In Sam Raimi’s return to the horror genre after distancing himself following 2009’s Drag Me to Hell, he struck gold with the horror comedy Send Help. With his unique and creative film style, Raimi is able to create an atmosphere that keeps the audience on edge throughout the entire film. The film grossed 20 million dollars in two days, making it Raimi’s highest-grossing horror film on its opening weekend (beating Drag Me to Hell).
Starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, the film follows Linda Liddle, played by McAdams, who turns the tables on her boss Bradley Preston, played by O’Brien, after their plane crashes and strands them both on a deserted island. Before getting onto the plane, Bradley had recently inherited his dad’s company and was planning on firing Linda. Preston based his evaluation of Liddlee on how it would look to the public eye to have someone, not conventionally attractive, by his side, rather than how she actually performed at work. While the two are on the island, Linda consistently has the upper hand over Bradley, with her constantly outsmarting him and maintaining control.
Raimi uses different color schemes throughout the movie to show the turn from light-hearted to more serious. When the pair first crash on the island, the use of a warmer color tone sets a lighthearted mood. As the movie progresses, the colors slowly turn darker and duller, indicating that the stakes are higher and both characters are at odds with each other. “When she let his fiancée die, the shift in color tone indicated the change in mood from relaxing to tense,” David Angulo, a senior, said.
The main character, Linda Liddle, represents those who feel stuck in their jobs, with their boss never giving them a chance for greater success.
The movie marks the second of recent successful standalone movies that have been released in theaters, following the success of Marty Supreme. Even with its success at the box office, the film has gotten mixed reviews from those who’ve watched it. “Although the movie was a fun watch, I would not watch it again,” Adrian Popoca, a senior, said.
On the other hand, Angel Espinosa, a senior, said, “I felt as if it was a nice fresh movie experience as it was a genuinely creative and exciting movie as opposed to a lot of the generic and unoriginal movies that have been coming out lately.”
