Send Help Synopsis: An employee and her insufferable boss become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. Here, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, will they make it out alive?
Survival movies are very hit or miss with me, especially survival movies that take place on an island. I think it’s difficult to come up with anything original anymore, but with the right director, anything can happen. So, yes, Sam Raimi was the perfect choice for Send Help.
This is a sharp survival thriller that expertly balances tension and violence, while still leaning into morbid humor and moments of genuine connection and humanity. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are the perfect pair. While O’Brien nails the smug, entitled nature of Bradley, there are moments when you feel for what his character is going through.
As for Linda, well… McAdams is just remarkable in this role. She’s relatable, sympathetic and easy to root for… and yet at the same time, she carries an unpredictable dark side that, throughout the movie, you can see growing stronger in her eyes and smile. Her (perhaps justified?) rage and loss of self build to a rather inevitable bloody climax. It’s difficult not to feel conflicted about both Linda and Bradley, which is why I think the movie works so well. Neither are one dimensional characters. Both have pasts, pain, and desperation. Both make questionable choices. So, who do you really root for to survive at the end of the day?
What really elevates Send Help is its control of tone and pacing. This movie is relentlessly suspenseful in the best way, and every small decision Linda and Bradley make feels life-or-death. It’s a simple premise, so you’re not going to find a sprawling narrative here. And it’s not needed. Send Help thrives on restraint and atmosphere. There’s no spectacle. Just a gripping, smart, character-driven movie that will definitely have audiences debating the ending. I loved it.
