"Send Help" REVIEW

Published on 2/4/2026 

Written by: Braylon Mitchell 

Directed by: Sam Rami 

Cast: Rachel McAdams, Dylan O'Brien, etc. 

Plot: An employee and her insufferable boss become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. Here, they must overcome past grievances and work together to make it out alive. 

REVIEW 

In a quick pitch to a stranger, I'd best describe this film as a mix between "Castaway", "Triangle of Sadness, and "Misery". Sounds pretty awesome, right? Well, when I first learned of this film I sure thought so. Not to mention, Rachel McAdams is one of my personal favorite actresses and I've always been a sucker for stories taking place on a stranded island. This film turned out to be a blast. Featuring two fantastic performances from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien under the direction of Sam Rami, whose beloved directorial flares and signature stylistic impluses are on full display- making this a film that's just as situationally funny as it is engaging as a survival film. For all horror fans out there, rest asured that this film isn't afraid in the slighest to get ridiculously bloody and intense in several sequences. Tonally, this film does a succesful job of balacing of all its splashes into each genre- something Sam Rami frequently does well at. As the film went on I continued to have more and more issues with its plot, but for the most part I really liked what this film was able to do. A flawed film with a bad third act, but very fun. 

THREE BEST ELEMENTS

• Rachel McAdams' performance. Throughout the whole film she's energetic and committed, but most of all I loved the social awkwardness she captures in the first act. 

• Dylan O'Brien's performance. For a while, I really wasn't a fan of his- until I quite liked his performance in 2022's "Not Okay", then thought he was great as Dan Ackroyd in 2024's "Saturday Night", and then last year I was entirely won over by his excellent Film Independent Spirit nominated work in "Twinless". I loved his performance in this film, in particular he nailed how much physicality was called for. 

• Sam Rami's direction. Fans of his filmography in particular will have a blast with the film, as it is one of his best in years. 

WORST ELEMENT 

• The third act. Several story decisions felt too exploitative, predictable, and not in tune to what I was loving about the plot up until that point. Ultimately the main reason I bumped my rating for this film down a peg from what it could've been. 

RATING

6/10

You should watch it, buddy!