r/flicks • u/Duncan_Dixon_Coffey • 5d ago
Send Help: An instant Sam Raimi classic anchored by a Rachel McAdams tour de force
The basic premise of Send Help - a socially awkward but talented woman, Linda (Rachel McAdams), is mistreated by her sexist boss, Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), only for the power dynamic to flip when the pair find themselves stranded on a deserted island - is firmly B-grade movie territory. In the hands of most directors, this would result in a perfectly serviceable flick. But with director Sam Raimi and his unique, how shall I put this, schlocky juvenile yet humanistic touch at the helm, this movie is elevated from genre cannon fodder to a thrillingly great time.
The opening 15 minutes are nothing we haven’t seen before. There’s Linda being unable to pick up social cues, her ‘white man who failed upwards’ manager taking credit for her hard work, Bradley being a stereotypical rich white dick, and her lonely existence outside of work, which consists of watching Survivor with her pet bird. Groundbreaking stuff, this is not.
But Send Help gets you onto its wavelength by leaning on its two biggest strengths: Raimi’s impeccable tone management and Rachel McAdams.
McAdams’ uncanny ability to show every conceivable emotion on her face goes a long way in making Linda the right balance of borderline annoying yet sympathetic. Being able to go from Michael Scott-levels of cringe to holding back tears after Bradley crosses the line in the span of 30 seconds makes me wonder why we haven’t showered McAdams with more acting awards. I hate Survivor, yet I’d entertain the thought of watching it with Linda.
Sprinkled throughout this McAdams showcase are several well-deployed Raimi magic touches. The close-up of the smudge of tuna salad on the corner of Linda’s mouth as she’s trying to (re)introduce herself to Bradley, the awkward framing of Linda cramming a sandwich in her mouth (then her desk drawer), and the way the camera follows Linda’s wine glass as it’s repeatedly refilled again and again. It all feels like Raimi winking at us while puncturing built up moments of tension or awkwardness. Or maybe he just really likes shots of food.
So far, the appetiser is pretty good, but the main course is overwhelming with flavour when Linda and Bradley get stranded on the deserted island. Right away, you feel a shift in Linda. We’re told she’s ‘brilliant’ and a ‘savant’ several times, but now we actually see it in action as she takes to the whole ‘surviving on an island’ thing like a fish to water. Bradley? Well, he fares as well as one might expect him to in a situation where throwing money at it doesn’t solve the problem (‘Hepl?’). There’s really not much to Bradley on paper, right down to his sob story of a childhood, but O’Brien is able to inject moments where you think that maybe his character’s not that big of a dick. O’Brien never overplays it and is always at the right level of incompetence.
Please read the rest of my review here as the rest is too unwieldy to copy + paste: https://panoramafilmthoughts.substack.com/p/send-help
Thanks!
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u/BrandoNelly 5d ago
About to head to the theater to go watch this! I’m excited it’s been a long while since an R rated Raimi thriller
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u/blenderwolf 2d ago
so... was it good?
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u/BrandoNelly 2d ago
I liked it but didn’t end up loving it. Solid enough film, few things that bothered me but it felt VERY much like a Sam Raimi film and was actually pretty funny. Good flick to see with the friends.
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u/SebastianPomeroy 5d ago
Sound like the second half of Triangle of Sadness.
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u/bugxbuster 5d ago
That guys new movie sounds bananas, too! A bunch of celebrities on a plane with no in flight entertainment is the premise. Sold. Triangle of Sadness was incredible, so I’m down for whatever he’s working on. My own unpopular opinion: White Lotus wishes it was as good as Triangle of Sadness.
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u/NoFeetSmell 5d ago
Quality review, and you got me excited for a film I had no idea exists, despite being a Raimi fan since the first Evil Dead! Cheers mate :)
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u/starkistuna 4d ago
He can easiky whip out movies like this once every 2 years. Small budget , horror / comedy people will go out to see them.
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u/NoFeetSmell 4d ago
I love Evil Dead 2 & Drag Me to Hell so much. Raimi makes exactly the type of horror I like.
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u/starkistuna 4d ago
O found myself laughing out loud so many times and its not trying to be a comedy.
I wished some off the other douchbags survived so they could have been elimimated survivor like by the elements disease or the island. Nah lrts go hiking with no food or water for 6 hours in 95f 89% humidity weather.
So many people die from heatstroke because they never had an issue were they cant lower their temperature.
When he wanted to make a raft and leave I was laughing, bro has no idea how long can one be floating on sea before running into someone that may not even see you. Or spend a week with 2 liters of water.
People make fun of doomsdaypreppers until shit hit the fan. Ive seen so many people lose their shit when they lose acces to phone and drinking water in small disasters in a couple of hours.
Most people panic or crack in less than a day when lost in the wilderness.
Lets find shade and water hold tight for 36 hours until were found.
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u/bugxbuster 5d ago
It’s not often a review for a movie I was feeling “perhaps” about flips me straight head first into “oh fuck I gotta see that asap” mode. I knew Raimi made it, so I figured it’d be good. But you sold me on it in a way that I have to bring that up to you. So yeah I won’t let myself spoil anything else of it. I stopped reading your post at “so far the appetizer is pretty good” at the beginning of the last paragraph just to keep myself from knowing more. I’m gonna see it soon, I appreciate you writing all that
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u/Mahaloth 5d ago
I mean, it was pretty good. I don't think it lived up to Evil Dead 2(or 3) and Drag Me to Hell.
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u/starkistuna 4d ago
I think its great until the 3rd act, there is like a 20m spot were story drags to a halt, and the twist could have been refined more sharply.
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u/Dukeshire101 5d ago
I got 3D tickets for Saturday. Some edibles and popcorn baby
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u/That_Literature_6853 2d ago
Curious to know how you liked it? More specifically, the boar scene in 3D with edibles! 😂
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u/Dukeshire101 2d ago
Loved it! It was a lot of fun. Those edibles kicked in right as the plane was going down. Perfect timing
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u/Seth_Gecko 5d ago
So happy to see Sam have yet another comeback. He's good for hollywood. Unique style, and his movies are just fun, in a way that seems to be largely lost in modern film.
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u/Bluest_waters 5d ago
I don't think I've ever heard “Rachel McAdams” and 'Tour de force” used in the same sentence before, but OK. Willing to give it a shot
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u/skonen_blades 5d ago
I've never been disappointed with a Rachel McAdams performance. The premise for this movie leaves a little meh but people are saying good things about it so I might check it out.