Sam Raimi stands as a truly fascinating filmmaker, having masterminded some of the most iconic horror projects, notably *Evil Dead* and *Army of Darkness*. Simultaneously, he played a crucial role in the widespread popularity of superhero cinema through his beloved *Spider-Man* trilogy. However, since *Spider-Man 3*, his subsequent directorial ventures—including *Drag Me to Hell*, *Oz the Great and Powerful*, and *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*—have generally received a more lukewarm reception. It’s safe to suggest that Raimi is due for a significant critical success.
This year, Raimi returns to the director’s chair with *Send Help*, an intriguing horror-thriller that echoes the genre that originally brought him prominence. After their collaboration on the recent *Doctor Strange* epic, Rachel McAdams and the director reunite for this survival narrative. The plot centers on two individuals stranded on a desolate island, where appearances are anything but straightforward.
Penned by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, *Send Help* delivers a compelling story that deftly avoids conventional hero and villain archetypes. The initial premise sets up a more familiar workplace dynamic: an undervalued employee named Linda (McAdams) is tormented by her vindictive “nepo-baby” CEO, Bradley (Dylan O’Brien). One immediately anticipates the story to focus on Linda’s struggle against his taunts and insults. However, a sudden plane crash, stranding both boss and employee on a remote beach, instantly upends this power dynamic.
Linda, an avid fan of survival shows like *Survivor*, possesses an inherent knack for survival skills. This reversal of fortune empowers her, transforming the employee into the leader and the boss into a loyal subordinate. For the subsequent hour, a friendship born of necessity blossoms between them, until hidden secrets, ulterior motives, and suppressed personality traits gradually surface. This culminates in an explosive turn of events, marked by bloodshed, fatalities, and horrors buried in the sand, destined to be lost to history.
Throughout the first two acts of *Send Help*, Raimi’s distinctive directorial flourishes are only intermittently visible, with unsettling and fast-paced scenes appearing sporadically. These moments include the characters’ twisted interactions, Linda’s violent confrontation with a rather clunky CGI boar, and disorienting discoveries that challenge one survivor’s isolation without the other’s awareness. For over an hour, the film leans more into suspense and an inconsistently effective dark comedy rather than outright horror. While adequate, this approach leaves the movie feeling somewhat subdued. McAdams delivers a charismatic and vibrant performance, but O’Brien proves to be a less memorable lead, contributing to these initial acts feeling rather average.
Fortunately, it is in the third act where Raimi truly unleashes his talents. This final segment races forward like a high-speed train, meticulously revealing secrets and exploring the brutal consequences for both survivors. While still not a full-fledged horror film, it’s considerably more disturbing than what precedes it, featuring ample gore—including gouged eyes, scalped heads, fatalities, and even brief zombie sequences. In this climactic act, you’ll be on the edge of your seat, perhaps only looking away to wince as the characters brutally attempt to eliminate each other. It’s a brilliant conclusion, leaving one wishing this intensity had been woven throughout the entire film, transforming it into a true horror-survival story rather than primarily a deserted island thriller for its first 60-plus minutes.
Ultimately, the plot of *Send Help* is uneven, despite its powerful ending. The overall production, however, is largely competently crafted. There are instances of notably poor and visually unappealing CGI, particularly during a bridge scene and the boar fight. These moments unfortunately detract from the fear factor and thrill, as it becomes jarringly obvious which parts were filmed on a real set versus those composited in a warehouse against a blue screen. It’s quite distracting and leaves one wishing these scenes were either omitted or executed with more sophisticated and effective digital effects.
If Sam Raimi is seeking a definitive “win” to re-establish himself among the top filmmakers today, *Send Help* doesn’t quite achieve that. It’s a perfectly entertaining and decent film, yet it also feels somewhat forgettable and lacks a truly distinctive character. With a runtime under two hours, you won’t be bored, but neither will you leave utterly astonished or blown away. It’s a competent film, and there’s nothing inherently wrong with that, but it won’t be appearing on any ‘best of Raimi’ lists.