Into the Raimiverse.

While it’s not entirely without merit, the argument that Marvel films lack a clear directorial voice has lost significant clout over the years. Of course, the MCU being what it is, there’s certainly a visual throughline to the whole thing, but any allegation that the franchise drowns out its directors feels increasingly moot with every passing instalment.

The MCU’s early years are perhaps where these accusations hold the most weight, however, as time has gone by, the universe’s directorial voices have only gotten louder. Quite frankly, there’s little point in drafting in the likes of Shane Black, James Gunn, Taika Waititi, and Ryan Coogler if you’re going to shackle them, and surely even Marvel’s harshest critics must recognise the progress that’s been made.

Twelve years on from its inception and the evolution of the Marvel Cinematic Universe shows no signs of slowing, with even the likes of Oscar winner Chloé Zhao afforded the opportunity to impress their filmmaking vision onto proceedings. And as we head even deeper into Phase Four, the MCU feels like it has reached a pivotal moment as Sam Raimi enters the fray.

Joined by mystical allies both old and new, Doctor Stephen Strange (Benedict Cumberbatch) takes a step into the unknown as he journeys to the depths of the multiverse, traversing the mind-bending and terrifying alternate realities that await. With a mysterious new adversary in hot pursuit, Strange must confront the dangers of both the multiverse and his own demons in order to stop a terror that threatens the very fabric of existence.

Well, what can I say? If there were any doubts that Marvel were going to let Raimi be Raimi, they can be put to rest now. This is a Sam Raimi movie through and through, and while there’s no denying that Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness is intrinsically tethered to its franchise, the film positively oozes the director’s distinctive style.

For Marvel Studios and Raimi himself, this feels like quite a moment on both parties’ sacred timelines. While Multiverse of Madness is far from perfect, there’s no denying just how far out there Marvel and their director have gone to give us something a bit different.

For Raimi, Multiverse of Madness marks his most distinctive big budget offering to date, and while the director has never shied away from blockbuster filmmaking before, there was a growing sense that the further he got dragged into that world, the more his stylistic powers dwindled. Thankfully, that’s far from the case here, as Marvel have afforded him the space and the platform to recapture a blockbuster mojo that we hadn’t seen in full flow since Spider-Man 2.

For Marvel, Multiverse of Madness is without a doubt one of their most director-driven offerings to date. Of course, there are unmistakable MCU elements scattered throughout the film, however, they’re counterbalanced by a style that will leave any Raimi fan beaming.

There are few filmmakers out there with a more distinctive horror style than Raimi and backed by both a huge budget and an accommodating studio, the man is allowed to let his freak flag fly high. The result is a genuine breath of fresh air for the MCU, as all the quirky Raimi-isms we’ve grown accustomed to are put front and centre, allowing Multiverse of Madness to stand out from the Marvel crowd.

Undoubtedly the film’s biggest selling point, Multiverse of Madness’ visuals are an absolute feast for the eyes, taking the frequently mind-bending approach of the first Doctor Strange and elevating it to another level entirely. While it doesn’t quite stretch out into the multiverse as far as some may have been expecting, the film nonetheless takes full advantage of the handful of alternative realities we do visit, including some impressively freaky trips along the way.

Way back when, Marvel Studios promised us their first stab at horror with this film and they weren’t kidding, as Multiverse of Madness pushes the 12A/PG-13 rating to its absolute limits. With genuinely unnerving visuals, visceral action, demons, zombies, and all manner of Raimi creepiness in between, the movie does its damnedest to leave its mark on us like no other Marvel instalment before it.

As the title suggests, Strange is well and truly engrained in the multiverse and, to a certain extent, it’s all pretty mad stuff, however, it’s probably best to temper expectations for how frenzied things will get. As is par for the course these days, rumours of countless cameos and bountiful Easter eggs have run rampant across the internet, yet such gimmickry is rarely of Multiverse of Madness’ concern.

To tell the story it needs to tell, the film largely holds back on dumping a stream of unnecessary cameos on us, and while there are certainly times when it could’ve benefitted from pushing the boat out a little more with the multiversal weirdness, the condensed approach actually feels rather refreshing. With all the wild speculations swirling around, Multiverse of Madness ultimately does the right thing by doubling down and concentrating on its hero.

Despite this condensed approach, however, there’s little doubt that Multiverse of Madness’ plot is a bit all over the shop. In amidst the mind-boggling action, eye-popping visuals, and general multiverse-tripping shenanigans, the film’s writing never quite lives up to the quality of its surroundings.

Quite frankly, the film’s writing is a hot mess at times, and as it bounces back and forth across the multiverse, the plot never quite gels. That’s not to say the writing is bad, just that there are numerous times when it comes off far too rushed and too chaotic for its own good.

Clocking in at a tad over two hours, Multiverse of Madness represents one of the MCU’s more condensed runtimes, and this abridged duration is certainly felt, as scenes, beats, and key moments speed by too fast to land with any real impact. Given a little more time and allowed the opportunity to slow things down and let moments breathe, much of this messiness could’ve been cleaned up.

This lack of script cohesion is, without doubt, the movie’s biggest stumbling block, however, it’s far from being a deal breaker, and there are many, many moments where things do click and the writing hits the spot, not least when it plays to the many strengths of its talented cast.

In a role that has swiftly become the focal point of the entire MCU, Benedict Cumberbatch is an absolute rock, putting in a shift that not only sees him solidify himself as a pillar of the franchise, but revels in the utter madness that the role entails. Diving head-first into the lunacy, Cumberbatch not only gleefully embodies several alternate versions of his character but does so in a way that elevates the sometimes-uneven material he’s been given.

Alongside him, the film’s ensemble do fine work across the board, with Benedict Wong continuing to be the lowkey Doctor Strange MVP and the wonderfully named Xochitl Gomez coming out swinging as the multiverse traversing America Chavez, in what is by far her biggest screen role to date. Despite the all-round strength of the extended cast and Cumberbatch doing sterling work as the lead, Elizabeth Olsen steals the show.

While there are certainly valid questions to be asked as to how successfully Multiverse of Madness continues and (potentially) concludes Wanda’s character arc from WandaVision (which really is essential viewing here), there is absolutely no question regarding Olsen’s unyielding commitment to the role and her impeccable execution of the assignment.

Without wanting to dip into spoiler territory, Olsen really does click through the villainous gears with her Scarlet Witch, and as the writing rather nimbly tip-toes around the cliches and stereotypes associated with the character’s growing instability, so too does Olsen in a role that she’s clearly heavily invested. The result is an absolute barnburner of a performance full of sadness, grief, contorted love, and unfathomable rage, that, when taken as a pair with WandaVision, marks the absolute peak of her time in the role.

Although it may not be the mad ride through the multiverse one may have expected, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness’ absolute dedication to its characters and to allowing its director the platform to make his voice heard, the film’s qualities cannot be denied. With its horror credentials in full view and with a visual style unlike anything we’ve previously witnessed in the MCU, Multiverse of Madness is a Sam Raimi joint to its core, and despite writing wobbles that frequently threaten to derail things, the film makes for one hell of a trip.