Genre icon Sam Raimi’s first genuine horror movie in 16 years, Send Help, took the winter by storm with its exceptional Rotten Tomatoes scores and milestone-busting box office returns. It’s exciting to see an entirely original adult thriller succeed with both critics and audiences, but the box office it accomplished in the third weekend of its run proves it’s truly a special case.
Starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, Send Help spent its first two weeks atop the domestic box office, pulling in over $19.1 million in its debut weekend then another $9 million in its second. As is typical for any wide release, Send Help dropped out of 500 theaters in its third weekend, leaving it playing in just under 3,000 across North America.
That usually yields a significant drop in its box office return, averaging around 40–60% for most movies. However, Send Help managed to buck that trend in eye-opening fashion with the haul from its third weekend, giving it some of the most notable “legs” of any movie in recent memory.
Send Help’s Domestic Box Office Haul Dropped Less Than 1% In Its Third Week
Rachel McAdams as Linda roars while covered in blood in Send Help
After generating $9.046 million in its second weekend, Send Help is tracking for an estimated $8.968 million in its third weekend, according to box office tracking website Box Office Mojo. That would mean its week-over-week drop is roughly 0.08%, which is almost unheard of—especially for an adult thriller. Factoring in the fact that it dropped out of 500 theaters to produce that number, its theater-by-theater return was actually about 16% higher in its third weekend.
That gives Send Help a domestic total of $49.6 million in three weeks, and $73.8 million worldwide. With a budget of just $40 million, Send Help is on pace to more than double its production budget, making it an undeniable success for Disney and 20th Century. The combined star power of McAdams, O’Brien, and Raimi himself certainly helped propel its impressive box office return, but the movie’s outstanding review scores and highly memeable plot and scenes generated exceptional word-of-mouth as well.
Send Help’s Box Office Should Convince Studios To Invest In Adult Thrillers
Close-up of Dylan O’Brien in Send Help
Interestingly enough, Send Help is the second major wide release adult thriller in a row to exceed expectations at the box office. Paul Feig’s erotic thriller The Housemaid released around Christmas 2025 with a similar profile: a well-known director, star-laden cast, and modest budget ($35 million). It’s generated over $360 million so far, although it had a huge boost as one of the top adult releases for the holidays.
The fact that Send Help was able to manage to be a huge success as a January release, when the general box office is typically at its lowest point, should convince studios that the success of The Housemaid wasn’t a fluke. Send Help is proof that there is still an audience for mid-budget adult thrillers in a cinematic era marked by “event” movies, and a quality movie backed by a well-executed marketing strategy can still be well worth the effort financially.
Sam Raimi famously saved Send Help’s theatrical experience, as the original distributor, Sony, wanted to make it a straight-to-streaming release. Raimi’s refusal brought him to 20th Century instead, which put its full weight behind a theatrical release. It will pay dividends for them by the end of Send Help’s theatrical run, and hopefully that will inspire more studios to take a shot on adult thrillers.
Release Date
January 30, 2026
Runtime
113 Minutes
Director
Sam Raimi
