‘Send Help’ is a new movie directed by Sam Raimi, of Evil Dead fame, and it released January 30th. I had the pleasure of watching an early screening, and I loved it. It follows a woman named Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) and her boss (played by Dylan O’Brien), who go on a work trip and end up stranded on a deserted island after the plane crashes.

 ‘Send Help’ has a similar moral theme and setting to the third act of ‘Triangle of Sadness’ (2022), with the fun horror and action scenes Raimi is known for. Something I like about this movie is that it’s just so fun and interesting. That’s a simplistic way of saying it, but it’s truly how it makes me feel. It gives that classic moviegoing experience that I’ve been craving. 

And it’s not just fun times and shocking moments; it communicates deeper ideas about class and nepotism. You leave the theater with questions about morals, and it can do all this while delivering the cheesy fun we all need in this long January. You can tell there’s confidence in this whole production; it knows it has you hooked. 

Part of that confidence is due to the performances, my favorite coming from Rachel McAdams. While her past roles are versatile, she is most known for her work in ‘The Notebook’ and ‘Mean Girls.’ I enjoy both of those movies, and when I say I cannot recognize McAdams in this movie, I mean it. In a good way, of course. She is fully Linda Liddle, like she was fully Allie or Regina. I think her acting lends to the immersive quality of ‘Send Help.’

I recommend watching this in the theater because seeing the audience’s reactions is a part of the fun. 2026 just began, but this is already at the top of my list for the year.