Send Help ★★★★

Released: 5 February 2025

Director: Sam Raimi

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien

Do you have an insufferable boss from hell? Simply tired of the corporate 9-5 life and the ridiculous office politics? Well, Sam Raimi’s workplace revenge fantasy is certainly for you, with the dark comedy delivering buckets of entertaining catharsis (and signature gore!) amidst an idyllic tropical island backdrop. With splashes of relatable workplace satire and shifting dynamics within the survival thriller, paired with excellent lead performances, the auteur is back to his splatter-horror-comedy best.

Linda Liddle (McAdams), a gifted but socially awkward employee working in the Planning & Strategy Department, has long been promised a promotion by her company’s president. However, when he passes away, his spoiled nepo-baby son Bradley (O’Brien) is quick to dismiss her, turning instead to his frat-bro buddy. In an attempt to bypass a HR nightmare, he takes her on a work trip to Thailand in the hopes of securing a major deal. However, their private jet soon malfunctions, and the pair become the only survivors of the horrific crash, finding themselves stranded on a deserted tropical island. But there’s more to Linda than meets the eye – she’s an aspiring Survivor contestant and has been training for this very moment…

It’s certainly been a hot minute since we’ve seen Sam Raimi fully indulge his love of weird, gory horrors following 2009’s Drag Me to Hell. The gnarly supernatural ride arrived in the aftermath of the American mortgage crisis, and while Send Help doesn’t feature vengeful demons, it’s a similarly timely satire of workplace culture – instead focusing on gender inequality and rich, misogynistic bosses who take employees for granted. Admittedly it takes a little while for the film to fully kick into gear, as it first establishes Linda and Bradley’s office dynamic, but once the pair wind up on the desert island, it’s a genuine hoot to see their roles reversed.

It’s a real joy to see the once-meek Linda in action, excelling at building shelters, collecting rain water using coconut husks, and putting her literal Survivor skills to the test. While Bradley is merely surviving, she’s thriving, and the shift in power is palpable – and ultimately, that’s Bradley’s undoing. He can’t stand the fact that Linda saved him, nor that, due to a cut on his leg, he has to rely on her. This isn’t a situation he can control by throwing money at it or flexing his privilege, and his pride simply can’t take it. He’s about as useful as the rich castaways in Triangle of Sadness, and the ensuing power plays between the pair prove a fascinating watch, complete with a few ballsy twists and turns.

The glue that holds the film together is Rachel McAdams, who is such a charismatic and compelling watch. Ever since her surprisingly comedic turn in 2018’s Game Night (“Oh no, he died” will forever be her funniest line delivery!), she’s leaned into slightly quirky roles that aren’t quite to type – and long may it continue (Eurovision Song Contest: The Story of Fire Saga remains an underrated joy.) It’s refreshing to see her flex her comedic muscles again, and just like the Evil Dead films, Raimi certainly puts her through the wringer – boar guts and all. McAdams is given a fascinating character arc, and it’s equally hilarious and cathartic to witness her increasingly unhinged, feral performance – particularly when she goes toe-to-toe with a snarling wild boar. While it’s initially hard to buy her as an unpopular and unattractive employee, it’s intriguing to see how the shifting power dynamic transforms Linda, and certain acts may even leave you wondering whether you’ve backed the wrong castaway.

Similarly, O’Brien plays against type, swapping his usual likable boyish charm for a scumbag rich kid – and his one-two combo with McAdams makes for a riveting watch. While Bradley initially appears to be a one-note character, brief glimpses of depth emerge, and you spend much of the runtime hoping this experience might change the nepo-baby boss for the better – which keeps you guessing throughout.

Raimi fans will be pleased to see many of the directors’ signature elements return in glorious form, with Send Help proving gleefully gruesome, packed with splatter-filled gore and hilariously silly jump scares. The plane crash is a particularly early standout sequence, with bodies slamming against windows and cartoonish deaths aplenty. There are also some fun easter eggs scattered throughout, with a Bruce Campbell portrait in Bradley’s office and a brief glimpse of The Classic car in a car park. A particular highlight though is Linda’s genuinely hilarious Survivor audition tapes, unearthed by a particularly awful colleague during the plane journey.

A fun and wildly gory ride, Send Help is an entertainingly bonkers survival thriller complete with brilliant turns from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. One way or another, this original outing will keep you guessing throughout – and it’s certainly great to see Sam Raimi back with a (bloody) bang.