Cast:
Rachel McAdams (Linda Liddle), Dylan O'Brien (Bradley Preston), with Edyll Ismail (Zuri), Xavier Samuel (Donovan), Chris Pang (Chase), Dennis Haysbert (Franklin), Thaneth Warakulnukroh (Boat captain), Emma Raimi (River), and Kristy Best (Polly Perera) Directed by Sam Raimi (#611 - Spider-Man, #1296 - The Evil Dead, #1483 - Evil Dead II, #1495 - Darkman, #1695 - Spider-Man 2, and #1779 - Spider-Man 3, and #1840 - Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, #2141 - Army of Darkness)
Review:
“[The studio] recognized what we were trying to do, and they were on board with that. Instead of taking this feathered fish and trying to cut off the feathers or trying to remove the scales, they said, ‘Yes, this is a unique thing. Changing it would not be for the better.’ Just embrace what it is. It’s just different.”
Oh hell yes, I was curious about this movie. Apparently, Sam Raimi was tapped to direct this film for a number of years after hearing a pitch from Mark Swift and Damian Shannon (who might be best known for their work on scripts such as Freddy vs. Jason [2003]). They wrote the script in 2019, and in that same year, Columbia Pictures had Raimi attached to do the project but it took several years in actually finding someone that wanted to finance it and also have it play in theaters rather than streaming (argue if you want, I applaud Raimi for his desire to do a theatrical film). It eventually found favor with 20th Century (Fox) Studios; the script was written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon (who might be best known for their work on scripts such as Freddy vs. Jason [2003]). And yes, this is the first Sam Raimi horror movie since Drag Me to Hell (2009)*, if you were curious.
Okay, sure, it's a "thriller" movie, but there is a body count and there are a few moments with blood and tension. It just so happens to be a movie involving radical reversal of their everyday routines that can be heaven or hell depending on how you view it. A little bit of Misery and a little bit of Cast Away (or, as others have argued, inspired in some part by Triangle of Sadness, which I never saw) goes a long way for a chippy survival film that has enjoyable bits that actually are darkly amusing. I myself wouldn't know what to do when stuck on an island (especially after being reminded yet again why I don't like the idea of flying on an airplane), so I cannot imagine being stuck with someone that actually watches Survivor (now, I could understand Big Brother, I watched that for a time...). You get your little moments of queasiness in terms of a body count, projectile vomit and more (I saw this in 3-D and yeah, I suppose it works to what you would hope for). With that in mind, McAdams is particularly entertaining because of the layers that fade in and out of that combo of awkwardness and determination. You get the best of both worlds in enjoying the character that comes through in the two environments: one that is corny but basically solitary in corporate life and one that is basically as happy as one could be in a "adapt or die" island life* that is, well, pretty likable. And then of course there is O'Brien, who manages to sell it just as well in the perils that come with being turned upside down in the totem pole of power dynamics that is just as amusing in the overgrown qualities that come with pathetic creatures that believe themselves to be better than you just because of who they were born to. To appreciate this movie is to enjoy the tension between McAdams and O'Brien in what is said and unsaid (at a certain point, any simmering might as well be in the freezer) between them, which is particularly entertaining for the climax in high-energy queasiness. As a whole, I enjoyed this movie to a pretty solid level. It is a nice movie that manages to make the 115 minute runtime roll off without one feeling helpless at what they are seeing (i.e. it feels like a complete movie to actually look at and have glee over without also wondering about the effects being distracting). It's a neat feature with a mix of squeamish and humorous moments that I would recommend without question for the level of fun to be had here.
Overall, I give it 8 out of 10 stars.
*I really probably should've picked that movie for last November, because it was a finalist.
*A lot of this is basically code for "they put her in frumpy looking clothes before eventually revealing that when trapped in an island, yes, you would want to be there with Rachel McAdams.
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