'Send Help': A Darkly Funny Thriller

PHOTO: 20th Century Studios

Of all the filmmakers who haven’t been as active in the past couple of decades, one of the ones I’ve missed the most is Sam Raimi. As a kid, I was introduced to his distinct style via his Spider-Man trilogy, which I still maintain are some of the best superhero films ever made. As I got older, I began to dig into his other work, falling in love with his wild visual flair, strange sense of humor, and penchant for cartoonish violence. In a more homogenized cinematic landscape, a voice like Raimi’s is sorely missed, so I was ecstatic to hear that he had a new feature coming out. While 2022 saw him return after a nearly decade-long gap between films with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, I couldn’t help but be far more excited at the prospect of his latest film, Send Help. Getting to see Raimi make an original film again is a true gift, so I was looking forward to whatever this film would end up being, for better or worse. Led by the dynamic duo of Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, Send Help is classic Raimi: intense, goofy, and quite bloody, all filtered through his unmistakable visual style. 

Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is an underappreciated office worker, specializing in Strategy and Planning. Despite her awkwardness and lack of social awareness, she is an integral part of her company and has her sights set on a promotion that was once promised to her by her former boss. The company’s new CEO, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien) is disgusted by her and passes her over on the promotion, choosing instead to give it to an old college buddy. Linda is at first upset, but confronts Bradley who ends up inviting her on a business trip to Bangkok to help with an upcoming merger. On the flight there, the plane’s engine begins to fail and crashes into the sea. Linda is able to escape and ends up on a deserted island, where she later finds an injured Bradley. Armed with an extensive knowledge of survival skills, Linda is able to make a shelter, start a fire, and help keep the two of them alive. Bradley initially rejects her attempts to help him, but later changes his mind once he realizes how tough surviving on a remote island is. This leads to a power shift between the two, causing tensions to rise as they both try to survive.

Considering that his last film was a Marvel movie, I was curious to see just how much of Raimi’s style would shine through. Doctor Strange saw glimpses of it, but it still largely feels like an MCU movie. With Send Help, it doesn’t take long for Raimi to make his presence known. There’s a shot early on from Linda’s POV that feels so distinctly him and had me thinking “Oh, he’s really doing this his way”. It helps that cinematographer and frequent Raimi collaborator Bill Pope is on board, as the two are a match made in heaven and pull off some creative camerawork. There are so many shots that feel like something I’d see in one of Raimi’s earlier films in the best way possible, and others that show he’s still willing to try new things with the camera. Perhaps the best example of this is the plane crash sequence, which is heightened and manages to be both terrifying and surprisingly funny. There are several visual cues in this section that feel like classic Raimi, and it is very heartening to see that he’s still got that energy so deep into his career.

Raimi’s involvement also elevates the screenplay from Mark Swift and Damien Shannon. The script itself is decent enough on its own, but it probably wouldn’t have been as successful in the hands of another director. The darker elements of the script work perfectly with Raimi’s nastier sensibilities, allowing him to present them in a way that is in line with his trademark style and keeping them from feeling too upsetting. The tone of the film is admittedly wild, giving it a slight unevenness that may be off-putting to some. But for Raimi fans, this is par for the course and a blast to watch.

That’s not to say I have no issues with the script, as it tends to get a touch repetitive as it goes on. It hits a lot of the same beats repeatedly, which led me to wonder when it was going to get to where it wanted to go. At a point, it becomes clear that the film has to end in one of two ways, and it just spins its wheels a bit too long for my liking. It does mostly stick the landing at least, although I couldn’t help but want a little more from it. There are some great details throughout though, whether they come from the script or Raimi’s direction, which really stood out to me. A lot of these come through in visual shorthand to give us information about the characters and to foreshadow things to come. It’s pretty solid stuff, but not without its flaws.

The film makes great use of its two leads, Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, allowing both to soar all throughout. McAdams is one of those actors who is good in everything I’ve seen her in, and with her output slowing down in recent years, it's exciting to see her show up in a movie again. The role is a bit different from her usual stuff, as Linda is awkward and not seen as desirable. It could be argued that McAdams’s casting is a bit tongue-in-cheek considering that she is a woman over 40 and Hollywood seems to view people within that category as “undesirable” yet McAdams is inarguably beautiful and alluring. And yet we still buy her as the weird lady in the office who is really into Survivor and eats tuna fish sandwiches at her desk. Once we get to the island, we see her character evolve into a survival expert and her newfound power and strength makes her a little intimidating. It is excellent work as usual from McAdams, further showing that she is one of the most versatile actors working today. 

As for O’Brien, he does a great job of playing a douchey finance bro, but the shifts in his character really make the performance stand out. With both his character of Bradley and McAdams’s Linda, there is a sense of mistrust in their actions that ebbs and flows. For much of the film, we’re rooting against Bradley, but O’Brien is able to mine some moments where we can’t help but be a little concerned for him. Much of that comes from his casting, as he generally is a likable presence, but he is able to play the loathsome aspects of the character so well that much of it gets washed away. But so much of his performance comes from the dynamic between him and McAdams, as the tension between them fuels the film. The shifts in power and behavior in both of their turns here are well-deployed, and they both carry so much of the film’s weight extremely well. 

Send Help is a murky, gleefully vicious film that some may not gel with, but the ones who are more attune to Sam Raimi’s style and don’t mind the goofier energy of the film will have a great time with it. I personally had a blast watching this, and I was so excited to see Raimi work his magic yet again. It could have possibly done things a little better in terms of its writing, but I can’t complain too much considering how entertaining the film is. Send Help is a welcome January surprise, and has that distinct blend of comedy and thrills that only Sam Raimi can provide.

Rating: 3.5/5