Send Help
Written by Nicole Cabrera
The polar opposite lines of comedy and horror, while they can run parallel to one another, can be difficult to cross over. One could argue that the genres have almost nothing in common and yet- some directors thrive in that liminal space of bringing in monstrous creatures, people and demons to life… while making one chuckle despite everything. Simply put, one director who has been walking that fine line of humour and horror for over three decades would be none other than Sam Raimi. Raimi, known as a scrappy do-it-yourself horror director with his buckets of blood, hand made camera rigs and in most cases, have his faithful companion Bruce Campbell at his beck and call-cut his teeth early on with the terrifying Evil Dead movies which changed the game for horror in many ways. Sam Raimi has gone on to do many elaborate projects dabbling in Marvel films and more serious dramas before finally, seeming to have come back to his roots with his newest film Send Help.
Everyone can speak of having an unpleasant job experience, where one thought they had a dream job and things went sour; whether they're over worked and underpaid or under appreciated or the dreaded co-workers Raimi brings those fears to life, as he traps meek Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) with her nepo baby-esque boss Bradley Prestoon ( Dylan O ’Brien) in a hell very few would wish on their worst enemies. While Linda is determined to make a good impression and move up in the company now that Preston has stepped into power; her eagerness to impress is seen to be in vain, as Preston quickly proves himself to be everything one would dread: cocky,over confident, manipulative and rude.
Linda’s hard work is quickly passed off as others and ultimately, Preston only invites her on the work trip with the intention of throwing her out when the time is right; but he would never get the chance… as the universe has other plans crashing the small private plane full of executives into the ocean, and this is when Raimi’s truly gremlin like nature starts to poke through – despite everything that's happening – from here on out whether people are fighting for their lives to cling to a plane or the many antics of Linda and Preston, one can't help but feel that spark of manic glee that makes one hardly believe their eyes.
After Linda manages to make it to a seemingly deserted island, instead of wallowing and panicking she gets to work. She quickly builds shelter, creating a water conductor and tending to her ailing boss.When Preston comes to and is informed of severity of their situation, he not shockingly brings his worse self to the situation thinking that he can boss Linda around and lord his power over her as he done previously, but here, the tables have turned Preston, who is used to the cushy life has no idea how to survive- while Linda, is a survival enthusiast, having countless books as she and her bird indulge the show Survivor and shown to be super fans, Linda for the first time in a long time is her element, on top and in charge.
Send Help sees Sam Raimi returning to true, bloody form.
This pays off, while Preston struggles to make his own shelter, find food (eating bugs) and being whipped by the wild weather, until he has to go back to Linda like a dog with his tail tucked between his legs, and beg for forgiveness and heel to her better survival skills- thus starting a rocky working relationship. While Preston heals, Linda explores the island getting to know its nooks and crannies; with time the former boss figure starts to pick up his own knowledge passed to him by Linda, and while he plays a backhanded game of plotting to escape. One night drunk on fermented fruit, Linda confesses they should stay there forever and also that she may carry a darker streak than her frumpy office appearance.
Raimi here feels truly in his element like he hasn't in years, as a series of twists and hard lefts occur, both O’Brien and McAdams shine; they're willing to play ball in this court, as the cat and mouse hijinks escalate and flip.Preston makes a desperate attempt to float to freedom on a barge after knocking Linda out with poisonous berries, and Linda asserts dominance in kind with a drugged octopus kebab and a fake castation.The pair’s toxicity however hits a boiling point as Linda harbours a secret: having spotted boats around the island and even leading Preston's fiancee who had her own search party to keep looking for the missing pair afloat- but Linda is not ready to go home.. And that means others pay the price.
As previously mentioned, Raimi's talent is the ability to walk between horror and humor and the last of Send Help turns into to pure Tom and Jerry-esque madness as the truth comes out about Linda trying to keep them on the island, her dire actions and even her knowledge of a private rich estate with food and technology she has has been visiting occasionally. Madness ensues in a true three stooges style fight complete with scalp yanking, ring swallowing, knife wielding and a heck of a final showdown not both of them are going home from…
Send Help is in many ways, a time capsule back to a more classic horror style that isn't afraid to be a little silly and not staunchly serious. As a viewer I laughed and raised my eyebrows, cringed at some of the gross out scenes and that is something I haven't felt for a movie in a while. O’Brien and Mcadams are magic together as every great opposites pairing- they have the ability to be both sinister and comedic (though the task of making McAdams “unattractive” despite the frumpy clothing is laughable at best) and Raimi’s tendency to treat his actors like action figures is illustrated here and the fact that both actors are willing to be tossed around like ragdolls and put through the ringer is all the better. If there is a flaw in the movie is that it bears at times strikingly resemblance to its predecessor Drag Me to Hell which can be seen as repetitive. Likewise, it is one of those movies that if you spend too much time over thinking does fall apart under some prodding. Otherwise, Send Help is a great balm for combating the horrors of real life and bringing back some much needed comedy into the world.
Nicole Cabrera is a Toronto-based film enjoyer with a passion for the eighties, horror, and deep diving their favourite actors’ obscure filmography. When they’re not watching movies, they're writing, crafting, cosplaying, going to concerts, working on their podcast (Hollywood Deepdive) and dreaming of traveling.