- Date of Release: 30 January 2026
- Genre: Horror, Thriller
- Language: English
- Watch On: Theatres Only
Send Help
Introduction
We all have distinct images of Shrikant beating his boss to pulp in a meeting room in The Family Man. And the level of satisfaction was at its absolute peak. Elsewhere, the term ‘Khooni Monday’ is infamous – not because of the work per se, but because you would be going to a battle with your boss after a weekend truce. At some point in our lives, we have all had a love-hate relationship with our bosses – be it a simple rejection of your promotions, or often being guilty of dangling a carrot with promises so false that you start developing trust issues with everyone around you. Having worked in the corporate earlier, all these boxes automatically are ticked, in what is a searing game of capitalism. The rant in me is alive and how!
In the new English film Send Help, Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) hasn’t yet reached her tipping point. She is still oblivious of the fact that she is being used for her work, while falsely hoping for a promotion. And yes her biggest crime – she is a woman, a specific category of species who are threatened, sidelined, abused and tortured by the patriarchal system in corporate, while they continue to be silent, hopeful and disarming with their smiles. In an early scene, you see a character sneakily taking credit for a task performed by Linda, even as the latter watches him disappear in a meeting room. Hope is the only constant for Linda, even as she expects a change in fortunes with the change in management involving Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien) who immediately takes a disliking to her. He is quick to mistreat her while offering a dangling carrot – a work-trip to Thailand with the ‘boys’, with the broader plan being for her to do all the work, and for the ‘boys’ to enjoy. But nothing goes as planned!
Story & Screenplay
Written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, Send Help (a metaphor for the work dumped onto the helpless employees with a wicked Uno Reverse card) serves as a guilty pleasure for the suffering corporate employees who have silently cursed the existence of their bosses. Incidently, the setting also feels ironic, a question that would straight up appear on Koffee With Karan – If you are stranded on an island with your ex, what would you do? The ‘island’ and ‘you’ are constants and so is your toxic relationship, reminiscent of your ex but still tormenting you for major parts of your day. And here, it is interesting how a hilariously tragic plane crash (no references to real life) brings Linda and Bradley together. They would be a match made in heaven like Rohit and Soniya in Kaho Na Pyaar Hai (2000), but here they are just survivors with the added hierarchy of an employer and a boss.
There is a distinct theme of resourcefulness that laces the narrative, even as you spot Linda doing a lot of the heavy-lifting while her ungrateful prick of a boss lies down in ‘pain’. During a passage of play, you spot her twigging leaves together for shelter, lighting up a fire, going bore-hunting in a scene that remains a highlight, and is receiving end of the tantrums of Bradley. Linda has perhaps been so resilient to insults that all she does is greet him with a smile, even while a fan of the ‘Survivor’ series acts as a timely hack on an island that feels increasingly dangerous. And yet, an early glimpse of her twisted demeanor is revealed in a particular scene wherein she doesn’t wish to be rescued.
The proceedings remain quirky and infused with black humour, even as you witness the hierarchy evening out between the two protagonists. She is resourceful, he is just an ‘a*shole, and that is the perfect recipe for opposites to attract – if this were a Hindi film paddling the current wave of toxicity. You would have the duo falling in love on the beach in classic rendition of Cast Away (2000) with the originality being that there are two people stranded, not just one. And to be fair, the drama does flirt in that direction – something that genuinely made me question a cop-out featuring familiar character arcs. But then came the twisted final 40 minutes that flipped the narrative on its head!
The subtext in the drama during a phase of fondness between the two protagonists remains that of corporate life wherein in a moment of zest, the employees start getting personal with their bosses. But the bosses are perennial a*sholes known to use that information against them. So the bonfire talks of vulnerability and warmth filled with cozy promises of promotion, or simply leading a life in exile, had seeds of manipulation – something that is revealed shortly. And yet, the writing remains so crisp that it blurs the boundaries between the hunter and the hunted, twisting the definition of morals and how!
<span;>I literally found myself gasping at various moments, in what felt like a twisted cat and mouse chase wherein you wouldn’t know who ends up winning. It truly was edge of the seat stuff but more importantly, a searing representative of the unsaid rant that would be lurking inside you – threatening to venture to the surface but ultimately left buried, in the wake of appraisal discussions or promotional cycles underway. And I liked how the screenplay blurred the boundaries of gender (they could be interchanged here but with the same outcome) by allowing the corporate friction to be generalized in every way possible. It felt personal…..and satisfying!
Dialogues, Music & Direction
The dialogues have atleast a couple of gems to be discovered amidst the chaos. Lines like ‘Don’t take my kindness for my weakness’ or ‘No one is coming to help you’ felt like personal anecdotes of being as resourceful as Linda without expecting help from the people around you, who would often take you for granted. The responsibility lies with you, and you alone! The BGM is fabulous whilst almost being playful with the various shades it offers in the narrative. What is even better is the sound design – be it the natural rhythms of the beach-side, or the use of silence in several tense situations which are sprinkled in the narrative.
The cinematography comprises of frames that keep you on your toes, always being content with following the characters around and capturing the chaos in between. The editing pattern is crisp and ‘razor’ sharp, always doing its bit to keep you invested throughout the narrative, even while seamlessly accounting for multiple genre shifts. Director Sam Raimi, the man behind visionary horror films like The Evil Dead, is in top form here. He caters to every corporate employee’s wet dream by pushing the envelope of gore without losing sight of the quirks in the narrative. This remains an effective form of storytelling simply because the veteran filmmaker is eager to pit two drastically opposite personalities of different hierarchies in a secluded setting, while allowing them space to react and survive. The genre-shifts are tackled with utmost precision, and that itself was enough to tell me that the director does a fine job here!
Performances
The performances are excellent by the members of the cast. Edyll Ismail as Zuri, Chris Pang as Chase, Xavier Samuel as Donovan and Dennis Haysbert as Franklin have their moments to shine. Dylan O’Brien as Bradley perfectly latches on to the trait that makes his character a prick, and it definitely uses his annoying mannerisms to pull this off. And I was impressed with the manner in which he handled the various shades of his character. At a point, I invariably found myself rooting for him – a perfect trait employed by corporate bosses to get their work done. He was a treat to witness here! Rachel McAdams as Linda is absolutely brilliant here – charming, twisted, friendly, insane – and every other contrasting adjectives that one could ever think of. There is an easy energy presented by her act, one that is unassuming but also wickedly unpredictable, something that she taps into perfectly. I would have admitted on having huge crush on her, had I not witnessed her right at the end😂. She was terrifyingly terrific!
Conclusion
Send Help is a brilliantly twisted horror-thriller presented as every corporate employee’s wet dream – of having their bosses beaten up 😂. The drama is wickedly hilarious and simply outstanding. And come to think of it that this film is out on the brink of the appraisal season – Wicked I tell you! Available in a theatre near you and Highly Recommended!