Reviewed By: Popcornicus
I was excited to see Send Help because in my book it had a lot going for it – Sam Raimi directing, Rachel McAdams starring, tale of survival out in the wild, billed as a horror/thriller/dark comedy, etc. Sounded right up my alley. So much so in fact that I decided to go to the theater to see this one rather than waiting for it to come out on streaming. I’m glad I did. This ended up being almost exactly what I had hoped it would be.
Rachel McAdams stars as Linda Liddle, an employee in the Strategy and Planning department of a financial management company. She clearly knows her stuff but before getting the promotion she was promised by her boss, the boss’s son Bradley, played by Dylan O’Brien, takes over as CEO of the company. Bradley does not see things the same way and tries to get her transferred because he is grossed out by her, but realizes he needs her smarts for one big upcoming meeting. He invites her along and offers to allow her to prove her worth and she accepts because she doesn’t really have any other choice.
Their plane ends up going down in the ocean and Linda and Bradley are the only survivors, finally landing on the beach of a deserted island. Even though they do not get along, they have to try to work together to stay alive. It becomes clear that Linda has extensive survival skills which we actually learn before the plane crashes. She does all the heavy lifting while Bradley lays around injured, completely useless. The tables start to turn as the obnoxious boss starts to realize that he needs her more than he would have ever thought. They remain at odds with each other for pretty much the whole movie, though there are times when it seems they are getting along and becoming more trusting of each other.
I don’t want to go into too much detail or really even describe any of my favorite scenes because I don’t want to give away any spoilers. I think this movie is more enjoyable if you don’t know much about it beforehand. In that regard I won’t say much else about what happens but here’s what I will say…
This movie is way funnier than I would have ever imagined. I know it’s billed as a dark comedy but I was thinking it would be more of a thriller / horror. I found myself laughing out loud several times throughout. It was a delightful surprise. Additionally, for a while towards the beginning I almost forgot I was watching a Sam Raimi movie. But then around halfway through there’s a scene that changes everything and suddenly it was like, “Oh ok here we go…”. That’s when things started to pick up a bit. I’m not sure it was my favorite Sam Raimi movie, but it was good and if you like any of his stuff you will like this one too. You can tell he directed it – it’s got his style.
One thing that was initially funny and pretty ridiculous is how they tried to make Rachel McAdams this kind of geeky ugly loner who doesn’t seem to be well liked by any of her co-workers. Not really buying that one, guys, but nice try. I also thought Dylan O’Brien’s character was a little bit more insufferable than any real person might be. Again, I understand the need to make him that way, and in the office it was understandable, but once they crash on the island and she does everything for him, he still treats her like shit. It was a little difficult to accept that anyone in that position could still treat someone that way.
All in all though I really enjoyed this movie. It had humor, tension, gore, the outdoors, and a lot of other things that make for a great film. Do yourself a favor and try not to read about any of the few select standout scenes before watching this one. That will make it more fun.
Overall Verdict: Definitely worth watching if you’ve ever liked anything Sam Raimi has ever done.
Releasing: February 27, 2026
Releasing: March 6, 2026
Releasing: March 6, 2026