DUBAI: Sam Raimi’s survival horror comedy “Send Help” finds the visionary director in fine form. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien star as beleaguered employee and passive-aggressive new boss respectively in a film that’s irreverent, camp and gruesomely gory — all trademarks of Raimi’s masterful touch.
The premise is simple. Two colleagues — Adams’ Linda Liddle has been passed over for her long-overdue promotion, while O’Brien’s tyrant nepo baby Bradley Preston has just been named CEO. On a work trip, the two of them survive a devastating plane crash and wash up on a deserted island.
Few things are more terrifying — or more darkly comedic — than being helplessly dependent on someone you actively despise. Raimi milks this premise for every drop, staging set pieces that swing between slapstick and genuine tension, often within the same scene.
Between vomit gags and horrific physical violence, Raimi expertly shifts the scales of power between the two characters. There’s no time to relax or anticipate next moves.
McAdams is the film’s undeniable draw with her genre-defining turn as a disgruntled employee with an axe to grind. There’s a scene midway through when she chances on a waterfall and begins to find her confidence again. That shift from bumbling strategy planner to stunning island girl would have felt unearned in less professional hands.
O’Brien more than holds his own too, with a performance that’s reactive in the best way, shifting from lazy smugness to unsettling desperation as the power dynamic shifts.
Visually, “Send Help” is classic Raimi: exaggerated angles, kinetic camera work and smartly utilized gore.
What makes “Send Help” such a satisfying watch is its steadfast commitment to its own weirdness and a director confident enough to push every element but know exactly where to draw the line. Subjects including class, gender roles and power dynamics are handled with tightrope precision and a lightness of touch such that the film never feels preachy. It’s all deliciously unhinged and strikingly original. If you don’t have any weekend plans yet, this should make your list.
