By Elijah Noggle, SCO Cultural Critic
Send Help is the newest film from iconic and beloved director Sam Raimi, known for his original Evil Dead movies and the 2000s Spider-Man trilogy. He has built a reputation in the filmmaking word for his unique camera techniques. His last film, the 2022 Marvel Studios production Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, was his return to directing after over a decade, and reminded us why we missed him. His directing style is uniquely his in a way that’s always noticeable. And now we finally have a new film from him that is fully his own vision.
Send Help stars Rachel McAdams as Linda Liddle, a talented and hard-working, but disrespected employee at a marketing office, opposite Dylan O’Brien as Bradley Preston, her newly appointed, and rather entitled boss. After their plane crashes in the ocean on a business trip, the two find themselves on a desert island and must attempt to work together to survive.
One of the greatest things about this movie for me is that, like his other films, if you’ve watched his movies you’ll be able to tell that this is a Sam Raimi film. Even if you haven’t, his one-of-a-kind filmmaking techniques will definitely stand out to you. Most of his movies have a unique sense of humor for example, despite being known for horror films. This movie is more of a thriller with horror elements, but it contains what I consider to be some form of dark comedy at times.
I thought that was an especially engaging aspect of this movie. There’s also his deliberate, stylish camera techniques. There’s a particular shot in this movie I loved that feature a time-lapse/montage, with the same framing showing a character’s facial expressions changing over time. This movie benefits a lot from his particular brand of filmmaking, and would undoubtedly be worse without him at the helm. Personal style always elevates the overall quality of a film because you can see the creative passion from the people that made it. The film is also extremely violent at times, which is very in line with Sam Raimi’s earlier movies like the Evil Dead trilogy. That did not detract from the overall quality though.
The reason this film works is the core dynamic between Linda and Bradley. What happens when a vastly underestimated worker who has years of experience and essentially an ignorant nepo baby who was just handed this company by his father- end up stranded on a desert island together? Without giving too much away, Linda quickly proves herself and shows how prepared for this she really was.
Throughout the opening 30 minutes of this film they properly set up how her coworkers, and her superiors especially, just don’t respect her very much despite her arguably being one of the most capable people that works there. So when they get to the island you see a compelling juxtaposition between how they both handle this type of situation. And I have to say, without giving too much away, this film really goes to some unexpected places with this premise. It subverts the “deserted island” trope in some memorable ways. I also really want to praise the performances in this film. Rachel McAdams, in particular, is at the top of her game here, effortlessly conveying the pain and frustration Linda feels from the lack of recognition she receives from her peers, as well as her natural gift for adapting to stressful circumstances.
At its core, the film explores themes of workplace equality and the dangers of underestimating others – especially women. It underscores how persistent dismissal and lack of respect can build into something far more powerful. As the story suggests, those who are repeatedly underestimated may ultimately prove far more capable of pushing back than expected—for better or worse. That sense of being undervalued is a universal experience, making the film’s message both timely and deeply relatable.
Send Help was a real treat of a movie for me. A good old fashioned thriller with some comedy and horror elements that also had a compelling “moral of the story” at the center of it. It’s a more than worthy comeback for Sam Raimi, though a minor critique is that the ending, for me at least, was a little bit abrupt. But overall this still rightfully earns a 9/10 score for me.