For a lot of people, this story hits close to home: you grind away at a thankless job, get teased with a promotion and raise, and then a new boss shows up and suddenly your career momentum is gone.
For Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) in Send Help, it’s enough to push her over the edge when faced with her new nepo-baby boss, Bradley (Dylan O’Brien). Naturally, because this is a Sam Raimi movie, what starts as a savage workplace comedy quickly morphs into a survival horror showdown.
Belittled and sidelined for a promotion by a sexist bro-y boss, Linda is sent on a “prove yourself” trip to Bangkok for a company merger. Everyone but Linda knows it’s a set-up. But when she and Bradley are the sole survivors of a plane crash, she finally gets the chance to prove just how much she’s worth and show everyone who’s really in charge.
In Send Help, the legendary Evil Dead director brings his signature mix of horror and comedy to a remote desert island. A wannabe Survivor contestant, Linda has trained for this moment her whole life. She’s not just surviving in the wild, she’s thriving. Bradley’s boardroom bravado, on the other hand, doesn’t stand a chance away from daddy’s safety net.
McAdams is dynamite as Linda. The sometimes Toronto resident transforms from mousy, meek, and mild into a powerhouse boss whose survival skills would make Jeff Probst weak with envy. On the island, she gets to leave office politics behind and play by her own rules. McAdams and O’Brien carry the film almost entirely on their own, spending most of Send Help’s nearly two-hour runtime as the only actors on screen. As Bradley, O’Brien’s simmering hatred towards Linda is palpable, from every sneer, eye twitch, and muttered insult. It’s not just his contempt for Linda, but for women, full stop.
The scariest part of Send Help isn’t being stranded on an island, it’s the persistent nightmare of toxic workplace culture. Mark Swift and Damian Shannon’s screenplay digs into gender politics both in and out of the office. At times, it leans a little on the obvious side – Preston Strategic Solutions’ “old boys’ club” culture is the kind of workplace where only frat bros and “pretty” women have value – but it always serves the story and its characters. We’re not meant to like Bradley, or even feel sorry for him. It’s a testament to O’Brien’s performance that really drives the point home.
Working professional women will (unfortunately) likely recognize more than a few of the tactics on display. Though Linda may have been a pushover in the office, she’s clearly who we’re all rooting for. As she so bluntly reminds everyone: don’t mistake kindness for weakness.
Make no mistake, Linda is anything but weak. Send Help eventually reveals its true colours, leaving viewers laughing one second and squirming the next. The film leans into classic horror beats like isolation, psychological tension, and nature as a threat, but McAdams’ wild side keeps it fresh and unpredictable. It’s not as gory as some of Raimi’s past work, but the few blood-soaked moments hit hard, especially on the big screen with a crowd. If you’re chasing pure terror, you might be a little underwhelmed; the real thrills come from the messy, hilarious, and savage office dynamics-turned-survival story.
Equal parts hilarious, tense, and savage, Send Help is a wild ride that leaves the audience cheering, and maybe checking your own office politics.
Send Help opens in cinemas on January 30 with early access screenings on Thursday, January 29 at select GTA locations.
