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Not exactly the picturesque meal on the beach that Bradley and Linda imagined. Image Credit: 20th Century Studios.

'Send Help' review: Rachel McAdams unleashes her Scream Queen

Originally posted on Agents of Fandom | By Ryan Cortero | Last updated Jan 26, 2026 2:45 PM ET

After Sam Raimi‘s last two directorial films, Oz the Great and Powerful and Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, featured well-known IPs, the director is back with an original story that his fans will surely enjoy. Send Help, written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, is a mix of Robert Zemeckis‘ Cast Away and Rob Reiner‘s adaptation of Stephen King‘s Misery in all the best ways.

The story follows Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), a quirky employee working for Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), a young, sexist CEO who overlooks her skills. While taking a private jet for a business trip to Bangkok, the plane unexpectedly crashes in the ocean, leaving Linda and Bradley the only survivors on a deserted island, forced to cooperate for their survival. After shows like Lost and Yellowjackets have already shown this kind of premise, Raimi’s ability to balance the laughs, scares, and gore is what makes Send Help stand out.

Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien Are a Comedic Duo in ‘Send Help’

Ever since her breakout role as Regina George in Mark Waters’ Mean Girls, it’s always great to see McAdams in a comedy role. Send Help is no different; if anything, McAdams delivers her best comedic performance yet as Linda Liddle. McAdams shows off her acting range, unlike anything fans have seen from her before. It’s easier to defend Linda’s actions (whether they are right or wrong) with McAdams at the helm because she makes the character well-rounded and empathetic.

Linda isn’t afraid to be herself, but that makes others push her around, isolate her, and laugh at her little quirks. When that dynamic changes and Linda is in (literal) survival mode, McAdams taps into a dark side that we desperately need to see more of. Hopefully, this is just the start of a long list of horror projects in McAdams’ career.

Similarly, O’Brien needs to take on more comedy roles. Although he’s best known as the lead of The Maze Runner film trilogy, O’Brien has shown his comedic chops in movies like The Internship and, most recently, Saturday Night. While Bradley is unlikable in Send Help, O’Brien still manages to bring the charm and delivers a lot of chuckle-worthy moments with his little mannerisms. When Linda and Bradley clash with one another, McAdams and O’Brien really shine as an unlikely comedic duo. Their on-screen chemistry is so palpable that I hope we get to see them reunite in another comedy.

‘Send Help’ Shows Sam Raimi Is Back and Better Than Ever

If you’re a fan of Raimi’s The Evil Dead or Spider-Man trilogy, or a big Survivor viewer, Send Help will scratch that itch for you. It perfectly balances horror and comedy, keeping audiences engaged from beginning to end. Even non-horror fans will get a kick out of this film, but beware of the signature gory moments Raimi loves to sprinkle in his work.

McAdams and O’Brien are captivating together and elevate the film’s premise. Maximize the viewing experience in a theater full of people for their reactions to the twists and turns, and the laugh-out-loud moments. It’s one of the best comedy films of the decade so far.

Send Help will be released in theaters on January 30.