Send Help Review: Sam Raimi crafts a gory, hilarious & audacious thriller
- Chase Gifford
- 5 hours ago
- 4 min read
“We sit here stranded, though we’re all doin’ our best to deny it.” - Bob Dylan
Say what you will about Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness – it is one of a small handful of MARVEL movies that has an actual distinct style; it stands out. Eternals, however ill-received it may have been, demonstrates cinematography choices that resulted in one of the best looking movies in the entire MCU.
With Doctor Strange 2, it would seem that Feige and the powers that be took a step back for once and allowed director Sam Raimi the chance to incorporate his unmistakable style into the story of Stephen Strange creating a fantastic melding of thrilling MARVEL superhero-dom and action with a Raimi horror twist that ended up as something I would argue is incredibly exciting. His inclusion of strong, visceral horror imagery, like an undead Strange for example, still allows for a connection to the previous established story elements of Strange while ushering in new and sensational components that were both funny and thrillingly dangerous.
For longtime fans of Raimi, this glimpse into the old-school stylings of his heralded strengths as a horror master were an unexpected and welcome surprise in a superhero setting. See The Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell for reference. And as terrific as Drag Me to Hell is, it’s still obviously limited by its PG-13 rating. An untethered Raimi is a violent and bloody auteur. Drag Me to Hell didn’t fully allow Raimi to be fully unleashed and we’ve been thirsting for his return in full capacity. Send Help is an ironic but undeniably perfect title for what is absolutely a return to form for Raimi.
Like many directors, he pulls from previous films and begins a collection of sorts of recurring actors throughout his work. His most famous repeat collaboration is Bruce “Ash” Campbell of Evil Dead fame. And while Campbell does appear briefly in Send Help—this time as a literal 'deadite' in a clever portrait cameo—the biggest return is Rachel McAdams, with whom he worked on Doctor Strange 2. Seeing a tenacity and strength in her performance, he knew he found his Linda Liddle. Raimi adds a brilliant layer to Linda’s "dorky" office persona by making her an obsessive Survivor superfan; her apartment is a shrine to Jeff Probst, filled with survivalist manuals and even an audition tape she sent to the show. What her coworkers mock as a pathetic hobby becomes Bradley’s worst nightmare when she finally gets to live out her "Outwit, Outplay, Outlast" fantasies in a very literal, and very bloody, reality.
Then came the other half to her insane performance – the poor bastard who will inevitably find themselves on the bad end of a spear and even scarier, Ms. Liddle’s wrath. Along comes Dylan O’Brien. Normally playing a character who can endear himself to the audience, O’Brien turns in a performance that is to be lovingly loathed and celebrated upon his comeuppance. In a story featuring some genuinely heinous acts committed by McAdams’ character, when she isn’t the reviled or detested one, you know that O’Brien’s performance is not only pitch perfect but his character’s traits hit a vulnerable spot in the psyche of a society that is less than thrilled by the so-called elites of our species. He's a spoiled nepo baby creep—a suit-wearing vulture who couldn't care less about the company, so long as the profits keep padding his pockets. But he lacks perspective, a deficit about to be corrected in a blazingly brutal lesson at the hands of his undervalued employee and unexpected survivalist, Ms. Linda Liddle.
Raimi masterfully forces us to choose our poison, and in the court of public opinion, Bradley’s systemic corporate apathy proves far more unforgivable than Linda’s visceral, island-driven insanity. This holds a mirror to the audience, forcing us to examine how we can look past behavior that, however justified it may feel, is still very much the work of a psychopath with an apparent bloodlust. Without this morality tale, the film could have easily gotten lost in the blood, gore, and overall silliness of a common slasher. Raimi wants it to be fun, funny, and even vomitous, but none of that should replace his voice, which has a lot to say.
As a taut, isolated two-hander—a narrative that relies almost entirely on the interaction between two central characters—the film demands a level of omnipresence from its leads that would break lesser performers. With nowhere to hide and no secondary subplots to provide relief, the weight of the entire narrative rests on the shifting power dynamic between Preston and Liddle. They must remain arrestingly magnetic to hold the audience's attention for the duration of the runtime, turning their claustrophobic isolation into a psychological battlefield where every micro-expression and biting insult carries the weight of a physical blow.
For fans of Sam Raimi this is a “must-see.” McAdams and O’Brien are electric and alarmingly, but enticingly, deranged. They are effortlessly funny and their chemistry is palpable. Their extraordinarily strained relationship goes off the rails in ways you cannot begin to imagine. It is their combined efforts that make this an unforgettable thriller. To add the inordinate amounts of blood and gore only takes what is already a tremendous film and elevates it to a bloodfest—albeit one with a finger firmly on the pulse of societal woes. Send Help is the rare January release that steps on the trope that half-hearted releases are the only thing releasing in movie theaters. Send Help is a much needed life-saver in a sea of mediocrity.
Above all, this is the triumphant, blood-soaked homecoming fans have been begging for; Raimi is back in his wicked element, proving once again that no one balances visceral terror and dark, satirical glee quite like this particular master of the macabre.
Rated R For: strong/bloody violence and language
Runtime: 103 minutes
After Credits Scene: No
Genre: Horror, Comedy, Thriller
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O,Brien, Dennis Haysbert, Xavier Samuel
Directed By: Sam Raimi
Out of 10
Story: 8.5/ Acting: 10/ Directing: 10/ Visuals: 9
OVERALL: 9/10
Buy to Own: Yes.
Check out the trailer below: