Send Help

Michigan-made horror maestro Sam Raimi makes his long-awaited return to the genre that made him a household name after a 15 year wait. In the years since his unbelievably fun 2009 horror comedy Drag Me To Hell, Sam Raimi has largely spent his time in the blockbuster realm. His uneven Wizard of Oz prequel Oz: The Great and Powerful was a lackluster attempt for Disney to cash in on their attempts at the classic IP, while his return to the superhero genre with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness was a box office smash, yet drew the ire of die-hard Marvel fans for not being the Multiverse cornerstone they had hoped for. Although he directed the pilot episode for the Starz series Ash vs Evil Dead, Raimi hasn’t made a full-on genre film since 2009. Thankfully, his return was well worth it as his latest film is a breath of fresh air for genre fans, or anyone who enjoys a high-concept and egregious amounts of blood being spilled.

Courtesy 20th Century Studios

Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is an awkward, mousy office assistant who is looking to finally climb the corporate ladder in the wake of her company CEO’s death. When the son of the CEO, Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), takes over as Linda’s new boss, the arrogant douchebag immediately wants nothing to do with her. Deciding to award the vacant VP position to his former frat brother/golfing buddy over Linda, she makes a final plea to Bradley to prove her worth. Bradley decides to give her a final chance, choosing to bring her alongside a flight to Thailand for a business deal. However, after suffering humiliation at the hands of Bradley and his friends, the plane crashes mid-flight and only Linda and Bradley survive. Stranded on a nearby deserted island with no help in sight, Linda — who is actually a skilled survivalist from being a die-hard Survivor fan, even sending in an audition tape to appear on the show — thrives on the island, quickly building shelter and hunting for food while Bradley recovers from a leg injury. Despite his injury, Bradley insists on maintaining his superiority over Linda, to which Linda coldly states “we’re not in the office anymore, Bradley”. As the power dynamics flip, their only hope for survival is to work together, despite past grievances. But will Bradley be able to put his ego aside and work with Linda? Will Linda actually want to help Bradley and escape the island?

Directed by Sam Raimi, Send Help is a welcome reminder of the capability of Raimi’s powers as a master of the horror genre. The sense of glee that derives from Raimi’s funhouse sensibilities are infectious when Raimi is allowed to break free and punctuate the material, written by Freddy Vs. Jason scribes Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. Though the film has somewhat of a traditional set up, the meek but intelligent office employee trying to prove herself to her privileged, asshole boss, the film truly comes alive during the hilariously brutal plane crash sequence. You feel as though the Raimi breaks through here, immediately dialing up his signature gonzo style that distinctly conjures equal gasps of horror and comedy. The score by Danny Elfman also feels as though it breaks through after the crash sequence. Elfman’s work feels fairly generic and unassuming during the opening act before swelling into a cacophony of horns, heavy percussion and familiar string arrangements that call to mind the composer’s more defining works of the past.

Once the film becomes a twisty two-hander, Raimi’s kinetic camerawork and his love of throwing his actors into uncomfortable situations becomes apparent, infectiously rubbing off on-screen. The script has fun chopping and screwing gender power dynamics, which Raimi devilishly backs up by flinging copious amounts of blood, goop and other bodily fluids at the audience. What Raimi does effectively here is instilling a sense of fun in this funny, gross-out survival thriller that allows the audience to bask in the absurdity of its many scenarios. When it feels as though Raimi was cackling with glee behind the camera, the audience gets that same sense of relief while watching the film.

Courtesy 20th Century Studios

The film almost plays like a sadistic screwball comedy of sorts. Further enhanced by two stellar lead performances from McAdams and O’Brien, this is a film that, in any other hands, could feel like the premise of a romantic comedy, an element Raimi and the filmmakers toy with here and there. Both actors do have a natural rapport with each other, regardless of whether it’s in the early, uncomfortable exchanges in the office, or when they are staring down a fight-or-flight survival scenario. Rachel McAdams gives a terrific performance that continues to evolve as the film progresses. Even if no amount of costuming or dried tuna salad stuck to her face can convince myself or many others that McAdams could be perceived as frumpy or unattractive.

There is a show-stopping sequence that finds McAdams’ Linda engaged in a vicious fight with a wild boar that warrants legitimate comparison to the famous bear fight from The Revenant. Dylan O’Brien has come into his own as a versatile actor. His privileged Bradley is such an overwhelmingly despicable character for much of the first hour, but O’Brien subtly imbues a sense of humanity and depth to the character that keeps the film’s many turns from feeling stale. O’Brien’s inherent likability as an actor comes in handy as the dynamics between the characters become muddied and there is no longer a “right” or “wrong” sense of morality.

Send Help does feature an occasionally distracting digital element, with certain computer-generated backgrounds and unconvincing CG-enhanced animals proving to be detrimental. Running at 113 minutes, the narrative does run overlong by a good 15 minutes or so. The film stalls out a little after a major revelation before revving back up for its explosive finale. The final scene also feels largely unnecessary, despite a closing gesture that sends the film out on a high note.

Courtesy 20th Century Studios

Send Help is a return to form for director Sam Raimi. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien lead this rather insane, bloody and thoroughly enjoyable survival thriller that takes its audience on a killer rollercoaster ride. It’s been over 15 years since Raimi has made a tried-and-true horror film and the wait was well worth it. The filmmaker’s signature cocktail of shocks, thrills, suspense, laugh-out-loud comedy and well-implemented gross-out gags is on full display in this original, unpredictable genre hybrid.

Send Help is now playing in theaters.