Send Help (2026) Dir: Sam Raimi

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Many of you will know the name Sam Raimi from the 'Spider-Man' films, which might make the idea of him directing a horror film slightly strange, but for those of us familiar with the original 'Evil Dead' trilogy, the concept of a new Raimi horror film was extremely exciting. A string of positive early reviews certainly encouraged me, but, regardless, I was fairly confident I would, at the very least, have a good time.

I thought tbat the majority of the cinematography was pretty solid, albeit fairly standard in its composition. There were one or two dodgy CGI moments, but nothing too damning. The practical elements were great, as I hoped and suspected would be the case, considering the man directing the film. I really loved how goofy some of the more bloody and goopy parts of the film were - it was extremely fun.

The film was highly amusing, even more so than I had anticipated. There was a really good balance between the horror and comedy aspects of the film. This was Raimi at his weird and wonderful best. The narrative was a little predictable, especially in the third act, but it was mostly excusable because of how entertaining the vast majority of the film was. I really enjoyed the slightly off-beat feel to the narrative, particularly compared to most desert island films - it really helped it stand out from the crowd.

Rachel McAdams was at her brilliant best, providing a lot of the film's biggest laughs with her tremendous comedic delivery. I was utterly thrilled by her enthusiastic and unwavering commitment to the role; her energy drove the film forward, at many points, and was instrumental in some of the film's more exciting and entertaining scenes. This was easily one of McAdams' most memorable performances, and certainly one of the most enjoyable too.

Dylan O'Brien gave a really good account of himself, for the most part. The way he conveyed that particularly aggressive and irritating form of arrogance that so many white men in power have was as brilliant as it was detestable. Equally, the way he portrayed the insecurity and weaknesses underneath his character's brazen surface was really quite a treat too. I must say, I think this might be Dylan O'Brien's best performance to-date - certainly off the top of my head, at least.

Overall, I thought this was a brilliantly fun horror comedy, which showcased the best of its director and two starring actors. It was impossible not to have a good time watching it - it very much felt like a Hollywood film done right. As far as pure entertainment value goes, you'll be hard-pressed to find a better film all year long. If this is the kind of film we're going to get from modern-day Sam Raimi, then I'm going to be seated for every single one of them. What a corker.