Director Sam Raimi, known for “The Evil Dead,” the “Spider-Man” trilogy (2002-2007) and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness,” released his newest film last Friday, “Send Help.” The film stars two famous actors – Rachel McAdams (“Mean Girls,” “The Notebook” and “Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga,” to name a few of her films) and Dylan O’Brien (“Teen Wolf,” “The Maze Runner” trilogy, “Twinless”).
The horror-comedy starts out grounded in realism, with McAdams playing lonely bird-mom Linda Liddle and O’Brien playing her misogynistic nepo-baby boss, Bradley Preston. After Preston promotes his friend over Liddle, the two end up on a small plane with a few other coworkers hoping to land a merger in Bangkok. Things go awry when the plane ends up crashing near a deserted island – with Liddle and Preston being the only survivors.
What ensues is an extremely chaotic, sometimes gory, shockingly humorous string of events as the two try to survive both the island and each other. Fortunately for them, Liddle is a huge fan of the reality show “Survivor” (shoutout Jeff Probst) and knows a lot about how to stay alive in the wilderness. Unfortunately for them, their complicated dynamic makes their time on the island much more difficult than it has to be. Their less-than-ideal circumstances strip them both down to their true nature outside of capitalist society – though not everything about them is as it seems.
The battle of wits, as well as the occasional tolerant teamwork, creates an incredibly entertaining story with many twists and turns. Though some elements were fairly predictable, there are certainly moments that will shock viewers and keep them on the edge of their seat.
The battle of wits, as well as the occasional tolerant teamwork, creates an incredibly entertaining story with many twists and turns. Though some elements were fairly predictable, there are certainly moments that will shock viewers and keep them on the edge of their seat.
Users of Letterboxd, the popular app for movie ratings and reviews, are praising the film for its unique addition to the horror genre in an age where a lot of movies are remakes or sequels. On top of that, McAdams and O’Brien both deliver stellar performances that bring their multidimensional characters to life.
Overall, the film is a very engaging and original take on the classic “survival” genre that is perfect for any viewer looking for a wild, hilarious, sometimes ridiculous ride – as long as you can handle some gore, too.
Junior Emily Myers is a Copy Editor. Her email is emyers3@fandm.edu.