Linda Liddle is what her boss describes as a “real workhorse.” Despite her matted hair, worn clogs, and general unkempt appearance, she’s pleasant, shows up on time, and delivers consistent high-quality work. Her work is about to be rewarded until Bradley Preston, son of the now-late company owner, takes over.
Despite her previously offered promotion to VP, Bradley has decided to promote one of his frat bros from college instead. He finds Linda repulsive, with her drab clothes and tuna fish sandwiches, and demands she be transferred to a satellite office far away. That is of course, after she helps them land the Bangkok deal.
Their plane never makes it to Bangkok though, and crashes on a remote island, leaving Linda and Bradley as the only survivors. As Bradley is left dependent on Linda’s encyclopedic survival skills, a new dynamic emerges in their relationship.
The central pairing was always going to make or break this movie, and Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are spectacular. McAdams, in particular, is just so believable as the sheepish and often flustered Linda. When she finally comes into her own, we’re really rooting for her despite how crazy things get. O’Brien, too, plays the asshole boss so well without anything ever going too far. He remains sympathetic despite his entitlement, and we can see how he is able to charm and schmooze his way through a corporate world.
I loved the story overall, and I was surprised by how many twists and turns it took throughout the film’s runtime. I expected a pretty straightforward ramping up from the second Bradley starts mouthing off, but that’s not what we get. Linda is patient with him, almost to a fault, and it’s because of her graciousness and desperation for companionship that the tension ebbs and flows. They have moments of harmony and discord, but when this movie pops off, there’s no going back. I predict the scene with the octopus may be a contender for scene of the year during next year’s SAWards. (Speaking of which, you can vote now for the current SAWards!)
This movie’s setting is somewhere between Misery and Cast Away, embracing the natural beauty of the island while maintaining a dark, brooding underbelly. Of course, because this is a Sam Raimi movie, we’re sitting on pins and needles just waiting for things to go bananas. This movie has several red herrings in that regard, but I gotta say it’s worth the wait. I think the only criticism I have is that I wish it went even MORE crazy, but what we get is a story that still feels somewhat grounded in its characters despite the insanity of their situation.
Overall, Send Help is a must-see for fans of Raimi, but I think horror dabblers will still walk away pleased, too. It’s got great performances, zany energy, and it’s well-shot with an incredible Danny Elfman score. Definitely an early favorite for the year for me. Go catch it in theaters while you still can!
