‘Send Help’ Review: A Brutal Takedown of Office Hierarchies

Famous American filmmaker Sam Raimi is back, delivering his signature brand of horror. With Send Help Raimi examines power dynamics in the workplace and explores how these structures can be taken down when the environment changes. The film follows Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), a dedicated, nerdy worker who is now stuck with an overbearing, sexist boss named Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien). After the two are stranded on an island while heading on a work trip, they must find a way to work together and get along to survive. A battle of wills and a vicious dismantlement of hierarchies, Send Help is sure to surprise and gross you out. Read our full Send Help review below. 

What fascinated me most about Send Help was its depiction of toxic masculinity in the form of Dylan O’Brien’s character. When our two leads land on the island, all preexisting dynamics set up in the workplace are dismantled. By doing this, the film shows how truly weak these men are most of the time. They overconflate themselves because they have a fancy job title or are conventionally attractive, but what happens when they do not have the upper hand anymore? Throughout the film, Bradley gets more disgusting, and Linda starts to come into her own. When they are out of the structured business with titles, nepotism, or social norms, and the only way to survive is by actual ability, Bradley fails to succeed in any regard. It could be read as a very interesting way to show how these workplace systems are set up to make men’s lives easier and push down women who are just as capable as them. Though I think the film could have gone harder in its exploration of gender in the workplace, I commend the film for making it palatable through satirizing it. 

Send Help works because of how charismatic the two leads are and how talented Sam Raimi is as a director. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are a joy to watch, depicting the push and pull of the characters’ dynamic with ease. Dylan O’Brien specifically is proving that he is a great talent, with his spot-on performance as a douchebag boss and his showstopping performance in Twinless last year. He has really come into his own, and I am excited to see where he goes next. Then, of course, Rachel McAdams is spectacular. Everything about her performance as the awkward to confident Linda Liddle is exactly what the film needed. She oozes charm to the point when she starts to act a tad insane. You just do not care and are totally on her side. It is crucial that we are on her side through the entire film, because if not the ending would not work, and because of McAdams, it works. Both actors are able to display different facets of their abilities in Send Help, making it so entertaining to watch throughout. From their comedic timing, their tense back and forth, to all the gory fun in between. 

One of the main reasons I was excited for Send Help was because it marked the return to horror from Sam Raimi. As a big fan of the Evil Dead franchise, Raimi’s specific form of dark, horror comedy has always excited me. Send Help is no different. Though I do not think this film is perfect. It may be a little too long and lacking in some deeper insights into its themes, it still had me on the edge of my seat and at points needing to look away. Blending horror and comedy is extremely difficult, but Raimi always seems to tread that line effortlessly. If you were wondering if Raimi still had it, do not worry he is still a master at his craft. I recommend running out to the theater to see Send Help as soon as you can. 

Send Help is directed by Sam Raimi and stars Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien, Edyll Ismail, and Denis Haysbert. The film was released on January 30 in theatres courtesy of 20th Century Studios. 

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