“Send Help” is bloody fun

I’m sorry, but I lied. Last week I said I was going to review "A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms." The second I sent that e-mail, I realized my mistake: I had gone to see the new Sam Raimi movie "Send Help" and had planned to review that. I still plan on sharing my thoughts on the new "Game of Thrones" spin-off, but I think I will wait until the season is over. “Send Help” was just such a great time in the theater that I had to spend some time talking about it.

Linda (Rachel McAdams) is hard-working, but overlooked by the company she works for. While on the way to meet a client, the company plane crashes and she and her insufferable boss, Bradly (Dylan O' Brian), are the only survivors.

There are a lot of things that "Send Help" does well, but my favorite is how it sets up its two main characters. Bradly is a picture-perfect jerk boss. His father dies, and Bradly becomes CEO. He promotes his buddy, who has been with the company for six months, to a position that his father promised to Linda, and Bradly is patronizing to her. He is the last person you would want to be stuck on a desert island with. Linda is a hard worker who loves "Survivor" and learning survival skills. She has an odd personality and poor people skills, which is off-putting to those around her. It makes it all the more fun when the power dynamic shifts after the crash. Bradly is hurt, so it is up to Linda to keep them both alive. Bradly tries to order her around, but quickly learns that just because he is the CEO doesn't mean he has power on the island. The power dynamics that develop on the island build on the setup from the film's opening scenes.

Rachel McAdams nails Linda's awkwardness. You cannot help but feel bad for her and root for her when the tables turn in her favor. She also gets a bit scary on the island. She has spent so much time reading up on survival skills that to see this timid, socially awkward woman turn into an incredibly competent survivalist makes you wonder why she lets everyone walk all over her. McAdams easily portrays both sides of Linda. Side note: If you haven't seen "Game Night," do it now. I rewatched that this week, and she is ridiculously funny in it.

"Send Help" is a return to Sam Raimi's roots. It is not a straight-up horror movie like 1981's "The Evil Dead," but it is much simpler in scope than his "Spider-Man" from 2002. It is great to see him return to a smaller, character-driven movie, as much of a masterpiece as "Spider-Man 2" is; these smaller movies are where Raimi is at his best. I hope that he keeps making these films where he can have more of a say and show how good he is.

"Send Help" is a tense psychological thriller. McAdams gets a chance to shine as a character who finally tastes power, and it changes her. The movie does a fantastic job setting up the arc these two characters are going to go on, and all we have to do is enjoy the ride.

8/10

Rated R for strong/bloody violence and language

1h 53m