Last year was a fantastic year for scary movies, with several from the genre making CinemaBlend’s Best of 2025 list. That’s probably a big reason why there’s some skepticism around 2026’s horror lineup. Many are hoping that Sam Raimi can turn our expectations around with Send Help — his first horror movie since 2009’s Drag Me to Hell. Early screenings are underway for the flick, and moviegoers are sharing their first reactions.
Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien star as colleagues who get stranded on an island after a plane crash and must fight for their survival as tensions between them rise. (I’m not kidding, this is the exact same plot of a Lacey Chabert movie on this month’s Hallmark schedule, but I imagine it’s bloodier with an entirely different form of tension.) Chris Killian of ComicBook.com gives a promising initial reaction on X, writing:
Send Help is everything you’d ever want from a Sam Raimi horror movie: disturbing, campy, extremely gory, and funny as hell. Rachel and Dylan are a dream team & just beat the total shit out of each other. For extra fun - Bring someone who’s squeamish and have a blast.
Griffin Schiller of FilmSpeak also says Sam Raimi is trying to test the strength of the audience’s stomachs and thinks this movie will be a hit with fans of Drag Me to Hell. I’m loving this Survivor comparison, too, as Schiller writes:
Send Help is a MASSIVE win for the Drag Me to Hell fans! A hilariously mean, NASTY little fucker that packs all the drama and betrayals of a season of Survivor into a feature film. At times feels like Raimi's sadistic take on Phantom Thread—a karmic undressing of monstrous man-babies in an inverted power dynamic. Provides the perfect stage for McAdams & O'Brien to showcase their impressive range and versatility as Raimi tests the limits of our sympathies (and strength of our stomachs) mining the tension between our perception of Linda and Bradley and their true nature.
It wouldn’t be Sam Raimi without some humor, either, and The Koalition’s critic said they laughed all the way through the movie’s 113-minute runtime. They posted:
Send Help is insanely hilariously & brilliantly executed that basks in Sam Raimi's uniqueness. I laughed from beginning to end. Rachel McAdams & Dylan O'Brien are delicious as power dynamics shift from survival to surviving each other. Send Help is a thrilling, bloody time.
Rachel McAdams has proven her talents in several different genres, and many people — including Megan McLachlan of The Contending — are excited to see her in another thriller after 2005’s Red Eye. McAdams proves she’s still got it with a “fierce, feral” performance, the critic says, posting:
Send Help is such a showcase for Rachel McAdams and a reminder why she needs to be in more movies. She’s fierce, feral, and more radiant as the film goes on. Dylan O’Brien is a worthy rival and oozes with smarm. See this in theaters!
EpicFilmGuys also gives the Mean Girls actress her flowers, saying this is one of Rachel McAdams’ best performances to date. They continue:
Send Help is Sam Raimi’s ‘Cast Away’ on steroids. A dark and twisted black comedy seasoned with that classic Raimi flavor. Rachel McAdams is truly phenomenal in one of her best performances to date. It’s a wild blast of psychotic fun!
Several others who caught an early screening of the upcoming horror movie are trying to find the right combination of films to accurately describe it, which has spawned questions about Send Help for some. Critic Josh Weiss has an eclectic mix, posting:
Send Help is Misery, Cast Away, Lord of the Flies, and the Kelp Forest episode of SpongeBob thrown into a blender and refracted through the twisted lens of Sam Raimi. An absolute wild ride of a film and one of the best thrillers I’ve ever seen. Raimi’s still got the sauce!
It doesn’t get much more complimentary than this, from Ricardo of Hollywood Handle:
Send Help is genuinely fucking awesome. Campy, super gory, extremely funny and VERY Sam Raimi in every good possible way. Rachel and Dylan are the best duo we could’ve got.
Christopher Gallardo says the famed director succeeds in building tension between the leads and amongst the audience, adding in some jumpscares for good measure. The critic writes:
SEND HELP: an absolutely crazy survival horror film that's pure Raimi. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien share a hilarious and unnerving chemistry and the tension confidently rises with each scene. Plus, Raimi's got some shocking jumpscares to go along!
I jumped so hard during a Sam Raimi movie once that my popcorn flew in the air like a cartoon, so I have to admit I’m excited to see what he’s got in store for us with his latest project. We don’t have too long to wait, with Send Help hitting the 2026 movie schedule on Friday, January 30.
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