Send Help, Sam Raimi interview

"I think the qualities that the two writers, Shannon and Swift, put into their screenplay really were attractive to the producers, Zayneb Azizi and myself, and we just tried to maintain the comedy and their... their goals in crafting that very intricate script, bring it to life and hopefully make it even better with the contributions of our great Bill Pope photography... photography... incredible art department, our producer J.J. Hook down in Australia really made things come to life in a big way for us on set, and really it was all about the actors. It was all about Rachel and Dylan and their electric performances, I thought.

Because it has suspense elements that get the audience to the edge of their seat and then they gasp and they do it together, and the fear when it's a suspense or... or slightly horror-ish scene, the anticipation and the dread in the audience really multiplies with the group. It's like people feed on each other's fear. Same is true with the fun. When the... when the laughs come, I think having a few people laugh really spurs the others to... it gives them permission in a weird way. And it's a wonderful cathartic experience, as you know, to be with a group of people who are all enjoying the same thing, all afraid of the same thing, all gasp, all laugh together and... I love being part of it."

Sam Raimi: From Spider-Man to Send Help

Sam Raimi is solidifying his position in the contemporary cinematic landscape with his return to directing an original feature film, confirming a lifelong preference for the genre-blending that has defined his forty-year career. The American director, celebrated for the Spider-Man trilogy and the cult Evil Dead franchise, recently kicked off 2026 with the theatrical release of Send Help, a survival thriller with horror and grotesque undertones that marks his first R-rated film in over twenty-six years.

The Send Help project, distributed by 20th Century Studios, sees Raimi directing Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien in a story set on a deserted island. The plot follows Linda Liddle and Bradley Preston, two colleagues who were once rivals divided by toxic power dynamics, who find themselves the sole survivors of a plane crash. Critics have described the film as a stylistic cross between the isolation of Cast Away and the psychological tension of Misery, reviving the extreme and sarcastic visual language that Raimi had partially set aside during major Marvel productions like the recent Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness.

From a professional standpoint, the making of the film followed an international production path that began in early 2025. Filming moved from soundstages in Sydney and Los Angeles to natural locations in Thailand, where the production had to manage logistical challenges related to the tropical climate. For the soundtrack, the director reunited with composer Danny Elfman, his long-time artistic partner since the days of Darkman, ensuring the signature sound typical of his most visionary works.

Raimi’s history on set is filled with technical anecdotes that define his style, such as the invention of the "shaky cam" to simulate the point of view of unseen forces on a low budget. Even in this mature stage of his career, the director has maintained the habit of including personal nods in his work, such as the constant presence of the 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88—the family car that has appeared in nearly every one of his films. Additionally, Send Help features Emma Raimi, the director's daughter, in a supporting role, continuing a tradition of family and friend collaborations that has always characterized his filmmaking.