My quick rating – 7.0/10. I thought Send Help was Sam Raimi, reminding everyone that he can still juggle horror & comedy like a chainsaw and a boomstick. And this time, he’s brought Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien along for the fun. Kinda like tossing two mismatched coworkers into a blender and hitting chop. The setup is delightfully simple. Linda Liddle (McAdams), a prickly mastermind from strategy and planning, and Bradley (O’Brien), the sentient embodiment of a smug LinkedIn post, become the only survivors of a plane crash and wash up on a deserted island. A Boeing recall joke practically writes itself, and Raimi does not miss the opportunity.
Before the island shenanigans, Send Help gives us a quick, efficient introduction to Linda’s office life or, more accurately, office war zone. She’s treated like the oddball gremlin the “boy’s club” doesn’t want but absolutely needs if they want their Q3 numbers to make any sense. McAdams plays Linda with a perfect balance of jagged awkwardness and controlled bite. There’s no attempt to make her soft or instantly lovable, which is exactly why she works so well. You root for her because she’s complicated, unpredictable, and boldly not here to be relatable.
Bradley, on the other hand, is played to pure, weaponized arrogance by Dylan O’Brien. He’s the kind of boss who says “circle back” unironically and considers himself a thought leader because he read half a productivity book. His smarmy presence becomes instantly hateable in the best way. O’Brien commits so fully that you can practically smell the overpriced cologne through the screen.
Once the disaster hits (with more blood than I expected for a corporate team-building trip gone wrong), Send Help becomes the Raimi playground I didn’t know I needed in 2026. Limbs, screams, slapstick Misery (yes, it feels a bit like that classic). You know, the Raimi essentials. Beautiful Australian landscapes fill in the background, which I only learned from the credits, but makes total sense. The place looks like Mother Nature’s desktop wallpaper pack.
The island dynamic between McAdams and O’Brien is where the movie hits gold. They bicker, scheme, plot, sabotage, and somehow still manage to help each other when it counts…or when the alternative is being eaten alive by whatever Raimi cooked up off-screen. Their chemistry is sharp, petty, and wickedly funny, escalating from verbal jabs to physical chaos that would get both of them fired from any HR department with a pulse. And it is glorious. You’ll see (that will make more sense after watching.)
Raimi also sprinkles in clever class commentary throughout the movie, poking at corporate hierarchy nonsense without ever slowing down the momentum. Longtime fans will appreciate the Easter eggs, too. I actually caught the Bruce Campbell painting in Bradley’s office, but I had to go back to confirm whether the classic 1973 Oldsmobile was hiding somewhere. Sure enough, it’s tucked into the frame during Linda’s self-help car monologue around the 15-minute mark. Never change, Sam.
Send Help sticks the landing with one of the most satisfying endings Raimi has delivered in years. It’s messy, funny, bloody, and sincere. And somehow all at the same time. Most importantly, it fully embraces Raimi’s horror-comedy roots while giving McAdams and O’Brien some of the most entertaining roles they’ve had in a long time.
I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Raimi back in form. Do I wish it had gone a bit further? Sure, but if this is the start of a new streak from him, I say – “Please, Sam…don’t send help. Just send me more movies like this.”
