written by: Damian Shannon and Mark Swift
produced by: Sam Raimi and Zainab Azizi
directed by: Sam Raimi
rated: R (for strong/bloody violence and language)
runtime: 114 min.
U.S. release date: January 30, 2026
“Send Help” isn’t just another horror movie dropping in January; it’s a horror comedy from veteran director Sam Raimi! What’s there to be excited about? Well, it marks the first movie he’s made since 2009’s great “Drag Me to Hell” that isn’t an IP – his last two were blockbusters for Disney, 2013’s “Oz The Great and Powerful” and 2022’s “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” – which means he’s free from any franchise constraints and is able to go full Raimi on us. While that means his signature style, sadistic sense of humor, and proclivity for copious blood are back, there’s a compelling story with an absolutely phenomenal performance from Rachel McAdams, which is another reason to get excited.
Why should that be exciting? Because, for those who’ve been following McAdam’s career and know what she’s capable of (everything), it is both welcome and refreshing to see the Oscar nominee (“Spotlight”) given the opportunity to take a lead in a genre audiences don’t expect to see her in. That’s very cool for an actor, let alone an actress pushing 50. She electrifies the movie without ever being showy or big, alongside Dylan O’Brien, who’s equally game for this rollercoaster survival/thriller.
McAdams plays Linda Liddle, a hardworking and resourceful office worker in the Strategy and Planning department who has been invisible to everyone around her for years. She doesn’t realize how she’s perceived (or how her tuna sandwiches can affect cubicle life) because she is confident in who she is and has a positive attitude. Nevertheless, she comes across as socially awkward, or quirky in the least, void of the kind of corporate slickness or charm that the C-suite suits look for.
Her hopes for a promotion are shattered when the position the company’s founder promised her before his sudden death is taken away. Taking his place as CEO is his arrogant son, Bradley Preston (O’Brien), brimming with toxic masculinity and “finance bro” vibes. His humiliation of Linda begins with calling her out on her tuna smell in front of his visiting fiancée, Zuri (Edyll Ismail), stating, “There have been some complaints about you”, rather than in a one-on-one meeting. He could be making that up, but considering we’ve already seen her devouring her tuna sandwich at her cubicle, it could also be true.
When Linda learns that her coveted promotion will go to Donovan (Xavier Samuel), one of many slick corporate shills surrounding Bradley, she stands up for herself and confronts the smug CEO. Passively impressed by her courage, Bradley invites her to a business trip to Bangkok with other executives to secure a new deal. He thinks it will be an easy way for her to blow it, considering her frumpy exterior and awkward demeanor, and he’s kind of surprised she takes the invitation.
More humiliation comes on the private plane ride over the Pacific Ocean, as one of Bradley’s bros finds Linda’s “Survivor” audition video online and they all ridicule her while she’s within earshot. That ridicule suddenly turns to terror as the jet malfunctions and is ripped open by massive turbulence, resulting in a jarring crash at sea.
Linda wakes up on the shoreline of an island and soon discovers that an injured Bradley has been washed ashore as well. With her survival knowledge (established earlier in the movie) and love of outdoor adventuring, Linda builds a shelter, scavenges for food, and devises a way to start a fire and collect drinkable water. Bradley has zero skills in this environment, yet still maintains his superiority over Linda and his demeaning manner. After caring for his injury and providing him with nourishment, Linda quickly realizes she’s the reason her ungrateful boss is still alive. Little does Bradley know that she will become quite content and is perfectly fine with remaining on the seemingly deserted island.
“Send Help” finds Raimi effortlessly slipping back to the kind of movies he became known for. There’s the comic precision he employed in his “Spider-Man” movies, which made them groundbreaking and unlike any other superhero movies, and the zany, manic energy of his “Evil Dead” movies. He knows how balance that fine line between ghastly and gruesome, and while there’s a vomit scene that might make you queasy, all of these “extreme” scenes find Raimi involving the audience in on the joke, rather than assaulting his audience with gratuitious nastiness. It’s really impressive how Raimi cannot only find that fine line but also walk it with artistic confidence.
McAdams is captivating from the moment we see her exit the office elevator and make her way to her cubicle, through the final shot where she acknowledges us. The setup of who she is before the crash is brilliant because screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift allow us to see a side of Linda that no one else in her life has. We root for her, but we can also see how her social quirks keep her from being accepted, which makes us feel for her all the more. We’ve all been picked on, picked apart, and laughed at. It’s no fun. But seeing Linda pick herself back up is something we definitely want for her, and McAdams infuses her character with such hopefulness and sincerity that it’s easy to overlook her lack of savvy or style. McAdams deftly navigates Linda’s nuances, delivering a three-dimensional portrayal of an intelligent, bird-loving woman with a surprisingly dark, macabre streak. The island is probably the best thing to happen to her in some time, as she becomes stronger and more confident as the days pass. Here she is, the master, the flipside of her office dynamics, with the ability to engage with everything she’s passionate about. That being the exact opposite of how Bradley feels about their situation makes island life even more fulfilling and ideal for her.
O’Brien has a blast, tuning in to just the right amount of narcissistic cruelty that he’s typically oblivious to. It takes being stranded on an island, injured, and relying on someone to begin to see that he needs to change. But change doesn’t happen overnight, even when your life depends on it. Bradley never truly sheds his entitlement and arrogance, even though they’re worthless in this new atmosphere. He’d rather hide his weakness than find any strength in it. O’Brien works off McAdams’ wonderful performance, knowing it’s her show and he’s there to be the thorn in her side and provide a recognizable character for the audience. Let’s face it, we’ve all had awful bosses, some who are oblivious to their toxic and gaslighting nature, and these are the last people you want to be stranded on a deserted island with.
At no point does O’Brien overplay the role of Bradley, nor does he ever depict him as an outright monster. He’s more indifferent and greedy than anything else, and that is more damning than his laziness. Either way, he’s a suffocating character with a predominantly manipulative demeanor. Whatever torment he receives from Linda is something he’s earned over time.
“Send Help” is more “Tales from the Crypt” than it is “Black Mirror”, especially when it revels in its ethical gray zone. The game of trust between Linda and Bradley never grows tired, leaving us on the edge of our seats, wondering what the breaking point will be for each character. The final act isn’t your typical horror climax but more a turn toward twisted behaviors and changing motivations, all while cranking up the levels of shock and suspense. This is uninhibited Raimi, re-energizing his genius to offer a story that turns an absolute disaster into a fulfilling moviegoing experience.
RATING: ***1/2
