Sam Raimi directs new horror comedy Send Help, starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. Send Help tells the story of an under-appreciated woman and her entitled boss who get stranded together on an island. It’s darkly comedic, and seeing what these two survivors are capable of, sometimes it’s a nervous laughter. McAdams plays Linda Liddle, who is great at her job, but awkward and neither liked nor respected by her colleagues. O’Brien plays Linda’s arrogant new boss Bradley Preston, who just inherited the company and doesn’t value Linda’s contributions. McAdams and O’Brien have good chemistry as Linda and Bradley, striking the right notes of tension, and dysfunction.
Send Help is about survival. At the core, survival takes skills, and these well developed characters will see their skillsets challenged- fishing, shelter building, manipulation, power, cooperation. Mutual survival requires trust. Between Linda and Bradley, this may be their greatest challenge, but Linda proves an undeniable asset, poised to glow up on this island that, to Linda, is paradise. She is in her element, while Bradley struggles. This film ticks the psychological thriller boxes. There’s good action, jump scares, and of course comic level gore. It’s also wildly entertaining, maintaining an unsettling tone and revealing twists. Send Help does an excellent job of making you question motives and shifting alliances, as Linda and Bradley fight for their lives- and not just from the elements, but their own monsters within.
A friend of mine often quotes, “Wherever you go, there you are.” In theory, taking yourself out of one environment doesn’t change who you are, but it can change how you thrive.
What’s relatable in Send Help is the impression that not only will people do what it takes to survive, they’ll be fiercely protective of the environment that helps them thrive, too. McAdams and O’Brien’s characters strive all the way up to the surprise ending. Send Help is a good balance of humor, thrills, irony and gore. Despite my sensitivity to the latter, it was so enjoyable I didn’t want to look away. This film is in theaters January 30th and I rate it a (3.5/4)🍿
Red Carpet Interviews with the Director and cast members:
