The reviews are now out for Sam Raimi’s new survival horror/dark comedy “Send Help” and the reaction is pretty great so far.
On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has hit 92% from 51 reviews, which is even with “Drag Me to Hell” and just behind “Spider-Man 2” (93%) as the best score to date for a Raimi-directed film.
On Metacritic it’s a more measured 73/100 from 16 reviews which is on par with his first “Spider-Man” film and just ahead of “Evil Dead II” (72/100).
Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien star as two colleagues who find themselves stranded on a deserted island after surviving a plane crash and must work together and use their wits to survive and make it out alive. Here’s a sampling of reviews
“What’s so much fun about “Send Help,” beyond its twisted B-movie premise and refreshing disinterest in anything more highfalutin than handing Linda a chance to turn the tables, is how unpredictable it manages to be.” – Peter Debruge, Variety
“Wickedly lovable with the potential to be timeless, “Send Help” is controlled delirium microwaved on high heat. At 66, Raimi reminds us who he was when he made horror-comedy history with “Evil Dead II,” and more importantly, why his voice still matters. A-” – Alison Foreman, Indiewire
“A gripping, often brutal exploration of power, control, and inequality. Even when its thematic ambitions falter, its pacing, performances and relentless tension ensure it remains a deeply unsettling offering from Raimi.” – Linda Marric, HeyUGuys
“Continually toys with audience expectation; viewers might initially sympathize with poor Linda’s plight while finding Bradley to be an irredeemable corporate monster, but those initial impressions don’t necessarily last.” – Alonso Duralde, The Film Verdict
“Send Help becomes the best of both worlds: indulgent Raimi splatter fuelled by a satisfying touch of righteous rage.” – Clarisse Loughrey, Independent
“There’s no director likelier to elicit shock, hysterical laughter and complete disgust from the same moment, and Raimi delivers those moments with the frequency and precision of planes waiting behind each other on a runway” – Todd Gilchrist, Screen Rant
“Send Help is not in the upper-tier of Raimi’s work, but it’s hard not to love seeing him back where he belongs: making graphic, hilarious movies with morally ambiguous characters” – Jay Ledbetter, Awards Watch
“Clearly salvaged by a talented filmmaker and two exceptional performers doing their best to elevate one-note, thinly sketched material.” – Alistair Ryder, The Film Stage
“It’s a time-honoured and perfectly enjoyable setup, and the first act, when the new reality dawns on clueless Bradley, is watchable. But the plot twists are derivative and the action then becomes dependent on weird stabs of grisliness.” – Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian
The 113-minute R-rated film opens in cinemas on Friday.
