There’s something deliciously absurd about watching Rachel McAdams, blood‑spattered and wielding a knife, framed by a tagline that reads like corporate satire: “She’s from Strategy and Planning.” Welcome to Send Help, Sam Raimi’s latest descent into genre chaos. The first trailer and poster have arrived, and they’re as unhinged as you’d hope from the director who gave us The Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell.
The Trailer: Survival with a Raimi Twist
The setup is deceptively simple: two colleagues, Linda Liddle (McAdams) and Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), survive a plane crash and wash up on a deserted island. What begins as a survival pact quickly mutates into a battle of wills, with Raimi layering in dark humor, grotesque imagery, and the kind of tonal whiplash only he can pull off. The trailer teases shifting power dynamics, bursts of violence, and Danny Elfman’s score punctuating the madness.
The Poster: Corporate Horror Meets Grindhouse
The poster is pure Raimi mischief. McAdams stands against a blood‑red sky, knife in one hand, severed hand in the other, dressed like she just walked out of a boardroom gone feral. The tagline—“She’s the boss now”—turns office politics into survival horror. It’s camp, it’s grotesque, and it’s oddly empowering.
Cast and Crew
Alongside McAdams and O’Brien, the cast includes Edyll Ismail, Dennis Haysbert, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang, Thaneth Warakulnukroh, and Emma Raimi. Behind the camera, Raimi directs from a script by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, with music by Danny Elfman. Produced by Raimi and Zainab Azizi, the film is set for release by 20th Century Studios on January 30, 2026.
Raimi’s Return to Form
After dabbling in the Marvel machine with Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, Raimi seems eager to return to his roots: genre‑bending, blood‑splattered, and laced with gallows humor. Send Help looks like a spiritual cousin to Drag Me to Hell—a film that weaponized absurdity as much as horror. Here, the absurdity comes from corporate archetypes stripped of their office walls and forced into primal combat.
What We Learned from the Send Help Trailer and Poster
- McAdams Unleashed: Rachel McAdams trades rom‑com charm for blood‑drenched ferocity.
- Corporate Satire: The poster reframes survival horror as office politics gone feral.
- Raimi’s Signature: Expect tonal whiplash, grotesque humor, and kinetic camerawork.
- Release Date: In theaters nationwide on January 30, 2026.
- Ensemble Depth: Dylan O’Brien and a strong supporting cast promise layered dynamics.
FAQ
Is Send Help more horror or comedy?
It’s both. Raimi thrives in tonal collision—expect grotesque laughs alongside genuine dread.
How does the poster reflect the film’s themes?
It satirizes corporate culture, turning “strategy and planning” into survival tactics, with blood as the new office ink.
Why is this film significant for Raimi?
It marks his return to original, non‑franchise filmmaking, reconnecting with the anarchic spirit that made him a cult legend.
