Send Help (2026) Movie Review: An Uneven, Gross-Out Black Comedy Anchored by Two Great Performances and an Engaged Sam Raimi

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“Send Help” (2026) is the first reminder in years that Sam Raimi is still the daring, adventurous filmmaker who brought his friends into the woods with no money to make “The Evil Dead,” thus launching a new era of indie horror. Raimi was once able to interweave his maniacal sensibilities into studio endeavors. However, the last decade of his career has seen the once great director serving as a hired hand on projects he had little creative stake in. Even “Drag Me To Hell,” Raimi’s last horror film, was under the parameters of a PG-13 rating, and thus could not truly unlock its potential. “Send Help” has pacing and structural issues, running far too long for such a simple premise, but it soars in the moment where Raimi’s sicko sensibilities are unleashed.

“Send Help” follows Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), a long-time employee who was promised an appointment to the Vice President position by her employer (Bruce Campbell), whose death leaves his son, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), as the new CEO. Bradley is a chauvinistic, judgmental child of privilege who has no respect for his father’s loyalties and quickly determines that he has no interest in giving Linda a future within the company. Linda is given one last shot to prove herself when Bradley invites her to join a meeting in Bangkok to help oversee a company merger. But a disastrous plane crash leaves them stranded on a deserted island. Bradley is forced to become submissive to Linda, whose survival skills give her a position of power as they await rescue.

A deserted island is an equalizing force in fiction that resets characters to their most primal urges. Whether it’s a classic example like “The Lord of the Flies” or a contemporary satire like “Triangle of Sadness,” these sordid survival stories are intriguing because they force viewers to think about what they would do in a similar situation.

There are a few standout sequences in “Send Help” where Raimi unleashes the sort of gruesome carnage that’s expected of him, but for the most part, it’s not a film that’s interested in pitting the characters against different strangers. “Send Help” is a slow and meticulous power struggle where both characters contend with their darkest attributes. Although Raimi seems to have some sympathy for them both, it doesn’t prevent them from going to absurd and disturbing places.

Send Help (2026) — A still from “Send Help” (2026)

McAdams has such inherently strong comedic techniques that the dull first third of “Send Help” works better than it would have otherwise. Initially, the lengths taken to frame Linda as a hardworking employee who’s been harassed and taken advantage of throughout her tenure feel overstated, especially given how broadly obnoxious Bradley is depicted as being.

However, McAdams is able to find something unusual and erratic within Linda’s mannerisms, as her upbeat friendliness and outgoing nature are at odds with the “boy’s club” in which she works. Although there are moments that are intentionally cringe-inducing with their awkward humor, “Send Help” does unlock rage on Linda’s behalf that feels completely timely. Anyone who has served a company or manager who refutes their hard work based on simple errors may find something about Linda that’s relatable.

Compared to how tight and free of excess Raimi films like “Army of Darkness” or “A Simple Plan” are, “Send Help” takes time to get propulsive, as the true conflict doesn’t begin until the survival mission has already become somewhat helpless. The early steps of finding a makeshift shelter and identifying the stakes of the situation aren’t particularly interesting given how many similar stories have been told, but McAdams and O’Brien both add nuances to their characterization.

With McAdams, there’s a sinking realization Linda faces upon realizing what an escape the ordeal is, and how she has never been in a position where she’s been truly needed. Although O’Brien is given the difficult task of finding redeeming qualities within a character who is utterly monstrous and casually cruel, he’s able to add subtextual hints that aren’t always overtly stated.

The dynamic that the characters share is uneven because the narrative stakes seem undefined. Although Linda’s desire to retain a promotion, Bradley’s relationship with his fiancée, and the possibility of sending distress signals are all mentioned in passing, it’s the push-and-pull between the two leads that shapes each fiery encounter. While Raimi stages some amusing physical gags, and the film does gradually become grosser, it often feels like an episodic series of setups that don’t congeal. Even if the intention was to show how neither character is fully able to evolve, the backtracking development can grow frustrating.

Raimi’s use of CGI has been criticized frequently, particularly with his recent efforts on “Oz the Great and Powerful” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.” The implementation of digital flourishes within “Send Help” is not dissimilar to the handcrafted makeup and practical effects that Raimi built his career on.

It’s a tool that can be fun to use in excess, especially when realism isn’t the intended goal. There are moments in “Send Help” where the CGI is lacking, specifically those where it’s intended to be more grounded, but the over-the-top body horror that takes center stage in the third act shows that Raimi can wield these digital techniques wisely.

To characterize “Send Help” as a standard “eat the rich” satire would be slightly dismissive, as the film is more centered on workplace culture than it is on class. Bradley’s power comes from the fact that he has assumed authority with no knowledge or experience within his position, which is ironically flipped when he’s become helpless and forced to beg for survival. Still, it feels like “Send Help” is restrained by how little setup there is before the survival aspect takes shape. If the film wasn’t intending to make broader points about the way power is leveraged by those with no incentive to show empathy to others, it may have done better to tighten its focus.

The narrative kerfuffles in “Send Help” don’t mean that it’s a highly watchable cinematic experience that is intended to be experienced with a crowd that can wince, jeer, laugh, and cover their eyes in equal measure. O’Brien and McAdams are two actors who can find emotional truths in the characters, even if they’re incorporating idiosyncratic traits that feel entirely original. “Send Help” won’t go down as one of Raimi’s defining achievements, but it makes the case that he’s back within his comfort zone.