Send Help is the unhinged office comedy horror we can all appreciate

Dylan O’Brien is the nepo baby boss from hell for Rachel McAdams in Send Help, an office-based thriller-horror that’s heaps of vengeful fun.

From director Sam Raimi (Spider-Man, Drag Me to Hell), the movie is both welcomingly nostalgic in the way it harks back to 90s career-focused dramedies as well as savagely up to date in its cut-throat attitude – something that it embraces with glee with its hard pivot into gruesome horror later on.

It’s kind of like Jerry Maguire crossed with Castaway crossed with Evil Dead (unsurprisingly) and works better than you’d imagine, especially as an outlet for any work-based frustrations audience members may have.

McAdams is Linda Liddle, a frazzled and unglamorous over-achiever, never invited to work drinks by her colleagues, who think nothing of taking credit for her hard work – especially the smarmy Donovan (Xavier Samuel).

She’s red-nosed, haphazardly dressed and awkward in all-too realistic ways.

When her consultancy firm’s new CEO Bradley (O’Brien) does the introductory rounds – naturally the son of the last one – Linda’s enthusiasm makes for an embarrassing encounter with him of toe-curling proportions, the discomfort of which could haunt your nightmares for the rest of 2026. We’re talking tuna-around-the-mouth, please-stop-talking-now levels of cringe.

McAdams manages to nail the balance between recognisable and sympathetic behaviour, crumpling her face in both enthusiasm and desperation, while also easily showing why Linda is the office punching-bag. This is a woman who cajoles her pet parakeet into sharing toast with her, Lady and the Tramp style, while they watch reality show Survivor.

But when she’s passed over by Bradley for a promotion she was all-but promised, Linda manages to land herself a spot on the company jet to Bangkok for a merger where she’s set to prove her new boss wrong.

And this is where Send Help’s second act begins with a bang, or rather a hilariously violent plane crash, where teeth are lost, hands are stabbed and skin is ripped clean off. Linda and an injured Bradley manage to survive though, washing up on the shore of a deserted island.

Here Linda’s survival skills allow her to come into her own, taking care of her boss, providing for them and building a shelter while they await rescue. She is happier, living out her dreams and thriving, while Bradley – once he’s regained consciousness – flails and rails.

A highlight of the film is an insanely gory boar hunt where it feels like Linda can really let out some of her pent-up frustration and rage over her job as she kills to survive.

O’Brien, already brilliant in his earlier unpleasantness, is an absolute natural at wringing all the humour out of Send Help with his character’s whining and struggling, including with the physical comedy that he masters in a way that’s reminiscent of a younger, slightly more grounded, Jim Carrey.

And when Bradley snaps at Linda, ‘Watch what you say to me, you work for me’ – we all know what’s going to happen next.

McAdams and O’Brien have strong enough chemistry to keep things moving in what is largely a two-hander, with ever-changing dynamics and an enjoyable aping of office politics in the most unlikely of scenarios. Credit is also due for Mark Swift and Damian Shannon’s slick script.

Things do take a sinister and unhinged turn, but to say exactly how would spoil it. I will just warn that it does involve vomiting into another person’s mouth, eye gouging and a scene that’s enough to make anyone cross their legs in horror. And none of it feels too much in the moment.

Send Help is released inUK cinemas on Friday, February 6.

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