Capsule Review: "Send Help" Finds Sam Raimi Settling For Surface-Level Filmmaking

Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios

Despite a return to his horror comedy roots, Send Help once again feels like Raimi as a director-for-hire. Is this to say it's a bad movie? No. It's quite an enjoyable time, but comparisons commonly made to Drag Me to Hell go no deeper than some blood and other fluids scattered here and there.

It is nowhere near as gleefully evil as the aforementioned film, and especially The Evil Dead, but a brisk pace and two lead performances dialed up to 11 will keep your attention.

Elfman's score was surprisingly not the exact same thing he's been writing every year since Nightmare Before Christmas, so that was nice. Not much to say about Bill Pope's contributions unfortunately. 

Rachel McAdams gives her entire soul to this movie, that is one of the highlights I can praise. From minute one, you believe this character completely. I would love to see her in a truly diabolical R-rated supernatural horror Raimi film. Dylan O'Brien is no slouch either and plays the part greatly.

Send Help indicates that Sam Raimi still has what it takes to make a great film, even if this film isn’t him at his best. I hope his next project is something more personal to him.