SEND Help, directed by Sam Raimi of Evil Dead fame, is a quirky and gruesome survival horror rom-com that is as chirpy as it is downright unhinged.
Owing more to Misery than Cast Away, Raimi’s latest sees Rachel McAdams give one of the best performances of her career as dowdy number-cruncher Linda Liddle, a socially inept and overly chipper office manager overlooked for promotion by her chauvinistic new boss Bradley (Dylan O’Brien). Bradley and his frat pack golfing buddies see Linda as a frumpy heap that cramps their misogynistic bluster, and brings a downer to their office high jinks.
Linda, who is too loud, usually has lunch all over her face, and tries way too hard, is a model employee that makes her colleagues feel uncomfortable, and probably a little sad. She is brilliant as what can only be described as Annie Wilkes’ cheerful little sister with aspirations of Bear Grylls proportions.
Invited on a work trip to Thailand, by her toxic boss, purely to appease her and her notions of promotion, Linda quickly proves herself an invaluable asset, not just to her company, but her employer, when their plane crashes into the Indian Ocean. Her aspirations to appear on a popular survival TV show pay dividends when flung into a real-life situation and her natural instincts kick in.
- External Walls: Up to €8,000 Grant
- Attic: Up to €1,500 Grant
- Cavity Walls: Up to €1,700 Grant
- Internal Dry Lining: Up to €4,500 Grant
When not spearing wild boar, building shelters, fishing and tending to her bratty boss’s injuries, Linda comes alive, and finds herself, not stranded, but exactly where she is supposed to be. As her darker more ‘cockadoodie’ personality traits come to light, the power balance between boss and humble serf quickly shifts.
In one jaw-droppingly unforgettable scene, up there with the shocking hobbling moment in Misery, Linda proves she literally has all the cajones necessary, not just to survive, but to thrive.
(4/5)