Sam Raimi’s New Horror Movie Ties a 22 Year Rotten Tomatoes Record

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As of this writing, Send Help has a Rotten Tomatoes score of 93% with 56 reviews counted. This means the horror movie is now tied with 2004’s Spider-Man 2 as the highest-rated movie of Raimi’s career. Both narrowly edge out Drag Me to Hell (92%) for the top spot.

What Critics Are Saying About Send Help

A critics consensus for Send Help hasn’t been published yet, but looking over the reviews gives people a good idea of the movie’s pros and cons. The general feeling is that it’s great to see Raimi return to his horror roots, and he largely hasn’t lost a step. Bolstered by strong performances from Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, Send Help is a treat for genre fans as Raimi taps into his classic sensibilities by blending together elements of horror, comedy, and psychological thriller to craft a fulfilling experience. Some critics pointed out how Send Help toys with audience expectations to keep viewers on their toes.

With such a high Rotten Tomatoes score out of the gate, there aren’t many negative reviews for Send Help, but a few are out there. In those write-ups, people seem to take issue with what’s perceived as an underwhelming script and some plot twists, but those voices appear to be in the minority. Most are in agreement that Send Help is an enjoyable slice of high-concept genre filmmaking, making it the perfect kind of movie to come out at this time of year.

It will be interesting to see if the word of mouth has any impact on Send Help‘s box office prospects. So far, the new releases this January have underwhelmed, with 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple and Mercy posting low openings. While Mercy was largely panned, The Bone Temple earned strong reviews, so we’ve seen that positive critical reception does not always lead to high box office figures. Send Help could be a bit of a different situation, however; The Bone Temple is part of a horror franchise that’s always been a bit more niche. Send Help looks to be more of a straightforward, crowd-pleasing horror exercise that could be a sizable draw. Raimi remains a recognizable name, so there will likely be some interest in seeing his latest.

It’s important to keep in mind that the Send Help Rotten Tomatoes score should fluctuate over the next handful of days. There will likely be hundreds of more reviews published during that time. As a comparison, Raimi’s last film, Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, has 465 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes. Some of Raimi’s recent producing credits, such as 65 and Evil Dead Rise, also have a considerable amount (130 and 241, respectively). So odds are, we’re still waiting for several critics to weigh in with their thoughts on Send Help. Depending on how that turns out, Spider-Man 2 could be in sole position of first place again, but regardless of what happens, Send Help looks like it’ll be a winner for Raimi.

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