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Welcome to another edition of Trust Me, I Watch Everything<\/strong><\/a>, a weekly guide to all the new movies released on Friday. I’m Brett Arnold<\/a>, film critic and host of Roger & Me<\/em><\/a>, a weekly Siskel & Ebert<\/em>-style movie review show.<\/p>\n This week, we have Sam Raimi’s triumphant return to R-rated antics in the nasty and silly Send Help <\/em>in theaters, alongside the latest actioner from Jason Statham, Shelter, <\/em>which is actually good too! If you’re wondering why Melania<\/em><\/a>\u00a0<\/em>isn’t mentioned here, it’s because critics weren’t invited to screen it, and the distributors are skipping the standard public Thursday previews, so there are no showtimes until Friday.<\/p>\n At home, you can rent or buy Brazilian film The Secret Agent, <\/em>which earned multiple Oscar nominations, or check out Anaconda, <\/em>the meta-reboot comedy starring Paul Rudd, Jack Black and Steve Zahn.<\/p>\n And on streaming services you’re likely already paying for, the critically acclaimed If I Had Legs I’d Kick You <\/em>starring Rose Byrne is now on HBO Max, and The Wrecking Crew,<\/em> a new straight-to-streaming action-comedy with a pair of A-listers, hits Prime Video.<\/p>\n Read on, as there’s a lot more, and there’s always something for everyone.<\/p>\n Why you should see it: <\/strong> Horror legend and Evil Dead <\/em>mastermind Sam Raimi returns to the genre that made him, marking his first return since 2009’s wonderful Drag Me to Hell, <\/em>and his first R-rated affair since 1997’s The Gift. <\/em><\/p>\n Send Help <\/em>is a survival horror film about a meek employee and Survivor <\/em>lover, Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams), and her insufferable boss (the increasingly prevalent Dylan O’Brien<\/a>), who become stranded on a deserted island, the only survivors of a plane crash. Here, they must overcome past grievances and work together to survive as power dynamics are completely inverted. It’s like Triangle of Sadness <\/em>but homed in on modern-day office culture and flipping that gendered power imbalance that can exist in the workplace.<\/p>\n The bad news? The film, as most do these days, relies far too heavily on lousy-looking digital effects, from the backgrounds to CGI wild boars to terrible-looking digital compositing as a hilarious amount of blood is thrust upon McAdams’s face.<\/p>\n There are enough of his directorial flourishes throughout (as well as running gags; keen-eyed viewers will notice both Bruce Campbell and the 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 in there somewhere) to make it feel enough like a Raimi film. He even somehow sneaks a Deadite-looking zombie into the proceedings.<\/p>\n It’s broad and silly stuff that’s completely elevated by not only its director but also its two stars, who are both having so much fun in their roles that it really ups the ante on how often you’ll be laughing and\/or screaming. There’s a hilarious puking scene that bests all other Raimi puke scenes, and that’s saying something. It’s probably trashier than you’re expecting from the trailers, which is also a plus in my book. It’s got some twists and is quite clever.<\/p>\n It truly feels as if McAdams was game for whatever craziness was thrown at her, and she excels in the role as we see her character morph under her new circumstances. O’Brien is so good at playing the sniveling asshole you immediately hate, and his shift is similarly delightful to behold. He’s quickly becoming one of the most exciting actors these days, after a killer 2025 that included amazing dual performances in Twinless <\/em>and a terrific turn in the underseen Anniversary. <\/em><\/p>\n Send Help <\/em>is a two-hander that feels like it’s engineered to be a performance showcase for its pair of leads, and thankfully, they’re both more than up to the task. It’s also a treat to see Raimi flex his skills on material that’s beneath his pay-grade at this point \u2014 he’s the man behind the original live-action Tobey Maguire Spider-Man <\/em>movies and the latest Doctor Strange <\/em>movie, after all \u2014 but far more in my wheelhouse. Having iconic composer Danny Elfman on board doesn’t hurt, either. What year is it again?!<\/p>\n What other critics are saying: <\/strong>It’s a hit! Clarisse Loughrey at the Independent<\/a> writes that the film ultimately “becomes the best of both worlds: indulgent Raimi splatter fueled by a satisfying touch of righteous rage.” IndieWire’s Alison Foreman <\/a>calls it “wickedly lovable with the potential to be timeless,” adding that it’s “controlled delirium microwaved on high heat. At 66, Raimi reminds us who he was when he made horror-comedy history with Evil Dead II<\/em>, and more importantly, why his voice still matters.”<\/p>\n How to watch:<\/strong> Send Help <\/em>is now playing in theaters nationwide<\/a>.<\/p>\n\ud83c\udfa5 What to watch in theaters<\/strong><\/h2>\n
My recommendation:<\/strong> Send Help<\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n