Send Help: Movie Review

If you’re looking for a fun time at the cinema, look no further. Sam Raimi is back like he’s never been before, and oh, how we’ve missed him. The filmmaker behind the Evil Dead trilogy and the Tobey Maguire Spider-Man trilogy returns with his first horror movie in 17 years. Was it worth the wait? Absolutely.

I’ve been eagerly anticipating this movie ever since I first heard about it. On paper, it felt right up my alley: a great director returning to his roots, a cast featuring two actors I’d happily watch in anything, and a super fun premise.

If you’re familiar with Sam Raimi’s filmmaking style, then you know what to expect from Send Help: an over-the-top, comic-book-like approach that seamlessly blends gory horror with slapstick comedy. His characters are often cartoonish, their personalities pushed to extremes, and a Sam Raimi horror is pretty much guaranteed to be graphic, gross, and an absolute blast to watch. And my God, if he’s not the best at it; truly, nobody does it like him.

Send Help’s premise is simple. Rachel McAdams plays Linda Liddle, a quiet, meek corporate worker who lives alone with her pet bird. After seven years with the company, she’s looking forward to a promotion, something her former boss had promised her. When his son, Bradley, takes over as the new CEO, he instead gives the promotion to one of his college buddies. Bradley treats Linda horribly, belittling her and humiliating her in front of everyone.

When Linda confronts him about the decision, Bradley invites her to join him and others on a business trip to Thailand. While in the air, he humiliates her further by showing everyone an audition tape she once submitted for the show Survivor. Soon after, the plane suffers engine failure, begins to lose altitude, and ultimately crashes into the sea, sinking.

Linda and Bradley are the only survivors. Bradley is in a much worse state than Linda, and she is forced to keep him alive and nurse him back to health. Initially still trying to boss her around and disrespect her, Bradley soon realizes that his only chance of survival is Linda, who turns out to be extremely knowledgeable in survival skills. Before he knows it, the tables turn, and Linda is now the one in control. It quickly becomes apparent that she is not the shy, quirky woman she appeared to be in the office, leaving Bradley to wonder who he’s actually stranded with on a deserted island.

I go back and forth on whose performance I loved more, Dylan O’Brien’s or Rachel McAdams’s. Both are outstanding, each stretching themselves in ways I’ve never seen them do before in their careers. Their chemistry is impeccable, and it's what lifts the movie from good to truly amazing.

Dylan O'Brien nails the role of the arrogant, insufferable, rich scumbag who's spent his entire life riding the wave of nepotism. If you're someone like me who grew up watching Dylan in Teen Wolf and The Maze Runner, it's a real pleasure to see him step into a role so unlike the ones we're used to seeing him play. He’s solid from start to finish, but there’s one scene that is really unforgettable; the one pictured above (if you’ve seen it, you know exactly which one I'm talking about). And then there’s his laugh...hands down one of the most unforgettable laughs I’ve ever heard in a movie. Two days later, it’s still echoing in my head.

Rachel McAdams's character in this movie made me think of one thing and one thing only: "I support women's rights, but more importantly, I support women's wrongs." She is, to put it simply, batshit crazy in this movie, and her performance is full of charisma, charm, and wild energy. You can’t help but love her, even as she gets crazier and crazier with every scene. It’s clear that Rachel had the time of her life filming this. There isn't a single scene in which she holds back or hesitates to throw herself fully into it and get her hands dirty (literally). By the time the credits roll, I'd be lying if I said it wasn't satisfying to see her getting her revenge.

If you haven't seen this movie yet, don't wait another day. Send Help is the kind of film that truly needs to be experienced on the big screen, in a packed cinema. The reactions from the crowd at our screening made the experience even more memorable and fun, and it’s exactly what going to the movies is all about.