Send Help
I was already fully on board with Sam Raimi’s dark survival thriller when Rachel McAdams’s character looks for sustenance for herself and her douchebag of a boss (played by Dylan O’Brien). But as the scene unfolds, I had immediate flashbacks to Raimi’s outrageous horror comedy, “Evil Dead 2,” and it just took my love of his film up a few notches. The longer they are on the island- especially in the second act- the pacing drags, but Raimi and screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (“Freddy vs. Jason” and the 2009 “Friday the 13th” reboot) make for a nimble, energetic pairing. The resulting film, “Send Help,” is an early choice for one of my favorites of 2026.
I did not make it to the press screening of the film the week before, so I had to go to the public screening the week after. To my surprise, one of the contestants from “Survivor 49”- Nate- introduced the film, and we got a sneak peak of the upcoming 50th season. I bring this up because, as it turns out, the reality TV juggernaut plays a role in “Send Help.” My wife has gotten me into watching it, and one thing Meredith and myself agree on is that neither of us are in shape enough to fare well on the show. McAdams’s character, Linda Liddle, is a superfan of the show, and she uses that passion to her advantage when herself and her boss, Bradley Preston- who’s just passed her over for a promotion- miraculously survive a plane crash on the way to Bangkok for work. It’s time for Linda to show Bradley she’s more than the hard working mess he sees around the office.
We just recorded an episode on McAdams for the podcast, using four of her early films as the starting off point for a discussing on how versatile and talented she is. One of the films discussed was Wes Craven’s “Red Eye,” and that is kind of a good lead in to watch here. Despite Linda’s disheveled look at the beginning of the film, she’s extremely smart and capable of figuring out problems; when she’s passed over- for a job that Bradley’s late father was grooming her for- it’s for one of his golfing buddies who’s been with the company for a fraction of the time that Linda has. The fact of the matter is that McAdams is extremely charming, on top of a great actress, so I’m as fully engaged with her as Linda in the beginning- a bit introverted, not easy to stand up for herself (or be aware of situational issues, like a piece of tuna fish on her mouth when talking to Bradley)- as I am when she gets into “Survivor” mode, and is fully capable of getting shelter, water collecting and food preparation going. Most importantly, I can find the connective tissue between the two sides of the character, including some of the more diabolical aspects of Linda that come out on the island. She does relish the fact that she’s the one in control on the island, and enjoys lording that over Bradley; she also goes a little nuts, as well. In a way, she’s living out a dream come true, and this life feels more authentic to her than the life she had at home. This is a top-shelf performance from McAdams.
When I bring up “Evil Dead 2,” it’s not because this film has some obvious markers of Raimi’s past work. There are times where it does feel like he’s making a new type of “Evil Dead” movie in “Send Help.” No, there’s no supernatural entity to deal with, but Linda’s descent into madness, and Bradley being way over his head, feels very part and parcel with that iconic horror franchise, especially the movies where they are stuck in the cabin. Raimi has a dark comedy streak that is second to none when he’s allowed to unleash it, and the scene I brought up earlier is one example. The third act of the film, and some of its twists and turns, is filled with vicious wit that makes the patented absurdities contained within it palpable. This was a fun adventure thriller early in the year, not that I’d expect anything less from Raimi.
