Two colleagues become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. On the island, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive, but ultimately, it’s a battle of wills and wits to make it out alive. A film by Sam Raimi, starring Rachel McAdams, Dylan O’Brien, Edyll Ismail, Dennis Haysbert, Xavier Samuel, Chris Pang, Thaneth Warakulnukroh, and Emma Raimi.

At Preston Strategic Solutions’ planning and strategy department, socially awkward Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) hands over the company report and financial statements to her colleague Donovan (Xavier Samuel) for the company meeting.

When Linda suggests she should be in the conference room during the presentation in case anyone has questions about the numbers, Donovan insists they shrunk the meeting to a smaller group and she’s excluded. He assures her that everyone will know she prepared the reports since her name is on a Post-it note attached to the cover.

But once Donovan enters the room, thinking no one is watching, he peels off the Post-it and tosses it in the trash before presenting the report as his own. Linda sees everything.

Despite appearing disappointed about not receiving credit for her hard work, Linda has her eye on the position promised by the company’s CEO. At her apartment, she tells her pet parrot that she’s next in line for Vice President. When the CEO’s son, Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien), takes over for his father, he will appoint her as the new VP. Linda met Bradley at the company Christmas party and believes they had some kind of spark, and maybe he’ll even ask her to marry him.

In Preston’s office, Franklin (Dennis Haysbert) reminds Bradley that his father promised Linda the promotion, but the inexperienced Bradley dismisses him. Not only does Bradley refuse to honor his father’s promise, but he also gives the VP position to his college friend Donovan instead.

When Linda discovers she won’t receive the promised promotion and that Bradley is engaged to his beautiful fiancée Zuri (Edyll Ismail), she confronts him and demands an explanation. Bradley tells her that Linda doesn’t have the executive presence needed to represent the company. However, he offers Linda a chance to prove herself by accompanying him and his team to Bangkok to oversee the merger. Unbeknownst to Linda, Bradley plans to discard her after she solves the problem. Once Donovan understands her methods, she will no longer be useful.

During the flight, Donovan shows Bradley an audition video Linda uploaded for her favorite reality show “Survivor.” Chase (Chris Pang) and another colleague join in to watch and laugh. The clip showcases her physical and combat training, revealing her obsession with the show. As Linda works on a project, the laughter distracts her. She realizes she’s become a laughingstock and these men never take her work seriously. Quietly, she deletes the file. Suddenly, the private plane explodes and crashes into the ocean.

Linda regains consciousness on a deserted island, miraculously unscathed. She searches the shoreline for other survivors but finds none until she discovers Bradley, unconscious and washed up on the beach with an injured leg.

Despite Linda saving his life, tending to his wounded leg, bringing him food and fresh water, and creating a makeshift shelter, Bradley remains stubborn and demanding, acting as if he’s still the boss and she’s obligated to serve him as his employee.

Eventually, Bradley realizes he lacks any survival skills and cannot make it on his own. For the first time, Linda feels empowered, with Bradley completely dependent on her. Every day, Linda explores the island and hunts animals for food. She feels like one of the survivors on the reality show. Everything she learned from watching and training has finally paid off, and she’s living the life she always dreamed of.

One day, Linda spots a ship nearby. She initially wants to call for rescue but pauses, realizing that if she and Bradley were rescued and returned to civilization, everything would revert to how it was before. She would lose all her power and control over Bradley. So she decides not to tell him about the ship and continues lying when he asks about rescue.

Directed by American filmmaker Sam Raimi from a screenplay by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, SEND HELP is a dark comedy survival thriller about an employee and her boss who survive a plane crash en route to Bangkok and become stranded on a deserted island.

While Raimi didn’t write the script, SEND HELP is filled with his signature camp style, from gruesome bloody fight sequences and delusional ghost jumpscares to projectile vomiting, keeping viewers entertained throughout.

Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien deliver hilarious and thrilling performances as resilient employee Linda Liddle and her horrible boss Bradley Preston, who find themselves in a situation where their power dynamics are reversed. No longer bound by corporate hierarchy, they’re stranded on a seemingly uncharted island in which only the fittest survive.

Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien are my favorite actors, so this movie receives extra points for having them both.

However, the film never reaches the level of absurdity of DRAG ME TO HELL. There’s nothing groundbreaking or even anything new that I haven’t seen before. Without actual supernatural elements, there seems to be a limitation in how the story unfolds, leaving me underwhelmed by a predictable and unsatisfying conclusion.

SEND HELP premiered at the TCL Chinese Theatre on 21 January 2026. The film is scheduled to be released in the United States on 30 January.