Plot: What’s it about?
It’s been a while, a long while actually, since Sam Raimi has directed a horror film. The last one was 2009’s Drag Me to Hell, though it might be argued that Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness could qualify as the MCU’s first film that fit the genre. Nevertheless, fans will know Raimi’s work from the Evil Dead films which essentially gave birth to a new genre: horror/comedy. It’s one that stuck and Raimi was at the forefront of it. Over the years, he’s moved away from said genre with some more mainstream works like A Simple Plan, The Gift and of course helming the first three Spider-Man films (Spider-Man 2 is widely considered to be the best superhero ever made). To put it bluntly – he’s got talent and his films are living proof. But, with Send Help, he’s back to his roots and though the film isn’t the most original out there, it’s entertaining nonetheless.
Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is good at her job. She’d been promised a promotion from the former CEO, but after his passing, his son Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) is the new man in charge. Bradley’s a bit more interested in promoting is friends than mousy employees who eat lunch at their desk. Linda confronts him about this and as a way for her to “prove herself” to him, she’s invited on a trip to Thailand. Tragedy strikes and the plane crash lands on a remote island leaving, you guessed it, Bradley and Linda to fend for themselves. Linda’s a fan of the TV show Survivor (her audition tape is played to the delight of Bradley and his buddies) and this gives her the perfect opportunity to put her skills to the test. Bradley, meanwhile, still thinks he’s in charge and his injury isn’t doing him any favors. Role reversal doesn’t even describe the balance of power that’s transpired since the plane crash. But this begs the question: will Bradley and Linda be saved, or will they spend the rest of their years waiting to be rescued?
Send Help is entertaining. I enjoyed it. But it’s not the most original movie out there. In fact, several of the film’s key plot points are taken right out of 2022’s Triangle of Sadness. Throw in a bit from Cast Away and a dash of Misery and, well, there ya go. That’s fine, though as most films are antecedents of something else. McAdams seems to excel in her part, but Dylan O’Brien does well his as well. This role isn’t a far cry from The Maze Runner, a series of films that never really lived up to the hype but put his name on the map nonetheless. For McAdams, this reunites her with Raimi and she’s now worked with two iconic horror directors, with Wes Craven’s 2005 thriller Red Eye being the other (ironically starring a real-life Survivor alumni in Colby Donaldson). How’s that for full circle?
Video: How’s it look?
Though the film starts off in the corporate world, the lion’s share of the movie takes place on a deserted island. As such, we’re treated to beautiful beaches, blue waters and, of course – sand and plenty of it. Rachel McAdams’ character might look meek and mousy for the first act, but fear not, that all changes once she hits the island. The 2.39:1 image isn’t compromised in the least, offering up a glorious picture that’s chock full of color. I’d imagine when a character is vomiting on another’s face, we’d want the highest picture quality available – and we have it.
Audio: How’s it sound?
The digital version (as well as the 4K and Blu-ray) all feature a Dolby Atmos track that certainly has some moments that made me turn my head. The airplane crash, reminiscent of the one from Cast Away, is certainly the highlight. I was also surprised at how active the boar chase scene was. Granted, there’s a lot of dialogue, yelling and ambient surround effects that add more fuel to the fire – so to speak. Of course, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention Danny Elfman’s score and it’s yet another great pairing with Raimi’s direction and Elfman’s talent. The two have collaborated nearly as often as Tim Burton and Danny Elfman with some of the highlights of the duo being Darkman, Spider-Man and Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness. You’re in for a treat.
Supplements: What are the extras?
- Audio Commentary — The audio commentary by director Sam Raimi and producer Zainab Azizi is pretty entertaining. Raimi, with this years of experience as a producer and director, knows the industry inside and out and this is effectively communicated in his track. Some anecdotes about the theme, the “inspiration” and the challenges of making the film provide some additional insight.
- Deleted & Extended Scenes — There are plenty to choose from, though none really add to much to the overall package. The highlight is Linda’s Survivor audition tape.
- Bradley’s Office
- Franklin at Coffee
- Linda in Car
- Airplane Intro
- Plane Scene Version 1 – Storyboards
- Plane Scene with Pre-vis
- Plane Scene with Stunt-vis
- Finding Water and Bradley
- High Ridge 1 and Bamboo
- Night of Horror Day of Hunger
- Boar Scene Stunt-vis
- Boar Scene with Puppet
- Waterfall
- Long Goodbye
- Teaching Montage
- Extended Campfire and Bradley Bathing
- Extended Cave
- Walk and Talk and Dinner
- Castration Scene – Storyboards
- Bee Cave
- Franklin Returns
- Audition Tape
- Constructing the Boar Hunt — Sam Raimi offers a deep dive into the creation of the epic boar hunt scene and the intensive creative process that amplifies the scene’s visceral impact.
- From the Office to the Island — Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien detail their transformative filming experience, moving from controlled studios to open beaches. Discover how this shift in environment influenced the development of their characters and the overall production process.
- Becoming Linda Liddle — Rachel McAdams, along with the costume and makeup designers, describes the unique journey of creating Linda Liddle’s unpolished office appearance and developing her striking, unpredictable survivalist transformation.
- Survival Instinct — We follow Rachel McAdams as she learns the fundamentals of surviving in the wild with the help of Survivalist Expert Ky Furneaux.
- SOS: Sounds of Survival — Danny Elfman details his creative process and collaboration with Sam Raimi to write a score that elevates the emotional and atmospheric landscape of the film.
- Bloopers — Check out hilarious outtakes from the making of the movie.
The Bottom Line
There’s a lot to like about Send Help, though it might be argued that the ending (which, of course, I won’t reveal) was the best choice. Nevertheless, strong performances from both Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien make this one a fun watch. There’s no shortage of bonus content either which only adds to the allure.
