Do you have a boss that you just absolutely loathe and despise? Is there a way you wish you could get stranded on a deserted island and be their only way of survival and hope? Do you just want to see an absolutely deranged and brilliant Rachel McAdams seek rightful vengeance on Dylan O’Brien in the most deranged thing that Sam Raimi has done since Drag Me To Hell? Well then, his newest Send Help is certainly the right choice for you, as long as you’re not watching it on a plane beside Rachel McAdams as her and planes seem to be a dangerous combination (Red Eye, now Send Help). Mark Swift and Damian Shannon (Freddy vs Jason) penned this lunacy and have it helmed by McAdams and O’Brien with Raimi at behind the camera helps bring everything together to create the first movie of the year that is truly destined for the sickos.
Linda Liddle (McAdams) is a hard working, dedicated employee whose driven and on the brink of a promise for a massive promotion. Everything is going according to her plan, until Bradley’s father (never seen on screen but a portrait hangs in his office of Bruce Campbell) retires and his son, Bradley (Dylan O’Brien) takes over. They have an official meet in the office as she abrasively re-introduces herself, without noticing she has a piece of tuna sandwich still on her face – and the first impression is less than ideal. Moreover, Bradley’s entire characteristics and traits are that he’s a boys boy, he only wants to interact with his buddies, and eventually promote his friends even if they’re wildly unqualified and cannot do the work that Linda can do. When Bradley realizes he needs Linda, to at least finish a project so the merger he’s working on doesn’t completely fail he invites her to the conference in Singapore with 4 of his buddies that work for the company. As she is working away the ‘children’ for lack of better word decide to uncover her survival trial video and relentless make fun of her, which she is oblivious to until she takes out her headphones and nukes the work she has done.
Shortly after this there is some turbulence unfolding and the plane ends up being a scene from Final Destination, but somehow Linda and Bradley ‘cheat death’ and end up on this deserted remote island in the middle of the ocean. Fighting for survival, Linda whose essentially prepared her entire life for this is prepared, but Bradley wants to continue pulling rank until Linda puts him in his place and lays down the rules of survival – in what slowly becomes a twisted game of cat and mouse, with twists and turns the audience never sees coming.
The reason why Send Help works, aside from the zany and insane script from Shannon and Swift and the brilliant direction from Raimi is the marvelous performances from O’Brien and McAdams. Raimi is known for bringing to life some outlandish horror comedy blends, and Send Help certainly brings that to the forefront, as well as the writing team behind Baywatch, the Friday the 13th reboot and Freddy vs Jason certainly know how to have some fun and laughs, in a gory sadistic way at times, but it is the performance from Rachel McAdams who brings a calculated nearly psychotic take for the role and character that is unexpected and downright brilliant. She steals every scene, and makes the most out of the chaotic environment she finds herself in while simultaneously giving an outlet to anyone who hates their boss, and Dlyan O’Briens portrayal of being the lunatic boss is as unhinged and creative as McAdams’ just in a different way.
Send Help is an uproarious good time, helmed by one of the most creative and fun directors with a script penned by two people who just love a twisted good time. McAdams and O’Brien deliver tenfold, making Send Help a true collaborative effort to bring such silly and egregious fun to the screen to allow audiences to blow off some steam and enjoy the sickly chaos that unfolds.
