If you thought Rachel McAdams was intense as Regina George, just wait until you see her in survival mode.
That’s the gear she shifts into in this film by director Sam Raimi, where she plays financial strategist Linda. While she’s a bit awkward in the office, she’s also a hard worker who’s an expert with the corporation’s fiscal data. Because of her knowledge, she’s expecting a big promotion.
However, the business’ new, crass CEO Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) chooses to promote his college buddy instead, though he does offer Linda an opportunity to move up in the company on a work trip. On the way there, their plane crashes with Bradley and Linda as the only survivors. Fortunately, Linda is also well versed in staying alive in rough situations.
After just two flicks in the last 15 years, both related to larger IPs, director Sam Raimi sort of went back to basics with his latest flick. A bloody, funny and in-your-face movie about people going through gross and painful moments out of desperation. It’s the type of flick Raimi built his career on and he shows he’s still got it with this one.
Raimi, and the film’s writers Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, deserve credit for creating a film that has both a lingering suspense and a vibe of levity from start to finish. It’s a movie that never takes itself too seriously and has plenty of humor, but still has plenty of bite when it’s taking down the character Bradley, and what he represents.
Shannon and Swift, who’ve had some misses in the past, get it right here, breathing new life in some familiar premises with a wacky, exciting trial for the protagonist. We’ve seen films where a woman has to go through bloody hell in order to overcome an asshole in her life, such as last year’s “Companion” or 2019’s “Ready or Not.” There’s also been no shortage of survival flicks.
But, together with Raimi, the creative team bring something more novel in blending these ideas, and there’s a universal feel in the lowly worker rising up against a corrupt, abusive corporatist. It’s easy to root for Linda, even as she becomes more unhinged, and despite a person having a clue as to where her journey will go.
The movie also benefits heavily from its two lead stars. This is obviously a minuscule cast since it’s about two people trying to make it on an island, and both performers bring their A-game. Rachel McAdams is great at playing Linda, a character who becomes more intriguing as time goes on.
It’s a protagonist with a bit of mischievousness and she even gets a bit manic, making her fascinating to follow, and McAdams powers plenty of that. O’Brien does really fine work bouncing that energy off of her. He plays the black-hearted business-bro really well. He nails that outer confidence and inner-insecurity nicely, and is able to banter impressively with McAdams.
One just wishes the film was shorter. The movie’s premise feels stretched thin in the third act. The runtime is nearly two hours, and wasn’t necessary here with the subject matter at play, so some trimming would have been welcome. The final third of the movie is also a bit too loose narratively, with things not coming together as cleanly as it maybe could have.
However, the movie still earns plenty of points for its action set pieces. There’s a lot of blood, guts and gruesome bits shown, all with that Raimi charm. There’s real entertainment value in “Send Help,” and combined with its acting, character work, themes and good humor, it is overall a success. 3.75 out of 5.
Matthew Liedke on Film 