It has been nearly 15 years since horror royalty Sam Raimi has made an original film. In that 15 years, he has either been producing or writing horror projects, or he has been stuck directing studio blockbusters that has restrained his directorial and artistic vision. Now nearly 15-years after Drag Me to Hell, Raimi returns to the directorial chair with Send Help. Combining survival horror with workplace hierarchy politics, Send Help is not only a return to form for Raimi, but is an unexpected crowd-pleaser.
Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is the secret weapon that keeps her employer afloat. But, her awkward nature prevents her from being seen as valuable by her new boss, Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) who mistreats her at every chance he gets. Which includes giving her promised promotion to his best friend. To prove him wrong, he challenges her to prove herself at the upcoming company merger in Bangkok, Thailand. However, the trip goes astray when the plane crashes during a storm, stranding them on a deserted island. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive.
The “stranded on the deserted island” narrative is one of the oldest narratives in the book. It combines the harrowing battle of survival with the psychologically draining experience of realizing that help may not be coming. It’s a classic narrative that is ingrained into our culture. However, given its classic status, it is also one that can easily fall into cliches if it falls into the wrong hands. Thankfully, Send Help is in the hands of Sam Raimi, who pushes the premise to its limits as he injects it with swagger, style and the kind of unmistakable directorial flair that only he can deliver.
Using the deserted island as a backdrop, Raimi dives headfirst into the complicated power dynamics of work-place hierarchies. Linda is an employee who is constantly abused by her superiors by either bullying or public humiliation and she is at her breaking point. Her biggest abuser is Bradley, a spoiled nepo-baby who gleefully abuses and humiliates her in front of her co-workers. So the moment they get stranded on the deserted island, their entire power dynamic changes. Linda, who is an avid watcher of Survivor, is not just surviving, but she is thriving on this island. While Bradley is injured and completely useless. His uselessness makes him entirely dependent on Linda, which infuriates him. Linda wants to be seen as an equal, but Bradley refuses at almost every turn which makes their relationship slowly fall into a battle of will and wits to make it out alive. A battle between Linda the survivalist and the privileged Bradley.
In that battle, is where Raimi’s direction comes into frame. Embracing the camp and absurdity of this narrative, Raimi creates a dark, yet playful tone that only he can perfect. Anchored by the brilliant Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, Send Help is a surprisingly fun, crowd-pleasing, survival thriller about having to deal with a terrible boss. The film is nasty, mean, and gnarly in the best way possible. While it could’ve easily shaved its runtime down to 100 minutes unsteady of pushing nearly two hours, there is no denying how fun Send Help is. Especially if you are someone who has dealt with an abusive boss, like myself. Overall, Send Help is a return to form for Raimi, proving the power that an unrestrained Raimi can bring to a film.
My Rating: B+
Send Help opens in theaters January 30th.
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