Send Help Review: A Deliciously Unhinged Revenge Fantasy From Sam Raimi

With desert island settings, we pretty much know what to expect. When people are stranded in a seemingly tropical paradise, their isolation represents an escape from civilization — which, in turn, strips them of the social roles they've grown accustomed to, for better or worse. In "Send Help," director Sam Raimi uses this trope to skewer corporate culture and the entitlement of wealthy nepo babies who succeed despite any real skill, as well as the ruthlessness of the aspiring girl boss — all this in addition to delivering thrills and genuine surprises. Dylan O'Brien and Rachel McAdams throw themselves into the film with reckless abandon. McAdams, in particular, has found her Kathy Bates from "Misery" role, with a cheery yet downtrodden disposition that masks her shrewd intelligence. Chaotic in its depiction of the unraveling of a contentious workplace relationship, "Send Help" is a profoundly unserious thriller that is nevertheless a crowdpleaser.

Linda Liddle (McAdams) is exactly the sort of cubicle warrior that is easy to overlook. Quietly efficient and socially awkward in a way that throws off seemingly everyone she comes into contact with, her superiors are more than happy to let her keep doing all the work while trapped within the same four walls she's been staring at (plastered with cutesy inspirational posters, of course) for years. But things change when Bradley (O'Brien) takes over the company after his father's death, and passes Linda over for a promised promotion. This is the last straw for Linda, and after an uncharacteristic outburst, Bradley invites her along to help with a merger in Bangkok — a decision that will have far-reaching consequences for the charming but often cruel Bradley.

While en route, their plane crashes, with Linda and Bradley left as the only two survivors. And while Bradley is injured and out of his depth, Linda is — there's no other way to put this — living her best life. A "Survivor" addict, Linda knows pretty much everything there is to know about being stranded on a desert island, and she puts it to good use keeping the two of them alive. But the longer they're there, the more Linda begins to relish her role as the alpha dog — and the more she's reluctant to relinquish it.

Sam Raimi's go-for-broke approach to storytelling makes this a wild ride, one where it feels like nothing is off the table and anything can happen. From the moment they land on the island, it's a power play, as the roles are immediately reversed. Bradley, a man who is used to being in charge of everything, is utterly dependent on Linda to stay alive, and his new subservient role takes a little getting used to. And it's not something he's going to take lying down (at least, after his leg heals, anyway). But although the two characters are constantly circling around each other, trying to make sure they don't completely cede the upper hand, what makes "Send Help" avoid becoming monotonous is that the relationship between Bradley and Linda is not entirely antagonistic throughout the entire film — that would be exhausting. There are moments where Linda feels valued and appreciated for what she's able to contribute, and the film blurs the lines between Bradley being friendly to her out of necessity and when he's finding a rapport with her in spite of himself. But at the end of the day, they're both playing a longer game, and just as in Linda's beloved "Survivor," friendship isn't always a part of it. Like the beach they're stranded on, their alliance is built on constantly shifting sands.

Raimi, as per usual, is not afraid to be gruesome, even sadistic, but with his trademark sense of humor that keeps things in balance tonally. With him at the helm, it feels like no depravities are off limits, just because of the type of filmmaker he is, which helps keep the stakes high. And if occasionally "Send Help" starts to feel like it's circling around the same plot points and getting ever-so-slightly stale, there's always a bonkers twist just around the corner. He keeps his antics moderately PG-13 for the most part, letting the audience's imagination do most of the heavy lifting — but the film's more violent moments are no less effective for that.

As "Send Help" is effectively a two-hander, it would be nothing without the performances from Dylan O'Brien and Rachel McAdams. For O'Brien's part, he dials into the essence of an entitled man baby, but with a core of humanity and charm that makes you not want to entirely give up on him. As a high-powered executive raised in a family that didn't exactly prioritize genuine emotion, it can be hard to tell when he's being honest and vulnerable, or simply acting that way as a means to an end. But there's enough of a question mark surrounding his behavior that we aren't above giving him the benefit of the doubt, at least in certain moments. Meanwhile, McAdams taps into something dark and rage-filled but ultimately unnervingly relatable. She is so powerless and unseen in her day-to-day life that when the opportunity comes to become the de facto ruler of a two-person fiefdom, it's hard to resist. But there's also the sense that her persona of the overlooked, abused employee sits atop of steely ambition and a willingness to do just about anything to maintain her new position. It's a really fun performance from an actress who rarely gets the opportunity to take on a role like this.

Is "Send Help" the best movie in Sam Raimi's filmography? Probably not. But it has enough entertaining thrills to make it a worthy watch, especially in theaters. With fascinating performances from its two leads that delve into the psychology of their characters in a way that adds depth to the proceedings, "Send Help" is a revenge fantasy for every white collar worker who's ever secretly imagined what would happen if they suddenly had complete power over their inept jerk of a boss.

"Send Help" hits theaters on January 30.