Horror fans can rejoice! For the first time in seventeen years Sam Raimi returns to the genre he cut his teeth on. Well, sort of. His latest film, “Send Help” could easily be categorized as a survival thriller. But it’s Sam Raimi, the director of the original three Evil Dead movies. So to no surprise, “Send Help” has its share of grisly horror and pitch-black comedy. And I kinda loved every moment.

“Send Help” goes down like a cocktail of ”Horrible Bosses”, “Castaway”, and “Misery” but seasoned with Raimi’s own special sauce. Written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, the story gives a deliciously meaty role to Rachel McAdams who relishes every twisted second she’s given. Dylan O’Brien is wonderfully detestable as a smarmy privileged slimeball. Together they breathe fire into this bonkers mashup that goes in some delirious directions.

McAdams plays Linda Liddle, a homely and awkward accountant working for a prominent consulting firm. Linda is a numbers guru who is hardworking and a valuable behind-the-scenes asset to the company. So much so that the CEO had promised to promote her to the vice president position. But after he unexpectedly dies, his entitled son Bradley (O’Brien) takes the reins and immediately promotes his college buddy Donovan (Xavier Samuel) to VP.

As for Linda (who Bradley is repulsed by), he secretly plans to have her transferred to an obscure go-nowhere position. But before he does, Bradley agrees to take Linda along on an overseas business trip to finalize a major merger. But as their private jet passes through a severe storm, its engines fail which sends the plane crashing into the ocean. Linda miraculously survives, washing ashore on a remote island somewhere in the Gulf of Thailand.

As Linda gets her bearings, she discovers an injured and unconscious Bradley on the beach. Lucky for him, Linda is a survival enthusiast with a load of skills she learned as an avid watcher of the television show “Survivor” (one of my favorite early gags). When Bradley finally comes to, he wastes no time belittling Linda’s efforts and asserting himself as her boss. But he quickly learns this isn’t the same “Linda from accounting” and they aren’t in the office any more. Madcap blood-soaked hijinks ensue.

Raimi has a blast playing around with the multi-faceted dynamic between Linda and Bradley. He uses aspects from their professional and personal lives to define our hero and our villain. But one of the great joys of “Send Help” is its unpredictability. And we get good taste of it once Raimi starts blurring the lines between who’s good and who’s bad. We can’t help but root for Linda as she turns the tables on her douche of a boss. But “Send Help” has more up its sleeve than just that. And the moral ambiguity that arises from the primal chaos adds to the entertainment.

As some biting social commentary percolates amid the psychological mind games and physical savagery, Raimi never loses sight of the premise’s B-movie appeal. He giddily unloads some crazy action, gobs of gore, and warped humor with a nasty edge. Its biggest weakness is an ending that’s a tad too tidy. But the overall film is so insanely fun that it’s hard getting hung up on minor quibbles. Instead you’ll be amped to see it again. And you’ll once again be wondering why Rachel McAdams isn’t a bigger star.

VERDICT – 4 STARS