SEND HELP is a 2026 darkly comedic psychological horror thriller directed by Sam Raimi, from a screenplay by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (Friday the 13th, Baywatch).
Two colleagues (Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien) become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it's a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive.
The cast includes Rachel McAdams (Spotlight, Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret., Mean Girls), Dylan O’Brien (Twinless, Saturday Night), Edyll Ismail (La Brea), Dennis Haysbert (Far from Heaven), Xavier Samuel (Elvis), Chris Pang (Crazy Rich Asians), Thaneth Warakulnukroh (Thai Cave Rescue), and Emma Raimi (Happy Pills).
SEND HELP made its debut in theaters January 30th, courtesy of 20th Century Studios.
First and foremost, I love me some Sam Raimi because at the end of the day he is a horror guy through and through. Kicking off his illustrious career back in the early 70’s his work always has a certain tone or feel true to his vision, but what impresses me most about him as a director is his insane versatility. I mean think about it for a second, he directed one of the all-time horror classics in The Evil Dead (1981), followed by a fantastic sequel a few years later.
And then in 1995 he churns out the epic action drama western The Quick and the Dead, which included one of the best casts imaginable. Quite a shift right? For sure, but that quickly became the identity of Raimi as his career continued to include the supernatural horror film The Gift (2000), Spider-Man (2002), followed by the 2nd and 3rd film in quick succession, Drag Me to Hell (2009), and most recently the visually stunning Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (2002). He really can do it all.
After a short break from the cozy directors chair Sam Raimi returns with SEND HELP, a film touted as a dark comedy/psychological thriller featuring a role from Rachel McAdams that nobody could have seen coming. McAdams plays Linda Liddle, an extremely intelligent but admittedly socially awkward workaholic who finds herself passed over for a well-deserved big promotion after her boss dies and his son takes over the company. Now it is bad enough that her new boss Bradley, played by Dylan O’Brien, is going against his father’s wish to promote her and instead deciding to promote the much less capable Donovan, who happens to be his frat brother.
And to make matters worse Linda quickly becomes the butt of the jokes at the office, an unfortunate position to be in which is unfortunately fueled by her questionable hygiene and general odd behavior. Which is too bad for Linda because not only is Bradley a real bros bro, he is seemingly a narcissistic germaphobe who is immediately disgusted by her. But things soon take quite a turn when Linda, Bradley, Donovan, and a few other executives from the company experience a tragic plain crash on a business trip. Linda and Bradley find themselves as the only survivors, and the tables quickly turn as Linda, who is obsessed with the long-running reality series Survivor to the point where she sends in an audition tape, finds herself as the new “alpha” in this complicated relationship.
As per usual I won’t spoil anything but I felt like it was important to elaborate on what you see in the trailer to try and set the stage for the film. And first of all kudos to Raimi for doing the impossible which was make Rachel McAdams unattractive. He had to pull out all the stops though, going as far as to make her weirdo that not only stuffs tuna fish sandwiches into her desk drawer, but also lives at home with a bird she has conversations with.
Now it didn’t last long in my opinion as once she turns into badass survivor Linda I was back on the train ticket in hand, and what a wild transformation it was for her character. The beating heart of the film is the cat-and-mouse game between Linda and Bradley, as he finds himself in the uncomfortable position of relying so heavily on a person he looked down on and had power over. Linda makes it very clear that he is no longer in charge, and Bradley learns the hard way more than a few times that if he crosses Linda, he will be left without the necessities he needs to survive.
Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are both absolutely incredible in this film, and I thought the story was fantastic. It was just so immersive to the point where I was fully bought in to the fact that they were stranded on this island and had to do everything in their power to survive, and the psychological tug-of-war between the two characters kept me on the edge of my seat. I really liked how the story kept me guessing in terms of what was to come for these two after the plane crash, and I thought the final act was amazing.
The writers did such a great job of ensuring viewers absolutely despised Bradley, and watching Linda take control and assert dominance is hugely satisfying. One scene in particular had me as a man incredibly uncomfortable to the point where I damn near covered my ears and closed my eyes (the look on Bradley’s face in the above photo gives you an idea). I also loved how the outcome of the story hinged so much on Linda’s psyche which essentially pushed her over the in this new reality she found herself in. The film is also beautifully shot on a picturesque island in Thailand.
THE VERDICT
A clever and satisfyingly entertaining psychological thriller that will keep you on the edge of your seat, SEND HELP is the ultimate cat-and-mouse game of survival and yet another gem for talented director Sam Raimi. I had high hopes for this film, but it was even better than I could have hoped. As good as the trailer is, I don’t think it gives justice to just how immersive of an experience it is and the performances are fantastic. Get out and see SEND HELP in theaters as soon as you can, you won’t be disappointed.
TED TAKES RATING - 9.1/10
SEND HELP is now playing only in theaters. Check out the latest trailer below.