Send Help- We kick off the new year with a Sam Raimi experience. The gross-out horror aficionado brings a tale of survival, isolationism, and some surprising tenderness (in a strange way). Meet Linda Liddle. An awkward but hardworking corporate strategist who is looking for her promised promotion from the owner/CEO. Unfortunately for her, he is no more. Taking his place is his egotistical, cruel frat boy son who takes an immediate dislike to her. On a business trip to Thailand to complete a large merger, Linda suffers further ridicule at the hands of the new boss and a few of the ladder-climbing "bros" in his circle. As fate would have it, the plane goes down and the only survivors are Linda and her boss on what seems to be a deserted island. Oh, the things that can happen when the role of "boss" is reversed. If you go through Raimi's filmography, you will see some common themes to his films with the exception of his Spider-Man trilogy. You'll have a brew of dark humor and over-the-top vomit-inducing gore and nastiness. As you sit through this one, there are several spots your brain tells you, "Oh yeah, this is Raimi." What I really liked about Send Help were the clues that were set up regarding Linda's prowess when she and her boss are on the island. I don't want to say the explanation is subtle, but her proficiency is explained without having to be verbal. I did like that a lot. The plot is somewhat surprising. It is what you think it is, then it's not. Then it is again. Then you really don't know where this is going at the climax. There is some surprising closeness between the lead characters that develops. Maybe. Hard to tell because both have agendas. He makes a play that doesn't make a lot of sense at the time he does it but you'll find later that his instinct may have been spot on. The film is wild. It takes you on a journey where you're not exactly sure how it will end. But I was enthralled for most of it. Rachel McAdams and Dylan O'Brien star.
*** 3/4 stars
Ready or Not 2: Here I Come- Poor Grace MacCaullay can't catch a break. After surviving a horrific night in 2019's Ready or Not, she discovers the murderous Le Domas family was only the tip of the iceberg. The Le Domas's were just one of six powerful families involved in a grand bargain for world domination. Grace's survival has activated a new chain of events that must be addressed in the same blood-soaked manner. Unfortunately, her estranged sister, Faith, has been forced into the fray to ensure Grace's "cooperation" with the new proceedings. Ready or Not was an exceptional horror comedy. The sequel equals more of the same. It lacks some originality because it is basically the same plot. But that doesn't mean it isn't still fun. The kills in the first were more absurdly hilarious than they are here but that's to be expected. Some of the bickering between the sisters didn't make sense at certain times as fighting to stay alive is never a great time to open up old wounds. Overall, as far as sequels go, I still had a lot of fun with this one. But I will say I believe they've ridden this horse as far as they can. Which only means there will be a third film somewhere down the line. Samara Weaving, Kathryn Newton, Sarah Michelle Gellar, Elijah Wood, David Cronenberg, and Shawn Hatosy star.
-
