“Send Help”
Genre: Horror/ Comedy
Rated: (R)
Released: January 30, 2026
Running Time: 1 hr 54 minutes
Trigger Warning: strong bloody violence, language, and drug use

Rating: 9/10

The year 2026 is already off to a strong start, with movies like “28 Years Later: The Bone Temple” and “Mercy,” one couldn’t imagine
it getting better. But Sam Raimi’s newest film, “Send Help,” is definitely the cherry on top of this sundae.

Raimi, known for films like “The Grudge” (2004) and “Spider-Man” (2002), teams up with Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien in
this immediately captivating story of Linda Liddle (McAdams) and her employer, Bradley Preston (O’Brien), stranded on a tropical
island.

The pair are the only two survivors of the plane crash, and seemingly the only people on said island. It complicates things
when Bradley has to rely on Linda for survival, after denying her a promotion and planning to demote her. Having long been fascinated
by bushcraft, Linda thrives while Bradley struggles, especially with his injured leg. Though not horror in the traditional sense, the nearly two-hour film never has a dull moment.

Despite its strengths, this movie isn’t a traditional horror film but was categorized this way mainly for its gore. Beyond its gore, the
movie is lacking in heart-stopping scares. The film contains one memorable jump scare and it’s blatantly obvious that it’s just a
hallucination.

The comedic parts are spot on. It would’ve been more accurate to present that at the forefront than horror while violence and deaths
serve more as plot devices than fear triggers. Despite this, the movie was practically perfect in every other way.

The cinematography, sound track and overall ambiance, were all carefully arranged, making the movie enjoyable for the audience.
With the musical score being produced by legend Danny Elfman, each scene’s emotions were conveyed..

The gore was executed wonderfully. It was realistic, cringeworthy and bloody in all the right ways, yet it didn’t take away
from the story by being overly dramatic. For example, in the plane crash scene the deaths and mutilations fit the action where
the pressure changes forced their bodies to go flying and a friend tried biting on Linda’s leg to get her to sacrifice herself for him. It
was all so tense but allowed for the story to progress.

Movies are even better when the ending is unpredictable. Far too many films have been ruined by a predictable conclusion, but
“Send Help” kept the mystique throughout.

With Linda being the pair’s only means of survival, the audience, too, has to rely on her for information about the island.
Despite her actively keeping them on the island for longer than they needed to, it’s nearly impossible not to be on Liddle’s side. She
builds a shelter, has food, clean water and best of all, no societal stresses.

Linda doesn’t have to worry about her job, about people, anything. This is a vacation to her, whereas Bradley wants nothing
more than to get back home. Linda tells Bradley not to go to a specific part of the island, hinting at its danger. It’s somewhat clear to the
audience she’s lying but about what is still uncertain, keeping moviegoers on edge. With more than half the movie left, it did not
disappoint.

The constant back and forth between Linda and Bradley feels like they’re dancing between reluctant dependence and
something more. Although, what ultimately happens solidifies them as being practically enemies.

The mystery and unknown of this film was the best part. Very rarely do movies, even strictly thrillers, do this well. To say the
least, the only gripe to have was the lack of horror coming through, save for the gore and violence.

Aside from the lack of true horror beyond gore, it’s a phenomenal movie with a great story and a thrilling, satisfying ending.

Overall, a solid 9/10 film, and definitely worth watching.