Send Help is a 2026 American survival horror thriller film, directed and co-produced by Sam Raimi. The film stars Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien as an employee and her boss, respectively, who become stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash and attempt to survive while tension rises between them.
The film is based on the often-milked Admirable Creighton theme, where a lower-class individual becomes the dominant member of a survival party because the rich people are pampered sybarites. (The original Admirable Creighton play was written by the man who also created Peter Pan.) I can think of at least five films that have the same basic premise: both versions of Swept Away, The Admirable Creighton, We’re Not Dressing, and Triangle of Sadness. Given the popular appeal and universality of the concept, there are probably many more that I’m not aware of.
In this film’s version, a haughty CEO becomes dependent on a socially awkward office worker. While that premise seems tired, the film is not. Sam Raimi is not remaking any of the earlier Creighton interpretations. He has an utterly twisted take, and a completely different resolution. This film is not from the social realism school, but is straight-up adventure/horror. There are many tense scenes, ranging from the plane crash, to battles with wild animals, to the two survivors turning on one another.
I didn’t expect to like the film, and thought it would be drudgery to watch. I was totally wrong. There isn’t any honest-to-god nudity, but it’s an enjoyable popcorn flick.
Tomato Meter: 93%
Popcorn Meter: 87%
IMDb: 6.9
