It’s just as well director Sam Raimi gets back to basics in the digital era. The Michigan-native filmmaker who has gone from low-budget horror films in the woods to directing some of the biggest blockbusters of all time has always had plenty of spirit in him, and even if he’s not always being given the keys to the castle when it comes to massive tentpoles, studios shouldn’t let this energy go untapped. That’s why it’s great to see Raimi get his hands on something like Send Help, a nasty little two-hander pitting a dorky employee against her new nightmare boss on a deserted island. The hallmarks of a Sam Raimi splatterfest are all here, but the added cat-and-mouse game and how it can double for work and class-based dynamics are never lost on this relatively tight picture. The results are quite fun, as the dark comedy permeates, with a gleeful Raimi sitting back and letting both lead actors get their hands dirty.
Rachel McAdams stars as Linda Liddle, a devoted employee at her company, whose CEO has just passed away. Dylan O’Brien is Bradley Preston, son of said CEO (a blink and you miss cameo of a Raimi regular), and he’s now taking over. A failed interaction (a bit of Tuna sandwich on her face, awkward jokes) puts Linda in a bad light in front of her new boss, effectively killing a promised promotion that she’s earned through hard work.
See Also: ’28 Years Later: The Bone Temple’ Review: Can I Play With Madness
But there’s still hope, as Linda is brought along on the company trip to Bangkok to help with a merger. However, things take a massive turn for the worse when the plane crashes during a storm, leaving Linda and Bradley as the only survivors who have washed up on a deserted island. Fortunately, Linda is equipped with many survival skills (having trained to be considered for the popular reality show). Still, will Bradley be able to take it when he has to lower himself to his least favorite employee?
Whether it’s thanks to judicious editing or because writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift had always planned it this way, the film cuts to the chase as quickly as it can. The movie provides enough setup to establish the dynamics. It really heightens the awkwardness Linda shares with those around her (let alone somehow finds a way to make McAdams look silly enough to seem detestable in the eyes of some). Similarly, Bradley’s persona is pretty easy to figure out – smug, sexist, never worked an honest day in his life. Knowing or not knowing the premise of this film, arriving on the island occurs early enough, but is just the start.
The real joy comes from a couple of things. One sees Linda thrive on the island, as Bradley suffers. She builds shelter, makes fire, catches fish, and devises other ways for the two to survive. Bradley complains. At first, he has to recover from a leg injury, but he still attempts to act as though the office dynamics remain the same, insulting and dismissing Linda. Naturally, Linda isn’t having it. As we watch the island literally give her a glow-up, she holds her ground and makes Bradley aware of just how thankful he needs to be. Watching the screws tighten as this relationship is brought to a head in ever-tenser ways allows Send Help to really shine in its balance of thrills and humor.
Looking at the other way to clearly take joy away from this film comes from the absolute giddiness you can feel from Raimi just off camera as he finds ways to torture his actors (in a fun way). By all means, Raimi is a very friendly and professional fellow who has garnered an excellent reputation in Hollywood and has many friends. That said, he’s also the kind of hands-on filmmaker who will take any opportunity to hold any bucket or sprayer that he can use to cover his performers in whatever type of muck necessary.
Send Help may not have Evil Dead levels of gory chaos, but it’s not without its share of chunky liquids. Whether it’s the blood from a boar hunt, fruit-filled vomit, or even a classic water barrel splash, this is the sort of movie that reaches a limit and then says, “how about one more time,” just for the sake of getting that extra laugh in, fully pushing audiences into an awareness of understanding that no matter how thrilling things may be, we’re still supposed to be having fun here.
From a production standpoint, this is a mid-budget production that may not always be seamless in its effects, but it also knows it. There’s a knowing silliness to some of the desert island gags, such as the uses of certain cliffaces and other areas designed for key confrontations. With all of Raimi’s regulars here – Bill Pope as DP, Bob Murawski as editor, and Danny Elfman as composer – this is more a fun reminder of ability and what can be accomplished on a smaller scale (think Raimi’s Drag Me To Hell), as opposed to an attempt to break significant new ground. This is a movie indebted to late-period Hitchcock in the way it twists and turns, while unapologetically putting on screen the nastiness it’s willing to show.
With that in mind, the results deliver the goods, given what this film offers. As a wacky new direction for McAdams to embrace, she’s clearly delighted in getting to bring Linda Liddle and all her quirkiness to life. O’Brien leans into the most extreme form of smarminess, doing what’s needed to keep us guessing whether this dynamic of who’s the most “in the right” will ever change. Meanwhile, Raimi is less concerned with keeping up appearances and more about offering up one grotesque yet darkly humorous set piece after another. Help is hardly needed for him, as he has this whole deadly affair under control.
Send Help opens in theaters on January 30, 2026.
