Send Help

This weekend, Send Help, the newest film from Sam Raimi, releases in theaters. Send Help follows Linda Liddle, a hard-working employee who gets stranded on an island with her insufferable boss. The two must put aside their grievances and work together to survive. When I first saw the trailer, I thought this was going to be a generic desert island thriller. However, once I saw that Sam Raimi was directing, that piqued my interest, and the movie instantly became one of my most anticipated of the winter.

I thought Send Help was a very good movie. Send Help does a great job of blending the typical desert island drama with a psychological horror thriller. The movie introduces these two characters as a self-centered boss and his underappreciated employee, but completely shifts the power dynamic when they are stranded on the island, and she knows how to do all of the survival stuff. The movie shows the gradual changes in their relationship as they seemingly grow closer and Bradley begins to learn Linda's worth, but instead of being a typical relationship movie where they fall in love, the story turns into a psychological thriller where the life on the island begins to affect their minds. I wasn't really sure where the movie was going to go in the second half, but it definitely delivers on an intense and engaging conclusion. As is typical of Sam Raimi, he has to sprinkle in some of his horror gore into the movie, and Send Help does not disappoint in that area, though it may not be where you would expect. The movie also does a great job of bringing in elements of the psychological horror genre as well as the slasher genre. All of these elements combined help the movie achieve being more than your typical desert island relationship story. I thought Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien were both great in this movie, as they showcase normal behavior as well as some unhinged moments. The movie also delves into the morally questionable elements of their choices on the island and the impact on the relationship the two have. Everything about this movie just adds an element of creepiness that you wouldn't otherwise get from a story like this. The movie also has surprisingly funny moments, though it is more of the dark humor you get from Evil Dead 2.

Overall, this was a big surprise for me and one that didn't disappoint in any aspect. This is Sam Raimi at some of his best, and I really wish we could get more original movies like this.

Score: 8.5/10 Grade: A-

Recommendation: This is a must-see film. Support original movies like this.