It's been more than 15 years since Sam Raimi, who blew the doors off the horror world with The Evil Dead back in 1981, has released an original genre film, which means it's easy for casual viewers and new horror fans to forget just how good he is at wringing maximum entertainment value out of a horrific concept. Raimi's influence – his kinetic camera, his blending of horror and comedy, the almost cartoonish heightened realities of his worlds – is all over the horror space, but since Drag Me to Hell in 2009, he's been relatively quiet. At least until Send Help came along.
Directed by Raimi and written by modern horror stars Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (Freddy vs. Jason), Send Help is exactly the kind of movie longtime Raimi devotees have been waiting nearly 20 years to see. It's got a hooky concept, an intimate feel, and that classic Raimi sense of looming unpredictability hanging over the whole thing, veering into comedy one moment and terror the next. It might not rank among his masterpieces when all is said and done, but this is in many ways a classic Sam Raimi experience, sure to please devotees and newcomers to his madcap work.
Rachel McAdams stars as Linda Liddle, a dedicated Planning and Strategy expert at work, and a Survivor superfan at home. Linda's the awkward one in her office, the one given to a certain lack of physical polish and uncomfortable moments with co-workers, but she's very, very good at her job, so good that the company's previous head promised her a promotion. But when the company gets new leadership in the form of spoiled boss's son Bradley (Dylan O'Brien), Linda's passed over for the job in favor of one of his golf buddies.
Devastated, Linda tries to stick up for herself, leaving Bradley to both mock her and demand that she prove her worth by accompanying him on an important business trip to Bangkok. But just when Linda feels she's lost all sense of agency and worth in her job, the plane goes down, leaving her and Bradley as the only survivors. And since Bradley's seriously injured, it's up to Linda, with her lifelong love of survivalism skills, to take her power back.
As with so many Raimi horror films, it's not a subtle premise. At least, not at first. Even if you haven't seen a trailer for Send Help, you immediately understand the power dynamics at work, so much so that for a little while at least they feel almost outmoded. It's far from the first time we've seen a film about an underappreciated woman getting one over on her sexist jerk of a boss, which means the film's first act really has to nail the execution to get us to lean in. Shannon and Swift's script, Raimi's direction, and McAdams and O'Brien's performances all ensure that we do, imbuing the film with an edge of verisimilitude even when it goes very broad.
That means that, when things start going down on the deserted island, we're not just invested, but we're prepared to see these people as more than archetypes. Linda's not just an awkward but energetic employee, and Bradley's not just a spoiled brat with no clue. They're both capable of change, of vulnerability, and most importantly, of scheming. It's here that Raimi's wicked sense of humor as a horror creator comes into play. Send Help is more survival thriller/comedy than all-out horror film, but Raimi's vast experience in the genre space means that he turns the island into a funhouse always on the brink of mayhem. The power dynamics do not simply shift, but ripple, as Linda and Bradley dance around each other on the beach and threaten each other with secrets and plans. No one ever has completely sure footing, no matter how much the plot would suggest that's the case, and that's thanks to Raimi's direction. His camera is still remarkably kinetic, his editing witty, and his visual sensibilities perfectly suited to this kind of darkly comic thriller. It's not the peak of his powers, but it's certainly hitting what it's aiming for.
The real ringer in all of this, though, is McAdams. Raimi's direction is on point, O'Brien gives a very good performance, and the supporting cast is game for their brief appearances, but this is Rachel McAdams's show, and she doesn't waste a moment. The film hinges on our ability to not just sympathize with Linda, but to buy any leap she takes, no matter how reckless or dangerous or even flat-out nasty. This is not a straight-up good vs. evil story, which means that McAdams has to play Linda as a person you root for as well as a person you fear. It's a remarkable performance, and it makes the whole movie.
Send Help might not be the all-out horror assault Sam Raimi fans were hoping for when it was announced, but it is a relentlessly charming, often hilarious survival thriller led by two great performances. Sam Raimi still has his touch when it comes to movies like this, and I suspect that we'll be rewatching and celebrating this particular expression of his gifts for quite some time.
Send Help is in theaters January 30.
