PR in the Philippines

(SeaPRwire) –   Depending on your generation, you likely know Sam Raimi as the creator of the Evil Dead series or as the director of the early 2000s Spider-Man films starring Tobey Maguire and Kirsten Dunst—or both. Regardless, his solo projects are well worth watching, especially since his latest film, Send Help, is now available for streaming.

Send Help became an unexpected hit this year. Released in January—a time typically used by studios to quietly release films they don’t want much attention—the movie defied expectations and even harsh weather that buried parts of the Northeastern U.S., earning $19 million domestically in its opening weekend. That figure has since grown to $94 million worldwide, thanks to positive critical reviews and strong audience word-of-mouth.

There was considerable buzz about Send Help when it debuted in theaters earlier this year, with many saying, “It’s actually really good!” (Much of that came from the January release slot.) It lived up to the hype, featuring a sharp original script from Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, best known for penning the 2009 Friday the 13th reboot. It had been nearly a decade since their screenplay was produced in Hollywood, but the writing in Send Help is excellent: tough, funny, unpredictable, and full of twists that play with viewer expectations.

Fans of Raimi’s work will spot several familiar touches here. At one point, he revisits the iconic “demon cam” from The Evil Dead, using it as a wild boar chases Rachel McAdams through the jungle before she kills it by plunging a piece of broken wood into its heart.

But let’s start from the beginning. McAdams stars as Linda Liddle, an analyst at an unnamed mega-corporation who excels at numbers but struggles with social interactions. She dresses like a 1970s kindergarten teacher, eats smelly tuna sandwiches at her desk, and can barely maintain eye contact during conversations with coworkers. (It’s hard to imagine McAdams in this role, but that’s the mark of great acting.)

So when the company’s new CEO—and son of the former CEO—Bradley Preston (played by Dylan O’Brien) invites Linda on a business trip to Thailand, offering her a promotion if she can close a major deal, it seems like a cruel joke. Bradley and his frat-boy friends plan to humiliate her, but they’re interrupted before they can carry out their scheme. By “interrupted,” I mean they’re sucked out of the depressurized plane cabin into an angry sea during a violent storm over the Gulf of Thailand—which is exactly what happens when the flight crashes.

Linda and Bradley are the only survivors.

Soon after, they wash ashore on a stunning yet remote island with white-sand beaches. Linda has secretly trained for survival situations all along—though technically, she was preparing to audition for Survivor. As a result, she adapts quickly to island life. Meanwhile, Bradley suffers a leg injury and wouldn’t know how to find food if it were handed to him. Still, this entitled nepo baby tries—and fails—to survive without his underpaid assistant before finally admitting defeat in a comedic scene that will resonate with anyone who’s ever had to cover for a boss in a meeting.

The evolving dynamic between the two characters keeps viewers hooked. Initially, Linda appears as a victim, but as more about her past comes to light—including her shady history and her enjoyment of having power over Bradley—her actions take on a darker, more menacing tone. And though Bradley somehow remains obnoxious and entitled even after nearly dying from sun exposure due to his inability to build shelter, he also emerges as a more complex character than first meets the eye. Their power struggle unfolds with surprises and intrigue—some known only to them, others revealed gradually to the audience.

All of this unfolds in Raimi’s trademark cartoonishly violent style, blending humor and gore within single shots. O’Brien is perfectly cast as the unlikeable Bradley, but it’s McAdams who truly steals the show. Her portrayal of Linda blurs the line between spirited and unhinged, shifting slowly from sympathetic to dangerously manipulative until she injects Bradley with neurotoxins and threatens to castrate him. Even so, she remains a compelling antihero—how else would you get a C-suite executive to listen to your ideas?

Send Help is now streaming on Hulu.