Think of Sam Raimi’s “Send Help” as a reinterpretation of Ruben Östlund’s “Triangle of Sadness,” the 2022 Swedish dark comedy, with similar elements—a remote setting, a reversal of power dynamics, an exploration of class, and plenty of vomit. Of course, here we’re dealing with the director of “The Evil Dead,” which means buckets of blood and at least one jump scare, while Raimi shifts his focus to the living, as in “a living hell.” Imagine being stranded on a desert island with your arrogant boss, who just gave your promotion to someone else. In the tradition of “Alien vs. Predator,” “Freddy vs. Jason,” and Chupacabra vs. the Alamo (Texas thing), it’s Rachel McAdams vs. Dylan O’Brien.
Meet Linda Liddle (McAdams), a numbers whiz on her way to becoming the vice president at Preston Strategic Solutions. She’s outgoing, confident, but also unpopular. Could it be the greasy hair, frumpy clothes, orthopedic shoes, and tuna salad on her face? For all practical purposes, she is the female equivalent of Milton Waddams (played by Stephen Root) from Mike Judge’s 1999 comedy “Office Space.”
Unfortunately, the VP position the CEO (Bruce Campbell cameo in a portrait) promised Linda is no longer available now that he’s dead and his arrogant, naive son, Bradley (O’Brien), has become the new boss. Linda believes Bradley flirted with her at the Christmas party, so she’s hoping to work closely together. However, Bradley finds her repulsive, which is why he promoted his frat buddy Donovan (Xavier Samuel) to VP, who also took credit for Linda’s impressive work.
Written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, the story wastes no time setting up contempt for Bradley. His snarky attitude toward senior advisor, Franklin (Dennis Haysbert), is minor compared to his condescending confrontation with Linda, in which he tells her, “As an executive, I see no value in you.” Then, in front of his supermodel girlfriend (Edyll Ismail), Bradley tells Linda that he’s received complaints about her noxious orders. Yeah, he’s a jerk.
At Franklin’s request, to ensure everything goes smoothly, Bradley invites Linda on a business trip to Bangkok to secure a merger. During the flight, Donovan shows Bradley and his boys club Linda’s corny audition video for the television show “Survivor.” As they laugh hysterically, giving the audience one more reason to despise these sexist morons, karma hits. Laughs turn to screams as the plane crashes over the Gulf of Thailand. Raimi goes overboard on the CGI as the frat boys are sucked out of the plane, killing everyone except Bradley and Linda, who wash up ashore on a remote island.
Remember that “Survivor” video they were laughing at? Linda trained to be a contestant on the reality show, so she knows how to make a fire, build a shelter, and fish for food. When she tries her hand at hunting, Raimi reverts to his “Evil Dead” roots as the POV camera races through the jungle, while Linda is stalked by a wild boar.
The beast is scarier than the Deadites in Raimi’s horror classic. During the horrific scene, McAdams is sprayed with so much fake blood, which just keeps spurting, that she resembles Carrie after the prom. It’s the perfect blend of horror and comedy. The laughs continue when she throws the boar’s head on the beach next to Bradley, while covered in blood, exclaiming her new love for hunting.
Speaking of Bradley, he’s been laid up on the beach with a bum leg, still acting like a pompous a-hole, even though Linda saved his life. He refers to her as “Suzy Homemaker” while complaining about what she’s doing wrong. Reality check. “Let’s not forget, we’re not in the office anymore, Bradley,” Linda comments. The power dynamic switches, as she reminds him, “You are stuck with an a-hole boss, just like I was,” while looking like a native warrior.
Raimi keeps the audience on Linda’s side, even after we learn a few secrets about her past, as Bradley continues acting like a manipulative jerk. He’s just asking for trouble. O’Brien is excellent in the role; from the sarcastic chuckle and menacing snarls to the puppy-dog eyes when he gets caught again and again. After a breakout performance in “The Maze Runner” film series, O’Brien has delivered strong performances, including “Saturday Night” as Dan Aykroyd, and last year’s “Twinless.”
Rachel McAdams has given us many memorable performances, from the Oscar-nominated “Spotlight” and the romantic drama “The Notebook” to playing one of cinema’s best villains, Regina George in “Mean Girls.” As Linda Liddle, McAdams delivers one of her best performances. The physically demanding role requires her to undergo a transformation as she embraces her character’s dark side. McAdams’ nuanced acting adds depth to what could have been a typical final girl role. She’s funny, fierce, and formidable.
There are a few plot twists that surprised me, although I should have seen them coming. And I have a small issue with the ending: it felt too tidy after such a messy movie. Still, “Send Help” marks a return to form for Sam Raimi back in the genre that introduced us to the filmmaker who perfected the horror-comedy hybrid. It’s been twenty-seven years since “Drag Me to Hell.” Let’s hope we won’t have to wait that long for another Raimi-directed horror film.
(3 ½ stars)
Now showing in theaters
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