Review - Send Help

There's something called nominative determinism - your name can influence who you are in life. If your last name is Baker you may become a chef. Usain Bolt’s name may have encouraged him to go as fast as lightning. And Linda Liddle, the main character of Sam Raimi’s Send Help, is a meek, awkward, and clueless marketing exec. Her company’s CEO just passed and his son (Bradley, played by Dylan O’Brien) is taking over. One of his first orders of business is passing over Linda (Rachel McAdams) for a promotion in favor of his frat buddy. The company knows that Linda is valuable, however, so she goes on their business trip to Thailand. The company plane runs into trouble, however, and Linda and Bradley wind up as the only survivors on a deserted island. 

 

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There’s plenty to like here. Director Sam Raimi is back making an R rated horror film after 26 years. He’s brought frequent collaborator Danny Elfman with him to do the score. McAdams, on her second go-round with Raimi after Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness, and Dylan O’Brien are capable leads. In fact, McAdams and O’Brien do some excellent work in a particular campfire scene where they're sharing some past trauma that really lets them shine.

But. I didn’t love this movie. Trust me, no one is more upset about that than me. Raimi and his muse Bruce Campbell (who may or may not have a cameo in the film) served as my entryway into horror.

The movie revolves around two obnoxious characters...that’s the long and the short of my problems with it. There are definitely times where Linda and Bradley seem to be evolving, but I was ultimately left wanting more in the character department. Granted, Liddle’s cringey awkwardness is most felt in the beginning of the film, but it never quite goes away. And Bradley is just downright frustrating considering some of his actions.

As for Raimi, his signature stuff (over the top gore, extreme closeups) mostly just felt shoved into the film. Raimi didn’t write this, as opposed to Drag Me To Hell (now that’s a Raimi movie), so that probably explains it.

The film does have a few twists and plot turns, so if that’s your thing, you might get a bit more mileage here. You’ll have to check out the film to see what they are, and if Linda rises above her name.

⭐⭐⭐☆☆