Films for Breakfast

Sam Raimi has remained a constant presence in Hollywood since his Spider-Man trilogy – directing 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness and producing an astonishing number of horror films throughout the 21st century. Still, it’s genuinely strange to realize that Send Help marks his first time directing a horror film since 2009’s Drag Me to Hell. For an auteur so synonymous with the genre, that absence feels almost surreal. Thankfully, Send Help makes an immediate case for why the wait was worth it.

The film follows Linda (Rachel McAdams) and her overbearing boss Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), who find themselves stranded on a remote island after a plane crash during a business trip. Forced into an uneasy partnership for survival, their simmering resentment quickly boils over. In classic Raimi fashion, what could have been a straightforward survival thriller is elevated through inventive staging, visceral gross-out gags, and a sharply defined, often deranged tonal balance.

Raimi’s direction is the film’s undeniable star. His precision behind the camera and eye for detail remain razor-sharp, even within such an intimate and character-focused scope. When the film leans into carnage, he pushes it to the brink: the gore is unapologetically visceral, and the jump scares land because they’re so sudden, cruel, and unrelenting.

With such a limited cast, the film lives or dies on its performances, and McAdams and O’Brien more than rise to the challenge. They play off each other with electric friction, their chemistry doing the heavy lifting required to sell the escalating stakes. That tension, at times violent, at times uncomfortably sexual, is essential; without it, the film simply wouldn’t work.

McAdams, in particular, serves as the film’s anchor. She plays a likable yet unexpectedly lethal survivalist who has spent her life being underestimated, navigating the character’s shifting power dynamics with complete conviction. O’Brien is just as compelling, delivering a surprisingly strong dramatic turn alongside a physically committed performance that provides both white-knuckle tension and much of the film’s dark comedic relief.

Technically, Send Help stands above many of its contemporaries. The makeup effects are outstanding, showcasing memorable practical gore while exercising notable restraint with CGI. The production design makes the confined setting feel expansive and cinematic, but it’s Raimi’s signature flourishes – uncomfortable close-ups, extravagant violence, aggressive POV shots, and frantic crash cuts; this all truly defines the film’s identity.

My lone reservation is that the film runs slightly long, particularly in its final act, where it hesitates to find a clean exit. That said, by the time the credits roll, it also feels as though the story has wrung every possible idea from its premise; a genuine bang-for-your-buck experience. A tighter edit might have elevated it to instant-classic status, but I suspect repeat viewings will only strengthen its impact.

Ultimately, Send Help is Raimi’s best film in years. While I’ve always had affection for Drag Me to Hell, this is an even more confident, more engaging, and more rewarding experience – one I expect to revisit often. It’s an early contender for the most purely entertaining film of the year.