For the majority of this Send Help, viewers might be confused as to why it’s labeled as a “horror comedy”. The movie almost appears as a slightly unusual, admittedly extreme enemies-to-lovers story — an awkward employee and her arrogant, rude new boss get stuck on an abandoned island, forced to work together if they wish to survive as they exchange witty quips and irritated remarks.
However, what watchers are truly in for is a uniquely gory, humorous, and brutal example of repressed female rage and desire for control.
Not Your Typical Horror… Until It Is
Send Help begins with a socially awkward, lonely, and generally disliked office employee named Linda being passed up for credit on her work. Viewers can’t help but feel sorry for her, especially because of Linda’s clear desperation for approval.
They may also find themselves cringing as Linda makes one-too-many uncomfortable jokes that nobody laughs at. She proceeds to go home to her beloved bird, spilling out her guts to the feathered pet in an attempt to mitigate her loneliness.
Things take a turn for the worse when her previous boss, who promised her a promotion, passes away, and his son, Bradley, comes to take his place in the office. He acts harshly, purposely offering the promotion to his frat buddy instead, and Linda is understandably upset; she demands that he rethink this decision, and Bradley reluctantly agrees that she can come along on the flight to work on their Bangkok merger (before laughing at her Survivor audition video with his friends, and, no, he won’t be laughing for long).
The plane crashes, and Bradley and Linda are the only survivors.
The rest of the film follows their attempts to survive on the island, with Bradley having to depend on Linda in a fascinating and gratifying reversal of their positions; his leg is injured, and she absolutely excels at building shelter, hunting for food, and generally living off the land. Over time, they appear to grow closer, with Bradley’s character softening around the edges and Linda seeming more capable than ever.
Viewers are likely to find themselves grinning (or rolling their eyes) as the characters share their traumatic backstories with one another in the romantic firelight. They might wonder, “How is this even a horror, besides the gore and nastiness that border on hilarious?”
Here is where Send Help shows its wild side. Bradley drugs Linda and tries to leave the island, but fails miserably (he’s not the most capable with survival skills, likely due to his coddled lifestyle). In return, Linda drugs him back and threatens to cut his balls off. Not such wholesome banter, anymore.
When Bradley’s fianceé, Zari, finds the island with a boat driver, Linda murders them both and finds herself haunted by Zari in her nightmares. Finally, the film feels genuinely horrifying.
Bradley discovers the truth of what Linda has done, and so the hunt begins. They engage in a fight that could only be described as disgusting, with Linda biting chunks of skin and Bradley gouging Linda’s eyeball.
In the end, Bradley finds a large house on the island, which Linda reveals that she has known about for a long time, and he begs for her forgiveness on his knees as she points a gun at him, claiming that he loves her. He manages to get the gun, but, lo and behold, it’s empty.
She kills him and manages to become rich and famous back home, deemed the only survivor of the crash.
Send Help’s ability to turn the narrative on its head and lean into Linda’s terrifying aspects so late into the film is both unique and entertaining, catching viewers off-guard despite their knowledge of the genre.
Themes of Power and Control
Besides the mood change from humorously flirtatious to horrifyingly murderous, this film’s success mainly stems from its character interactions and thematic messaging. In presenting Bradley as the typical oppressive, misogynistic boss that treats women as beneath him (especially in an office setting, where such views are common) viewers are likely to understand or even relate to Linda’s rage and desire for control when she is placed in a playing field that benefits her (the island).
Therefore, viewers likely find themselves rooting for her for most of the movie, feeling a sense of justice as she gains power when it has so often been stolen from her in a patriarchal society. Watching Linda finally stand up for herself and gain control over Bradley upsets the status quo, and her increasing insanity reveals that even “kind” people are not always what they seem — and women are not always the helpless victims that they are expected to be.
Overall, Send Help, while remaining consistently gory throughout, mainly presents the intense horror close to the end of the film, which, while possibly appearing as a weakness, actually offers a unique, romantic build-up that shocks viewers more effectively when it is subverted. The film’s ability to present the most extreme form of female rage and longing for power is impressive, along with showing Linda’s isolation and unhinged attitude that only becomes more apparent as the film progresses.