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Send Help (2026) - The Best Horror Comedy I´ve Seen in a While
February 24, 2026
By Bessy ADUT
Expectation Versus Instinct
This was the best horror-comedy film I have seen in a while. As someone who regularly writes about film and the human condition for ̃alom, I am always curious, but also skeptical, when a new horror release is heavily promoted. When I first saw the posters around, I was not that interested. I thought to myself, another cliché horror movie.
That changed the moment I realized the director was Sam Raimi. I still remember how scary and funny Drag Me to Hell was, and I have enjoyed many of Raimi’s other films as well, including the Spider-Man films he directed. I knew then that I had to see this one. The film did not disappoint.
When Power Structures Collapse
Directed by Sam Raimi, Send Help is a survival horror thriller that doubles as a sharp psychological power study. Set largely on a deserted island in the Gulf of Thailand, the story strips civilization down to its rawest instincts and asks a chilling question. When social structures disappear, who truly survives, and at what moral cost?
Early in the film, we see Linda Liddle humiliated in her corporate environment, mocked for auditioning for a survival show, and dismissed by her privileged coworkers. Then, suddenly, the plane crashes. What follows is a dramatic reversal of power. Stranded together are Linda and her boss, a rich, entitled CEO whose authority means nothing without survival skills. Nature does not care about job titles.
Rachel McAdams, Rewritten
At the center of the film is a riveting performance by Rachel McAdams, delivering one of the most unsettling turns of her career. She begins as a meek, overlooked corporate strategist and gradually transforms into something far more dangerous. Raimi plays brilliantly with audience expectations, using McAdams’ traditionally empathetic screen presence to disarm us before revealing the darkness underneath.
As a woman who has had a hard time climbing the ladder in her career and navigating difficult office dynamics, I could deeply relate to her character. I felt for her. Her transformation is not abrupt. It is slow, methodical, and deeply disturbing, which makes it feel earned rather than sensational.
The Illusion of Control
Opposite her, Dylan O'Brien plays Bradley Preston, a smug and entitled CEO whose authority evaporates once survival, not corporate hierarchy, determines power. O’Brien leans into Bradley’s arrogance without turning him into a cartoon. His unraveling is inevitable and, at times, darkly satisfying. The dynamic between these two characters evolves from workplace imbalance into psychological warfare and becomes the engine of the film.
Kindness With Teeth
Little by little, we learn who Linda really is. She is kind on the surface, but deeply vindictive underneath. We learn about her abusive husband and the moment when she lets him take the car keys while drunk, a decision that leads to his death. She has a very specific way of punishing those who have wronged her, though she often gives people more chances than they deserve.
As with many of the films I explore in my ongoing ̃alom articles, what fascinated me most was not just the horror, but the psychology behind it. By the end, Linda reaches the place she always wanted to get to through her survival skills. However, along the journey, she loses something essential: her mind, her soul, and a piece of her heart.
Sound, Silence, and Unease
Raimi’s direction is controlled and precise, favoring tension over excess. While moments of visceral horror punctuate the story, the film is far more interested in emotional cruelty than gore. The island becomes a pressure cooker where trauma, resentment, and ambition metastasize.
The score by Danny Elfman underscores the unease with restraint rather than bombast, allowing silence and natural sound to amplify dread. Visually, the film contrasts the island’s beauty with the moral decay unfolding upon it, reinforcing the story’s central irony.
Not a Rescue Story
By the time Send Help reaches its chilling final act, it becomes clear that this is not a story about rescue. It is a story about control and about the narratives people construct to survive afterward. It is interesting that the film did not come out during Halloween, summer, or Valentine’s season, yet it remains a strong watch at any time.
You do not just get scared watching Send Help. You truly laugh at the human condition. I absolutely recommend it. And for fun, I might just watch it again sometime.
Rating: ★★★★☆ (4 out of 5)
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