The only thing that gives me confidence about a movie released in January is a movie released in January starring Rachel McAdams. McAdams is one of the most reliable actors in Hollywood. Looking at her filmography, it’s hard to find many stinkers; she is calculated with her choices and it shows. So when I saw her name on the poster for SEND HELP, I knew we were in for a treat. And thankfully I was not disappointed. Director Sam Raimi is never boring, and this film proves that; it is super entertaining, clever, funny…. and pretty dang brutal. Think of it as MISERY meets CASTAWAY, with some deliciously horrifying twists and turns along the way.
Linda (Rachel McAdams) is a rockstar at her job. So much so, her boss has promised to give her a huge promotion to be second-in-command. But when he unexpectedly dies and his nepo baby son Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) comes into power, Linda’s work starts being overshadowed and downright stolen by her frat bro-y coworkers. Bradley and his crew bully her, talk down to her, and intend to fire her after they take one last business trip to Asia.
But what starts as a luxurious private jet experience quickly turns into chaos. The jet suffers a catastrophic failure mid-flight and starts breaking apart, finally crash-landing into the ocean. The only survivors are Linda and Bradley, who make their way to a deserted tropical island. Thankfully, Linda has been a long-time fan of SURVIVOR and is excited to use her survival skills to keep them alive. But Bradley, who has a badly broken leg, can only focus on one thing, rescue, and he is disgusted that he is stuck with someone he loathes. Will the two be able to work together long enough to secure a rescue or is any island alliance going to be short-lived?
Writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift expertly balance the tone of the film, never veering too far into any genre and instead making it a perfect amalgamation of dark comedy, horror, thriller, and action. Just when I thought I knew where the movie was going to go next, the script abruptly veers in a different direction and kept me guessing. I do think maybe 15 minutes could have been shaved off to make the film a little tighter, but overall that is a small gripe for a movie that is extremely fun.
More than anything SEND HELP is a showcase for the always-incredible Rachel McAdams, who once again shows she has comedic chops for days. Usually McAdams plays more reserved characters, but in this, she lets her hair down (literally) and goes completely unhinged; and it was pretty freaking fun to watch. It takes a special actress to pull off a character like Linda, which depends on an actor’s innate likability and charisma to get the audience’s buy-in from the very beginning. And as the events of the movie unravel, you start to question why you’re still rooting for her. Some may say its because of Linda’s positive, survivalist attitude; others may say its because Bradley is such a jerk. I think the actual answer is it’s a bit of both, mixed with that Rachel McAdams sparkle.
Dylan O’Brien is also great in the film, playing the super smarmy Bradley as the perfect antagonist to Linda; he is able to really turn on the bro-heavy, toxic masculinity that will make your skin crawl. Even when he is trying to turn over a different leaf, you know there is still that vile underbelly waiting to come out.
SEND HELP is a lightning storm of diabolical chaos that may make you do some soul-searching about who you hope wins out in the end. More dark comedy than horror, this film never takes its foot off the gas and is going to leave you wanting more. Without getting into spoilers, I would love a whole sequel on what happens after the credits roll.
There is no end-credit scene in the film. And for those sensitive to scenes with animal violence, I will warn that McAdams :ahem: demolishes a wild boar, so buckle up for that.
My Review: B+
