A film with such accomplished people at the helm, like Director Sam Raimi, Cinematographer Bill Pope,  music by Danny Elfman, and starring Rachel McAdams “Send Help” was fated to be the first real good film of 2026. Close to being great, very close. Raimi co-writing and directing it has all the delicious hallmarks of his style. Featuring gross-out horror, gross-out comedy, screwball comedy, jump scares and loads of diabolical characters. Of course loads of blood.  It just feels as if Sam Raimi has returned even though he never went away.  

The story is not that deep. A diligent overworked female officer worker that is constantly being passed over for promotions due to nepotism and bro culture  has the opportunity to reverse the power play with her boss when both are deserted on an island after a comedic and tragic airplane crash. Rachel McAdams is channeling Michelle Pfeiffer’s Selina Kyle transformation in “Batman Returns” to give an actual remarkable and convincing performance. Dylan O’Brien provides a great counter to Rachel playing the frat boy-golf obsessed nepo Boss. Each character isn’t that great of person but are compelling and very interesting.  It’s what drives the film rather than just the horror, good developed characters. At times it is Linda that is the monster and other times it is Bradley. The result is both of them are monsters in their own developed way.  

“Send Help” isn’t going to win awards or probably not show up on anyone’s top ten lists, but it’s very entertaining and has everything the die-hard Sam Raimi fans need. Its a tight script, it knows when to exit and has the right pace.  The genuine minus to the film is the overt obvious green scenes, especially on the cliff, which kinda takes you out of the film. The CGI boar is far too cartoonish to give a real sense of something to be scared off.  Other than that it’s just a gem of a film. If you want to label it as Sam Raimi doing his own bloody take on “Lord of the flies” meets  “Cast Away” you got it.  “Send Help” is a refreshing take on an old story. A story that tells us time and time again-that real power is not passed down and bequeathed, it is cultivated and harvested. 8/10