Send Help (2026)

A wickedly funny survival thriller that uses a deserted island to skewer workplace politics, corporate entitlement and the question of whether people ever really change.

★★★★

Sam Raimi’s Send Help ended up being one of the most enjoyable surprises I’ve seen this year.

When I first saw the trailer, I thought it looked like an interesting premise, but I wasn’t entirely sure it was a natural fit for Raimi. It doesn’t take long, however, to realize this story is right in his wheelhouse. If you’re a fan of The Evil Dead films, you’ll immediately recognize some of his signature stylistic flourishes. The camera movements, the dark humor, the gross-out gags and even a few of those classic Raimi tracking shots through the wilderness all feel right at home here.

The film follows Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), a hardworking strategist at a consulting and financial management firm who has spent years doing everything right while receiving very little credit for it. After being passed over for a promotion that had essentially been promised to her, she finds herself forced to travel with her new boss, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), the entitled son of the company’s founder and the embodiment of corporate nepotism. When a plane crash leaves them stranded on a remote island as the only survivors, the power dynamic between them quickly begins to shift.

As a longtime Survivor fan, I absolutely loved the way the film incorporates Linda’s obsession with the show. It’s a running joke, but it’s also surprisingly important to the story. Watching Linda apply years of survival-show knowledge to real-world circumstances is consistently funny and gives the character a unique edge that makes her easy to root for.

I wasn’t particularly familiar with Dylan O’Brien beyond a few projects, but he and McAdams make a fantastic pairing. Their chemistry carries the movie. The conflict between Bradley and Linda feels believable because it taps into frustrations that many people have experienced in one form or another: being overlooked, being taken advantage of and watching less qualified people climb the ladder because of who they know rather than what they’ve earned.

What I appreciated most is that Send Help isn’t simply a survival movie. It’s using the island as a giant metaphor for workplace politics, power structures, gender dynamics and the complicated question of whether people are actually capable of changing. The film constantly shifts your perspective. Just when you think you know who you’re rooting for, Raimi throws another wrinkle into the story. The result is a movie that keeps you guessing far longer than you might expect.

The less you know going in, the better. There are several twists and turns that are more fun to discover for yourself, and the film has a knack for taking seemingly straightforward situations and pushing them into increasingly absurd territory. It’s the kind of movie that feels like it’s exploring the dark fantasies people occasionally have about difficult coworkers or toxic workplaces, then turning those fantasies into a survival thriller with a wicked sense of humor.

McAdams is having an absolute blast here. She was perfect casting for Linda, bringing both vulnerability and determination to the role. Raimi clearly knows how to use her strengths, and she gives one of the most entertaining performances of her career. O’Brien matches her energy perfectly, creating a dynamic where neither character is ever entirely what they seem.

Oddly enough, the movie reminded me quite a bit of last year’s Companion. They’re very different films on the surface, but both use genre elements to explore larger ideas about power, relationships and human nature. They also share a willingness to get dark, uncomfortable and occasionally shocking while still maintaining a sense of fun.

No, Send Help isn’t the best movie ever made. But that’s not really the point. It’s clever, funny, unpredictable and unmistakably Sam Raimi. More importantly, it’s one of those rare movies where I genuinely had no idea where it was headed next.

And in a year full of films that often feel overly familiar, that alone makes it stand out.

Where to watch: Hulu