Movie Review: Send Help

 

Michael's Movie Grade: B+

An excellent survival thriller from Sam Rami. 

In this film, an employee (Rachel McAdams) is the smartest person at the firm but because she is socially awkward and not exactly fashionable, her new boss (Dylan O'Brien) gives a promotion to someone less qualified and treats her like a joke. However when the two end up as the only survivors on a deserted island, she becomes the one in charge. 

The basic premise of being on a deserted island causing a great role reversal is nothing new. In fact, it has been done since the silent era (Male and Female (1919)). However, what Sam Rami does with it here makes it feel completely fresh. Rami makes a dark and twisted ride that is always a lot of fun. At first this movie seems very morally simplistic. We like the employee and think that her boss is a completely jerk. The early scenes do a great job of setting this up. Anyone who has ever had someone underestimate them and treat them as if they are incapable of something by someone who they are more capable than at that. This means pretty much everyone at one point in their lives or another. This fully puts us into her shoes and makes us care deeply about her and hate him. However, the characters soon turn out to be more complicated than that. She has her dark side, and he has his more vulnerable side. Because of this multiple times throughout the film, we find ourselves changing our alliances. This is because though both characters have their dark sides, we can still relate to each one. The last act of this movie becomes incredibly dark in its twists and turns but because everything was set up so well, this darkness feels completely earned. 

This movie also works so well because of Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien. They are both incredibly excellent here capturing all the sometimes-contrasting character traits that make these characters so real and three dimensional. Rachel McAdams is especially great here. She has always been a very gifted actress, but she outdoes herself here with some of her best acting. She can go from a kind and caring person to someone who is absolutely terrifying at the drop of a hat and still feel like the same character. 

This movie does have some flaws though. Much of the humor in the story's first act can feel forced and never as funny as it should be. While the final act takes this story to dark R rated places masterfully, the second act, sometimes can rely a bit too much on scenes that are only there for shock value. These flaws however hardly take away from how great this film can be elsewhere. 

A truly excellent movie.