouble for the lovebirds and their wellbeing.
Six episodes of 50 States of Fright have been released so far, and they have received a fairly positive response, earning the series a 7.1 out of 10 rating on IMDB. While fans might be skeptical of Quibi as a service, or just skeptical of signing up for any new streaming service, Sam Raimi’s name and a truly excellent horror anthology series might be just the thing to bring people over to their side. At the very least, genre fans can check out the 50 States of Fright with a limited time 90-day free trial of Quibi, after which plans start as low as $4.99.
