We Have Evil Dead to Thank for Samara Weaving's Scream Queen Dominance

As her new movie Azrael, hits Shudder along with the announcement of Ready or Not 2, Samara Weaving is one of today's most prominent scream queens. First becoming an Australian household name in the long-running soap opera Home and Away, Weaving has gone on to forge a prosperous career in Hollywood, especially in the horror genre. She has starred in Netflix's The Babysitter and as a Final Bride in Radio Silence's Ready or Not. She was also given the honor of being the opening victim in Scream 6. But what was it that first dragged Weaving to the dark side? In 2015, Weaving landed a recurring role in a TV show that would see her collaborate with some of horror's biggest names.

Samara Weaving had only a three-episode arc on the underrated Starz show Ash vs. Evil Dead, the only TV show so far in the Evil Dead franchise. The series was developed by Sam Raimi and starred Bruce Campbell returning to the iconic role of Ash Williams. Weaving has a recurring role in the arc at the end of Season 1 in which Ash returns to the terrifying cabin from 1981's The Evil Dead. She plays Heather, a hiker who runs into the main characters. The three episodes are both a strong end to the first season of the series and a showcase for Samara Weaving. Even in this supporting role, the signs are all there that she’ll grow into a horror star.

'Ash vs. Evil Dead' Shows Ash's Return to the Cabin

Ash vs. Evil Dead shows us Ash as a self-centered, jaded, older man. The three-episode arc in which he returns to the cabin hits so hard because, aesthetically, it feels so much like the original The Evil Dead movie, but Ash is completely different. These three episodes emphasize how much the first movie changed the trajectory of his life, turning him from a regular young man to someone who barely blinks at all this carnage. While most of the series works as its own horror-comedy show independent from the rest of the franchise, this arc truly feels like an Evil Dead sequel. The fact that Ash has had so much character development keeps it from feeling like a retread. With each beat of the episode, fans are reminded of how differently Ash reacted when he was faced with these same situations as a young man. Because these episodes feature such a strong standalone plot, fans of Samara Weaving shouldn't hesitate to jump to these episodes just for her.

Samara Weaving Shines in 'Ash vs. Evil Dead'

Weaving immediately fits right into the world of Ash vs. Evil Dead. Her wide-eyed reactions and the way she shakes with fear as she gets covered in blood are perfect for the genre. In one of the scariest and grossest scenes in all of Ash vs. Evil Dead, a demon uses the bodies of two of Heather’s friends as puppets. Samara Weaving has strong final girl energy as she looks on in horror at what’s become of her friends. She’s perfect as a horrified Heather, cowering behind trees and getting in some good terrified screams.

As spot-on as Samara Weaving is playing the terrified Heather reacting to everything, she also gets to show off her menacing side when Heather becomes possessed. Weaving gets to have a lot of fun, taunting Kelly (Dana DeLorenzo) with evil glee. In both her scenes as a victim and her scene after she’s been taken over by evil, Weaving’s strong performance shows that she understands that this particular kind of over-the-top horror is akin to physical comedy.

'Ash vs. Evil Dead' Showcases Samara Weaving's Skills

While there's plenty of action in Ash vs. Evil Dead, there are enough calm-before-the-storm moments in which Weaving gets to banter with her co-stars. Her easy, comedic back-and-forth shows her adeptness with witty dialogue that made her so strong as Ready Or Not's Grace. She does a particularly good job of selling how traumatized Heather is in one moment then flipping to horror-comedy glibness when she needs to, without the performance feeling inconsistent. This ability is what allowed her to carry Ready or Not. After she becomes possessed by evil, she exudes the brazen, in-your-face confidence and attitude that made her so memorable in The Babysitter. Between the snappy dialogue and the over-the-top physical comedy in the ridiculous gory scenes, Ash vs. Evil Dead shows off all the skills that make Weaving a perfect scream queen.

If you’re a fan of Samara Weaving and can’t wait to see more of her in Ready or Not 2, try watching her arc on Ash vs. Evil Dead. While her part is relatively minor, she shines so much that it’s easy to see why she broke out not long after.

Ash vs. Evil Dead is available to stream in the U.S. on Starz.

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