Sam Raimi’s Send Help Transforms from Psychological Thriller to Unintentional Comedy During Filming: “A Lot of Humor Emerged!”

Sam Raimi’s latest film, *Send Help*, centers on a woman and her sexist boss who must battle for survival after their plane crashes on a deserted island. While the premise sounds bleak, screenwriters Damian Shannon and Mark Swift aimed for a psychological thriller, but Raimi infused the narrative with a significant amount of dark humor.

Producer Zainab Azizi shared insights on the film’s tone, stating, “It’s so much in Sam’s wheelhouse. We worked with his long-time editor, Bob Murawski, who is a magician. Rachel [McAdams] and Dylan [O’Brien] really brought their A-game – we did numerous takes where a scene swung fully into comedy or took a darker turn.”

He added, “That’s the magic of Bob and Sam; they fine-tuned everything in the editing room to strike the right balance. With Sam directing, there are definitely elements of horror, given his mastery of the genre. He loves to blend styles, so even though it was written as a psychological thriller, a lot of comedy emerged!”

In the film, Rachel McAdams portrays the overworked and undervalued Linda, while Dylan O’Brien plays her despised CEO, Bradley. This marks Raimi’s return to directing since his 2022 work on *Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness*.

Azizi noted, “Linda is someone we can all relate to—overworked, underappreciated, and underpaid. Everyone has experienced a terrible boss at some point.” She felt the story had a universal yet unique appeal, which resonated with Raimi, leading him to take on the directorial role.

*Send Help* is set to hit theaters on January 30.