ELLY GRIMM
• Leader & Times
At some point in our lives, we all ask ourselves how we think we would fare if we were to get stranded on a desert island, though the odds of that happening are rather remote. Recently, however, long-time film director Sam Raimi tackled just that with his newest film, “Send Help,” which was released last Friday.
The film follows long-time undervalued employee Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) and her new boss, Bradley (Dylan O’Brien), who become stranded on a deserted island after surviving a terrible plane crash and attempt to survive while tension rises between them as time goes on.
To start, Raimi definitely did a good job picking his cast. Rachel McAdams is fantastic as Linda, who starts the movie a little kooky (and maybe slightly unbalanced) and becomes even more unhinged as the movie goes on, and it’s SUCH a transformation that totally wowed me. Linda’s character definitely fits that mold of “It’s the quiet ones you REALLY need to watch out for,” and as a more physical role, I can’t imagine how gross she felt being covered in fake blood and other debris throughout the movie. Dylan O’Brien is also good as leading man Bradley, who’s not quite willing to relinquish the control he’s used to in life, and he only rather grudgingly accepts Linda’s help after the accident that strands them on the island. He’s not an outright complete jerk in the stereotypical sense seen in past other movies, but he definitely needs some lessons about treating people around him better. I also enjoyed how neither Linda or Bradley is completely innocent or completely immoral, which is discovered as the movie goes along, and I’m rather a sucker for that kind of ambiguity when it’s done well in a story. McAdams and O’Brien end up having great chemistry, and overall, the casting choices were good.
In terms of the story and screenplay, Raimi and his screenwriters did a good job there as well. There were definitely a lot of twists and turns to keep track of as the movie goes on, some of which I kind of saw coming, and others that caught me COMPLETELY off guard. After hearing about the movie’s existence, I thought I knew what direction(s) the movie would take, and there were only a couple times when I was proven correct, so props to the writers for some expectation subversion. There are multiple particularly gory moments in the movie that really show Raimi’s horror roots and just how much fun he continues to have with the genre as his career goes on. There are also multiple special effects that seem to be mostly practical, which I’ve mentioned before how I enjoy. However, there were multiple moments in the movie where the story felt kind of choppy, and the pacing felt somewhat draggy in some spots, and overall, I’m not entirely sure how I felt about the ending, which felt kind of rushed. Overall, Raimi and his crew did a good job coming up with a relatively original take on the “stranded on a desert island” trope seen so many times before already.
The cinematography throughout the movie is also absolutely stunning, and I can’t begin to imagine how long it took to find the absolute perfect location for everything. For those curious, filming apparently took place in Sydney, Australia, Los Angeles and Thailand, and I have to tip my hat to the location scouts, because it *almost* made me want to find an island of my own. Raimi definitely knew what kind of vibes he wanted to convey with the movie, and he definitely succeeded.
The musical score, which was done by Danny Elfman, is also fantastic, and it really helps set the tone in each scene, which isn’t really a surprise given how long he’s been in the music business. His signature was definitely present, and I was totally here for it as the movie went along.
Overall, I had a good time watching “Send Help” and would give it a solid “B” grade. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are fantastic in the lead roles, and both do a great job of leaning into the “appearances can be deceiving” trope, so the casting was very well done. The story and screenplay are also well done, and the screenwriters put in a bunch of twists and turns. I can almost imagine the team laughing as they were writing everything and putting the story together while anticipating audience reactions with each new plot point. However, there were multiple points that felt kind of choppy and the pacing felt slightly draggy and uneven. The cinematography is also very well done, and I can’t imagine how long it took to find the perfect filming locations. If you’re a fan of any of Sam Raimi’s other work, there’s a chance you’ll enjoy “Send Help.”
