SEND HELP
Starring: Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien
Director: Sam Raimi
ADRIANO
The moments in Send Help where writer/director Sam Raimi goes full tilt into his wheelhouse of campy ultra-gore were the most fun. The moments in between, however, not so much. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are excellent, both showing off outstanding comedic chops. And as much as I found the psychological breakdown of these characters lacklustre, it was entertaining enough to hold my attention throughout. The conversations that populate the majority of the runtime were dull, and the eat-the-rich twisty narrative is getting old, but it’s exciting to see Raimi cook nonetheless, even if this isn’t his finest hour.
ROBERT
While the climax and the inevitable violence is where horror thrillers make their money, the subtlety of the characters’ descents into madness is where the intrigue is built. Send Help takes the concept of corporate power dynamics and subverts it for a real-life survival situation, sold impeccably by the performances of Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. How their real-life relationship plays into their island interactions, in addition to all of writer/director Sam Raimi's bloody, eye-popping decadence, is what makes this unique and an upper-echelon January release. I would put this film up for immunity to outlast the competition.
PAIGE
Send Help is a return to form for writer/director Sam Raimi. Though it unfortunately suffers from odd editing choices and outdated, flat out bad VFX, this dark horror comedy is filled with blood, gore, and plenty of Raimi’s signature camp. The story itself is a hell of a ride and is elevated by its two leads, Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. McAdams delivers a batshit crazy performance that’s so much fun to watch, while O’Brien perfectly nails the role of douchebag boss. While the movie does become a bit repetitive at times, it manages to remain entertaining throughout.
