I recently screened “Send Help,” and it is a witty, on-point black comedy thriller that stands out from the usual bro-comedies and rom-coms. Don’t get me wrong, I love rom-coms but there are just so many, and they tend to be formulaic. Screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift teamed up with co-producer and director Sam Raimi to bring us this fresh look at the “deserted island” genre.
In “Send Help,” Rachel McAdams plays Linda, a frumpy analyst, who gets passed over for a promotion by her new boss who is caught up in the bro culture. She gets her revenge though… The new boss, Brandon, played by Dylan O’Brien, asks her to come along on a business trip, and the plane crashes, leaving just her and the aforementioned bro boss. Of course, his velvet loafers are no match for an island in the middle of nowhere. But her Survivor level skills and analytical mindset is ready to show up.
This comedy thriller (a new genre?) is Castaway with pithy humor and a few gross out moments. Unlike Tom Hanks, Rachel McAdams finds herself with useless Wilson that talks back, Brandon. Along with Castaway, you see elements of The Lord of the Flies and Six Day, Seven Nights, that otherwise forgettable romantic comedy with Anne Heche and Harrison Ford.
The best part, other than her getting revenge on the bro boss, was seeing the physical changes and her confidence emerge. She takes an “I don’t GAS approach” in order to survive. She literally only has the clothes on her back, but she looks better with every passing day as her clothes get more raggedy, and she gets more toned. It must be all the fresh fruit, lean proteins, absence of processed food and hours long hikes. Hmm, maybe she’s onto something?
There are several reasons I really enjoyed “Send Help”. A mousy, nerdy girl like myself was the heroine. She is overlooked, and given the chance to succeed, she takes the bull by the horns. Also, you’ve figured out by now that I love original screenplays, or at least adaptations that haven’t been overdone or have a fresh perspective. This movie proved that Hollywood has not yet lost all of its imagination.
There are some moments of predictability, and I won’t spoil them for you, but let me say that I saw the twist coming… sort of. But there are elements of shock and awe that I did NOT see coming, and I watched a couple of those scenes with my hands over my eyes and peeking through my fingers!
I love seeing movies like this in the theater because when something that is so gross is funny, everyone on the audience laughs. When the asshole characters get what’s coming to them, everyone cheers. You can’t get that camaraderie with strangers at home. I mean, you could, but it would be weird.
Sravanthi Meka 