Movie Review - Send Help

Length: 1 hour 53 minutes

Director: Sam Raimi

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Dark Comedy

Where to Watch: In theaters now

There is no help coming, so help yourself. Director Sam Raimi has been a master of horror. His thrills and spills include The Evil Dead franchise, Drag Me to Hell, and even a dab into the MCU with Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. His talent on the screen continues to be a favorite draw for many audiences. Horror and comical horror have always been his staple. Now, after a few years as a producer, Sam Raimi returns to the director's chair for a tropical nightmare. 

Send Help is the newest film from Sam Raimi and sees composer Danny Elfman return. Starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’ Brien, Send Help is a dark comic tale and horrifying nightmare that tells the story of power and how quickly it can change when the time is right. 

A Liddle Bit of This

Quirky, unappreciated, hard-working, Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is a meek strategic account that's been busting her chops for seven years. She’s promised a promotion but was easily passed up at the behest of the new CEO, Bradley Preston, who takes the reins of the company following the death of his dad. It's a familiar power struggle. The meek are weak and undeserving in the eyes of the rich and privileged. However, Linda is good at what she does, and Brandon reluctantly appoints Linda on a business trip to Thailand. 

Suddenly, disaster strikes. The plane goes down in a horrifying fashion over the water. Linda and Bradley wash ashore on a deserted tropical island. They are the only survivors as the rest of the team has perished, much to Linda’s horror. However, she is not as terrified as one might expect. She discovers her ignorant boss alive but injured. What begins is a dark and twisted journey of monsters, and how the right conditions can twist and turn a person. 

A Liddle Bit of That

Send Help features all the hallmarks of a Sam Raimi movie. Sharp close-ups of people and their faces. A twisted edge of horror and dark comedy. Tight character establishment. Finally, of course, it wouldn't be a Sam Raimi movie without a fantastic score from long-time orchestral companion Danny Elfman. Where Send Help shines is in the strength of its leads and the overall execution. 

Send Help does a fantastic job in establishing who is who, as well as their behaviors. At its core, Send Help is a dark tale of deeply contained monstrosity and how monstrous feelings can manifest, ripen, and then reveal themselves when the outcome is just right. It's a darkly comedic tale of transformation and how the prey can become the beast and the beast can become the prey. Its take on the sane going insane is a plot that has familiarity to it, but Send Help does it in a refreshingly original way. 

Familiar Yet Fresh

The familiarity is the setup. We’ve all seen takes on being stranded on a tropical island through films like Cast Away and shows like Survivor. However, Send Help paves new ground with the focus on the dynamic power struggle and the chemistry of its leads. 

Rachel McAdams as Linda Liddle has a remarkable performance and transformation from awkward to unhinged. It's gradual, quirky, and comedic. Her fondness for the TV show Survivor lends to her strengths and quirks on the island. She has an underlying madness that is both comical and incredibly dark. 

Brace Yourself for Violence

Dylan O’ Brien as Bradley Preston goes through his own madness. The power dynamics are established, defined, and Send Help sees Bradley vulnerable and begging for the privileged life he has been so accustomed to having. However, there are moments of communication with the two, and it makes for the more peaceful moments of an intense movie. 

Send Help isn't a gore fest, but when the violence and blood hit, it hits hard. One scene involving a boar was just absolutely gruesome, and other bouts of action yield plenty of blood and gore. Those seeking their horror movie to have horrifying body horror will be satisfied, but patience is encouraged. I respect this approach to avoid being desensitized to the brutal violence. 

The Tribe Has Spoken

Send Help also has some comedy as well. I found myself laughing quite a bit, surprisingly. This not only adds levity to the intensity but also adds to the madness and insanity that is unfolding. These two are stuck on an island, after all, and with no signs of rescue, laughter might just be a good thing.

There really isn't anything wrong with Send Help. Perhaps it does drag a bit towards the end as the movie reaches an inevitable conclusion, but that's only a small nitpick that I would make. I would have fixed up the tail end of the third act and extended the movie by about 10 more minutes, just to spend a little more time in the nightmare and have a more satisfying ending.

Send Help 

Send Help is wild, horrifying, good fun. It's insane, brutal, violent, and just an enjoyable crowd-pleaser. This is the kind of movie to watch with friends and have a good time with, which Sam Raimi knows all too well. Please don't pirate this one or wait for streaming. See Send Help on the biggest screens you can. Enjoy the tropical nightmare. 

SEND HELP IS A MUST-SEE