Why the Vicious Ending of Send Help Might Feel Familiar

by

The darkly comedic thriller Send Help, currently playing in theaters, dramatically changes the relationship between privileged CEO Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien) and his dedicated assistant, Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams). By the film’s intense finale, the characters are almost completely different from who they were at the beginning of this twisted, competitive story.

When their plane crashes in the Gulf of Thailand during a business trip, Linda and Bradley find themselves stranded on a deserted island. Their already strained relationship takes a dramatic turn. Linda resented Bradley for denying her a promised promotion – choosing a friend over her – and now, the tables have turned. Bradley, a polished executive used to being in charge, is completely unprepared for survival. Linda, whom he dismissed as timid and insignificant, reveals herself to be a resourceful and surprisingly vengeful survivalist. She now holds all the power and uses it to control him, leaving him utterly dependent on her.

Horror master Sam Raimi (known for films like The Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell) directs Send Help, a movie written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (who worked on Baywatch and Friday the 13th). It’s been described as a high-energy blend of Misery and Castaway, with Raimi’s trademark dark humor. However, the film’s surprising ending also shares similarities with the recent, popular satire Triangle of Sadness.

Ruben Östlund’s 2022 film, nominated for Best Picture, follows a group of passengers and crew on a superyacht who are stranded on a deserted island after a pirate attack. Cut off from the outside world, and with their usual advantages stripped away, the power dynamic quickly changes. Abigail, a resourceful and previously unnoticed toilet manager (played by Dolly de Leon), becomes the most capable person among them, shifting the balance away from the wealthy and entitled passengers.

Over time, Abigail transforms into a controlling leader, using vital supplies to force the other survivors to do what she wants and setting up a system of trading favors – even trading resources for sexual favors. During an exploration of the island, Abigail and Yaya, a fashion model, discover a luxury resort right next to their beach. Excited by the prospect of rescue, Yaya celebrates, unaware that Abigail is secretly approaching behind her with a large rock. Abigail seems unwilling to give up her power and return to a normal life. The film ends without revealing whether Abigail actually attacks Yaya, leaving the audience to decide for themselves if she killed Yaya to maintain control.

“Send Help” explores a similar power struggle between Bradley and Linda. After enduring weeks of control by Linda, Bradley learns his fiancée and a boat guide arrived to save him, but Linda murdered them both to avoid going back to normal life. Bradley then discovers a luxurious, fully-equipped mansion on a part of the island Linda had convinced him was unreachable.

I was totally gripped by this story! It’s about Bradley, who’s really trying to break free from the person holding him captive. But Linda? She’s hesitant to go back to her old life. Things explode after a massive fight, and Linda finally sees that Bradley’s promises of a life together on the island weren’t genuine. In a shocking turn, she ends up killing him with a golf club. It’s a dark and intense story, but so compelling!

The movie concludes by showing that Linda ultimately built a raft, was rescued, and created a dramatic story about being the only person to survive the plane crash. She now enjoys a wealthy lifestyle, using her reputation as a brave castaway to become the arrogant and privileged person she used to despise.

Absolute power corrupts absolutely, we guess.

Read More

2026-01-31 03:06