20th Century Studios
‘Send Help’ Rachel McAdams Unleashes Dark Comedy Fury in Sam Raimi’s Gruesome Return
Sam Raimi makes a delirious return to horror-comedy with “Send Help,” a blood-splattered survival satire that thrives on power reversal, physical suffering, and Rachel McAdams’ fearless performance. Set almost entirely on a deserted island, the film transforms workplace resentment into savage catharsis, blending Raimi’s Evil Dead grotesquerie with sharp social commentary.
Premiering theatrically on January 30 via 20th Century Studios, Send Help proves Raimi still knows exactly how to weaponize discomfort—and laughter.
A Survival Thriller With a Corporate Twist
The film follows Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), a brilliant but overlooked corporate underling, dragged on a business trip by her smug new CEO, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien). When their plane crashes in the Gulf of Thailand, Linda and Bradley emerge as the only survivors. With civilisation and HR gone, their office hierarchy collapses instantly.
Linda, armed with years of quiet competence and obsessive “Survivor” fandom, adapts with startling ease. Bradley, a passive-aggressive tyrant in tailored suits, falls apart. The island becomes a pressure cooker where entitlement, gender politics, and survival instincts collide.
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Rachel McAdams’ Star Power Is the Secret Weapon
Casting Rachel McAdams is the film’s masterstroke. Known for romantic dramas (The Notebook), prestige fare (Spotlight), and iconic villainy (Mean Girls), she brings a luminous presence that complicates Linda’s revenge. Even as she suffers humiliation, vomit gags, and moral ambiguity, McAdams never loses audience sympathy.
Her performance recalls Kathy Bates in Misery—a familiar warmth twisted into menace. As Linda reclaims control, Rachel McAdams turns restraint into intimidation, proving her star power doesn’t overpower the film—it electrifies it.
Raimi’s Gore, Perfectly Calibrated
Sam Raimi delivers some of his most entertaining work in years, blending cartoonish brutality with impeccable timing. There’s a standout gross-out sequence worthy of Drag Me to Hell, alongside creature effects that skew goofy rather than grim. While the violence occasionally borders on excess, Raimi’s tonal control ensures the punishment feels earned rather than nihilistic.
The screenplay by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (Freddy vs. Jason) keeps the action lean, allowing character psychology to drive the chaos.
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Satire That Cuts Close to Home
At its core, Send Help is a workplace revenge fantasy stripped to its bones. Linda’s transformation mirrors the quiet rage of people whose labor is exploited and dismissed. The film’s gender politics—particularly its critique of corporate misogyny—feel unnervingly timely without tipping into preachiness.
Unlike prestige “eat-the-rich” thrillers, Sam Raimi opts for pulp pleasure, letting laughter do the heavy lifting.
Despite a few implausible turns and a glossy aesthetic that softens some of Sam Raimi’s tactile instincts, Send Help is wickedly entertaining. Anchored by a career-best comedic performance from Rachel McAdams, it’s a reminder that horror-comedy still thrives when filmmakers trust the audience’s appetite for discomfort.
