The Stream: If Cast Away crossed with Misery floats your boat…

The Big Screen: Rachel McAdams going for broke.

The Final Bill: An unforgettable and entertaining mix of comedy and horror aided by the performances of McAdams and Dylan O’Brien.

– Trip Fontaine
Director: Sam Raimi
Writers: Damian Shannon and Mark Swift
Stars: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien
Genre: Horror, Thiller
Rating: R for strong/bloody violence and language
Runtime: 1 hour 46 minutes
Production Companies: 20th Century Studios, Raimi Productions, TSG Entertainment
Platform: In theaters January 30, 2026
Notable Trailers: The Bride!, You, Me and Tuscany, The Drama, The Hunger Games: Sunrise on the Reaping,

What’s up, Streamers! Have you ever wanted to be stranded on a deserted island? Would you take your disgusting co-worker or your terrible boss? Well, Send Help imagines that nightmare scenario. In Sam Raimi’s latest horror-thriller, Send Help, Rachel McAdams plays Linda Liddle, a corporate strategist, who is in line for a promotion until her former boss’s son, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), becomes CEO and elevates one of his bros to the position. Through fateful events, Linda and Bradley end up as the lone survivors on a deserted island and the power dynamics start to turn. Outwit, outplay and outlast hijinks ensue.

Whoa! Send Help is an enjoyable romp with a mix of genres. It’s a thriller with jumps scares and laugh out loud moments. Sam Raimi has used his talents to make this movie relentlessly entertaining and even shocking at times. Plus, the basic storyline, while simple, is really interesting and draws the audience in. The movie sets up the power imbalance in the real world between Linda and Bradley; and, when the real world is stripped away, how does that relationship translate when survival is the paramount issue. Of course, there are deserted island tropes and some foreshadowing is too obvious, but overall, the movie is fun enough to keep you interested.

Additionally, Rachel McAdams really sinks her teeth into what could become an iconic character, Linda Liddle. McAdams gets to be meek and a little gross, and then she becomes fierce and confident. She’s a fun and formidable presence making some bonkers choices throughout. Dylan O’Brien is a good foil for McAdams. He’s smarmy and gross and appropriately detestable. Each of these characters have details that elevate them beyond their types, and both McAdams and O’Brien’s performances add to that. Moreover, the movie has twists that keep the audience on edge because you never know who really has the upper hand.

Ultimately, Send Help is a fun mix of an adventure thriller and revenge horror movie. The characters are vivid and distinctive with great performances by Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien. The flourishes of jump scares and blood splatter are shocking and hilarious. Grab a big box of popcorn and get stranded in the theater.