Send Help – Film Review
Reviewed by Harris Dang on the 29th January 2026
20th Century Studios AUNZ presents a film by Sam Raimi
Written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift
Produced by Sam Raimi and Zainab Azizi
Starring Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien, Edyll Ismail, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang, and Dennis Haysbert
Cinematography Bill Pope
Edited by Bob Murawski
Music by Danny Elfman
Rating: MA15+
Running Time: 113 minutes
Release Date: the 29th January 2026
In Send Help, Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is a downtrodden, socially awkward, and steadfast employee working in the Accounting Strategy and Planning Department. Clinging to dear life on the promise of a promotion, her dream is shattered when the egotistic Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien) makes his presence known. He is expected to become the company’s owner. After Linda takes her stand towards Bradley, he makes it inescapably clear he wants nothing to do with her.
The two later come to a deal. Linda is asked to attend a trip to Bangkok with him for a company merger. This is her last prayer to prove her mettle. However, Bradley and his cohorts soon find a video of Linda auditioning for Survivor, which instead makes her the laughingstock. Seeing herself in a Dinner for Schmucks (2010) situation, Linda’s prayers are answered when their plane crashes. The two are left stranded on a deserted island. Knowing her survival skills will finally be put to good use, she dons a positive attitude and hunts for food and shelter. While Bradley is still a scumbag, the power play between the two soon shifts. It leads to a clash no Human Resources department can fix.
Send Help is the latest film from acclaimed Hollywood filmmaker Sam Raimi. He is best known for his blockbuster filmmaking, including the Spider-Man trilogy (2001-2007), and his horror comedies from the Evil Dead trilogy (1981-1992). After venturing into blockbuster filmmaking with Doctor Strange and the Multiverse of Madness (2022), Raimi dives back into horror comedy territory for the first time since Drag Me to Hell (2009). He reunites with McAdams after Multiverse of Madness and if Send Help is any indication, their latest collaboration is a fruitful one.
Raimi’s bread-and-butter horror aspects are present and pack a wonderful punch. With shaky POV cam popularised in The Evil Dead (mounted on a wild boar), ghostly figures not out of place from any Evil Dead film, and extremely overstated splatters of blood, vomit, and snot unleashed over the actors, Raimi accentuates the horror and comedy in ways that will satisfy his horror fans. The extreme close-ups by cinematographer Bill Pope, impending doom in Danny Elfman’s heavy score, and sharp editing by Bob Murawski (including a laugh-out-loud match cut in the ending) are wonderful icing on the cake.
It is Raimi’s assured handling of the build-up between Linda and Bradley though that impresses the most. Working from a script by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (best known for their horror efforts Freddy Vs. Jason and the 2009 Friday the 13th remake), Raimi is in familiar territory. Just as he did with Drag Me to Hell, he is making fun of office politics and its dog-eat-dog dichotomy.
In Send Help, the power play between Linda and Bradley reaches a point where the beach setting is a microcosm of corporate patriarchy falling apart. With proven yet overlooked skills for Linda and overly catered privilege and swagger on Bradley’s side, the power play is played with shrewd wit and committed performances from McAdams and O’Brien.
While the script provides plenty of opportunities for the leads to go bug-nuts, McAdams and O’Brien never forget to highlight their characters’ humanity. Their behaviours and decisions are believable if not always sympathetic. Raimi showcases their humanity and uses it to shift the audiences’ allegiances, particularly in the third act. While overstated, it is clear whose side Raimi and his writers are on.
Rachel McAdams is adept at both comedy and drama. In Send Help, her character combines both with striking physicality. It makes her performance the most transformative to date. After his amazing work in Twinless (2025), O’Brien is never afraid to make Bradley reprehensible. However, his innate charisma and affability convey inner dimensions that make his character genuine.
As for flaws, the storytelling can appear predictable and derivative of the third act of Ruben Ostlund’s dark comedy Triangle of Sadness (2022). Meanwhile, as much as Bill Pope’s stellar cinematography provides dynamism and vivacity, the digital compositions and green screen leave much to be desired. The setting reveals the actors were present on sets rather than an actual island.
Nonetheless, Send Help is a triumphant return to the horror comedy genre for Sam Raimi. His film is a laugh-out-loud, rousing manifesto for downtrodden workers, a bloodcurdling PSA for all scumbag bosses, and a thrilling game of cat-and-mouse between Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. Highly recommended.
Summary: Send Help is a triumphant return to the horror comedy genre for Sam Raimi. Highly recommended.
4.5
Strong
Related Posts
STUDIOCANAL AUSTRALIA CELEBRATES THE HOUSEMAID →
It Was Just an Accident – Film Review →
Primate – Film Review →
