Send Help (2026)
Send Help is a diabolically funny thriller from Sam Raimi,
that mischievous director of horror classics such as The Evil Dead, Evil
Dead II, and Drag Me to Hell. This is a wildly entertaining movie
that is both funny and full of tension.
Rachel McAdams, in a wonderful, go-for-broke performance, is Linda
Liddle. She's a meek, socially awkward, physically unkempt office worker who is
a brilliant strategist. Her former boss had promised her a huge promotion, but
the new CEO of the family-owned business she works for, young upstart Bradley
Preston (Dylan O'Brien), has already given the promotion to one of his bros.
Bradley is a creep and plans on transferring Linda to a thankless low-level
position.
The dynamics of Linda and Bradley's relationship change after their
company plane crashes and the two are marooned on a remote island in the Gulf
of Thailand. The injured Bradley has to rely on Linda's survival skills, but
he, understandably, wants to get rescued. He begins scheming how to get off the
island, preferably without Linda. On the other hand, Linda seems to enjoy being
the one now in control and doesn't seem that concerned with being rescued. It
soon becomes a violent game of cat and mouse between the two.
Plot conveniences aside, the third act flips the script and becomes
somewhat unpredictable. The sharp screenplay is by writing duo Mark Swift and
Damian Shannon (Freddy vs. Jason), but make no mistake, this is totally
a Sam Raimi picture. A hair-pulling, eye-gouging fight between the two in the
forest feels like a scene right out of Raimi's Army of Darkness.
O'Brien is perfect as the smug jerk, and he plays well against the
hilarious McAdams, who is made to look disheveled throughout half of the movie.
She makes you feel for her character, even if Linda might possibly be a little
crazy.
Send Help is one of the best horror comedies of recent
memory.
