“Send Help” was released on Jan. 30, 2026, and tells the story of a mid-level manager and her heartless boss becoming stranded on a deserted island. As days turn to weeks and rescue remains elusive, the pair’s old dynamic is suddenly reversed and tensions quickly rise.
“Send Help” is the latest directorial effort of Hollywood legend Sam Raimi, who over the span of over 40 years has helmed such iconic films as “The Evil Dead,” the 2002 – 2007 “Spiderman” trilogy and “Dr. Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” For viewers familiar with his eccentric filmography, “Send Help” will more than likely feel right at home. The film contains a plethora of creative choices rarely seen anywhere other than Raimi’s previous works, and some inclusions pay clear homage to his earliest film, “The Evil Dead.” Unfortunately, these “Raimi-isms” don’t always stick the landing. Some are great, like the aforementioned homages that mostly take the form of some truly unique camera direction; others feel decidedly dated, such as the shockingly frequent use of fade-to-black transitions, which frankly feel cheap and homebrewed.
The stylistic shortcomings of “Send Help” don’t end there: a potentially major distraction for picky viewers will be the very mediocre CGI used in some of the more action-packed scenes. Very little of it looks convincing, if not outright immersion breaking. This is troubling, since this movie likes to put the audience close to the scene. Viewers will find themselves far too close for comfort to some rather nasty sights, both animal and human. These closeups are almost always meant to serve yet another of Raimi’s old habits: grossout humor. The faint of heart should be warned: outside of “Send Help’s” violence and horror, which were made apparent in the promotional material, this flick also features scenes of bug-chewing, octopus-eating, and a great deal more vomiting than one would expect if they did not know about the aforementioned bugs and octopi. Surely there will be viewers who watch these disgusting scenes with schadenfreudian glee; for those with queasier stomachs, however, their inclusion alone may make the movie worth skipping.
One area where the film does not falter is the quality of the two lead performances. Rachel McAdams as the workplace reject turned survivalist, Linda Liddle, is alternatingly sympathetic, funny and menacing. Her co-lead, Dylan O’Brien, plays the snide and entitled Bradley Preston, a nepo-baby CEO whom audiences will undoubtedly enjoy seeing pay for his mean-spirited actions toward Linda in the first act of the film… to a point, at least. Despite the character being an unapologetic villain, O’Brien prevents his role from becoming a caricature thanks to some genuinely sympathetic moments where the audience won’t know which character to root for, and Preston’s refusal to let go of the pair’s old workplace dynamic puts the two at constant odds, which results in rich and constant tension.
Overall, “Send Help” is best described with one word, perhaps the biggest “Raimi-ism” of all: camp. Campiness is something that can be found in all of Sam Raimi’s previous movies, and his habit of unapologetically embracing over-the-top characters, kitschy visuals and just a general air of unseriousness has in no way been stifled in his latest work. For viewers who enjoy cheap thrills, “Send Help” is a wild ride that makes for perfect popcorn fare. For those who place a higher emphasis on quality artistry that strives to be taken seriously, this one can safely be skipped.
Quinn Berg is a Dakota Student Section Editor. He can be reached at [email protected].
