the symbiotic romance between comedy and horror

SEND HELP, Sam Raimi and why we need mid-budget films

Hi writing buddies,

Hope you’re having a bloody brilliant day (foreshadow intended).

I got a question for you…

When did movies become so serious?

A time when we got such a range of stories, different scales and approaches, where directors were able to put their own spin on things and push unique ideas forward without as much studio interference. Where studios bet boldly on new projects, paving the way for some of our most established and profitable franchises to date. Think Pirates of the Caribbean, Transformers, Fast & Furious, Indiana Jones.

But outside of those bigger IP franchises, the 90s and 2000s also held space for the mid-budget film — often romantic comedies, dramas, or horror films.

Especially when you look at horror, there was such a unique range of subgenres and genre blending. You had self-aware slashers like Scream (1996), teen supernatural horror like The Craft (1996), psychological horror like The Sixth Sense (1999), creature features like The Faculty (1998), and then chaotic horror-comedy brilliance like Scary Movie (2000) and Shaun of the Dead (2004).

There was room for horror and comedy to be brilliantly matched, without feeling the need to be overly deep or intellectual.

It could just be… a fun time. I know. Crazy idea.

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If you haven’t seen me before, I’m Elin

This is our corner of the internet where we nerd out on films, books and writing

Horror and comedy have always had a slightly intense but oddly symbiotic relationship. Both rely heavily on tension and release. Both manipulate timing. Both understand the importance of build up.

If you go back even further, you can see it in films like Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948) or later in Gremlins (1984). There’s something oddly comforting about laughing right after you’ve been scared — it makes the experience communal and more bonding.

Which brings us to SEND HELP, the latest film by Sam Raimi, with a screenplay by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien.

The story follows a woman who gets passed up for a promotion and her new thirty-something nepo-baby, overbearing boss, as they get stranded on a deserted island after a plane crash. It becomes a battle of wills, as they’re both forced into roles wildly different from who they were at work.

Sam Raimi has such a talent to elevate a decent but basic script into something so incredibly entertaining, the camera work is elevating the story here in such a fun interesting ways.

There is a scene early on in the airplane, where the physical comedy comes from the camera angles and it’s absolutely brilliant.

Sam also lets his actors have a lot of fun with it, Rachel McAdams has always been such a star when it comes to drama and romantic comedies but she really knocked it out of the park, managing to turn quite a stereotypical character into someone really fun to watch

Dylan O’Brien always delivers. He’s able to switch on a dime, using only his facial expressions. Making a slimy unlikable character have layers and depth.

Their chemistry is on point and it’s clear they played off each other really well on set.

It might surprise you but I really can’t handle horror films, I’m embarrassingly easy to scare but I had a great time with this one so I need to check out Sam’s previous work

And honestly? Supporting mid-budget films like this matters. If we don’t show up for them, studios will keep defaulting to the safest bets — the sequels, the remakes, the cinematic universes. Mid-budget films are often where directors experiment and actors stretch. Where original ideas are tested without the weight of billion-dollar expectations.

And this is a great one to watch in cinemas.

Comment - Do you like horror films? Are you planning to see SEND HELP?

All my love
Elin

Thank you for being here, for being you, and for supporting a space where we get excited about stories and ideas in a noisy world.