Verdict: 4.5/5
I went into a preview screening of ‘Send Help’ with only two pieces of knowledge: it involved co-workers, and they end up stranded on an island.
What followed was a heart-pounding, deeply unsettling, and surprisingly hilarious cinematic experience that never lets the audience get comfortable.
The film follows Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), an overworked and underappreciated corporate employee who is constantly dismissed and mistreated by her new boss, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien).
In an attempt to prove her worth to the company, Linda is invited on a business trip to Bangkok alongside Bradley. When their plane crashes, the pair find themselves alone on a deserted island, forced to survive in harmony despite their resentment and lack of trust.
Just when you think you understand where ‘Send Help’ is heading, it swerves in the opposite direction. The story constantly pulls the rug out from under the audience, delivering shocking twists that genuinely leave you stunned. This is a film where predicting what comes next is nearly impossible, and that unpredictability is one of its greatest strengths.
On paper, the premise is simple: two co-workers who despise each other are stranded together. However, director Raimi takes this familiar setup and transforms it into a refreshingly strange, twisted survival horror-comedy. His signature kooky style is on full display. Extended close-ups had the theatre laughing out loud at their absurdity, only to recoil moments later from the sudden bursts of intense gore.
The pacing of the twists and turns are relentless leaving audiences no chance to breathe.
As the film progresses, it becomes increasingly psychological. The audience is never fully comfortable trusting either character, which keeps tension high and makes the runtime fly by.
McAdams delivers a standout performance as Linda, managing to make audiences feel both sympathetic to her and deeply unsettled by her.
It’s refreshing to see a female character take the dominant role in a survival thriller without it feeling forced, helped by Linda’s cleverly established survival fantasies earlier in the film.
O’Brien is equally compelling as the weak and toxic Bradley. His character arc is unexpectedly engaging, and by the end, audiences may even find themselves cheering for him.
‘Send Help’ is an expert blend of horror, thriller, and dark comedy, see it now at Penrith Hoyts.
See this movie at Hoyts Penrith.
