Review: Sam Raimi's 'Send Help' turns Survivor's 'Outwit, Outplay, Outlast' into a bloody-fun nightmare

20th Century Studios, 2026.

Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is a big fan of "Survivor." So much so that in "Send Help," we discover that she has submitted an audition tape to compete on the long-running Reality-TV series.

She definitely has what it takes to survive on an island, as we soon find out in this wildly fun and, at times, gory dark comedy thriller.

Grade: B

 Linda has succeeded at a boring desk job in corporate America, but her hard work has put her next-in-line for a major promotion. Her courageous self-image, however, is sharply contrasted by how she's viewed by her co-workers. Linda is socially awkward, disheveled, and very much the laughingstock of the office. When she eagerly jumps at the chance to meet her new boss, Bradley (Dylan O'Brien), face-to-face, he doesn't hear a word she says, becoming fixated instead on a piece of tuna fish clinging to the corner of her mouth.

Bradley is a self-centered egomaniac with few redeeming qualities, who brings Linda along on a work trip after being pressured into it largely to pacify her. In a shocking twist, the plane violently crashes into the ocean, and Linda and Bradley find themselves alone on a deserted island.

For many, this would be a nightmare scenario, but not for Linda. She's dreamed and prepared for this moment her entire life. On the island, Bradley is no longer her boss and Linda is finally in control. Things quickly go from bad to worse for Bradley, before spiraling even further into chaos.

Fans of director Sam Raimi rejoice: "Send Help" is very much in his wheelhouse, complete with several effective jump scares, cartoonish gore and the darkest of humor. This movie plays like Survivor meets "The Evil Dead," with a twist of Stephen King's "Misery" sewn in. Tonally, it is all over the place, and despite its horrors, it never feels confined to any one genre. McAdams and O'Brien are tremendous - probably much better than what this movie deserved - but their charisma and on-screen chemistry ensure there's never a dull moment.

Not everything works, but Raimi delivers a riveting, completely bat-shit thriller that is so unapologetically strange it avoids ever feeling predictable. You'll laugh at things you shouldn't, you won't be prepared for what you see, and most importantly, you'll leave feeling entertained.

Does Linda fulfill her dream of becoming the sole survivor? Strap in for "Send Help."

Grade: B

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Comedy.
Run Time: 1 hour 53 minutes.
Rated R.

Starring: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien.

Directed by Sam Raimi ("The Evil Dead," "Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness," "Oz the Great and Powerful," "Drag Me to Hell," "Spider-Man," "Spider-Man 2," "Spider-Man 3," "Army of Darkness," "Darkman").

"Send Help" is in theaters on Friday, January 30th, 2026.