Quentin Tarantino ADVENTURES OF CLIFF BOOTH Trailer Breakdown! Once Upon A Time In Hollywood Sequel!

 

Hype Rating: 11/10 (I literally broke my remote)

Okay, look. If you were watching the Super Bowl last night, I know for a fact you didn't just drop your drink. You probably choked on a wing, fell off the couch, and screamed at your TV. Because I sure as hell did.

We were expecting beer commercials. Maybe a marvel teaser. We were not expecting the holy grail of film surprises: The Adventures of Cliff Booth.

I’m still shaking. The rumors were actually real. We are getting a sequel to Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. But the twist? The name that flashed on the screen as the director? David. Freaking. Fincher.

My brain cannot compute this. It’s the collab I didn’t know I needed until right now. You’ve got Tarantino’s script—that sharp, snappy, perfect dialogue—filmed through Fincher’s cold, clinical, "I’m going to stress you out" lens. It’s like mixing a dry martini with gasoline.

Let’s calm down (impossible) and break down everything we saw in this neon-soaked fever dream.

Cliff is Back, Baby (and He’s a Legend)

The trailer opens, and just seeing Brad Pitt back in that aviator-shade swagger gave me instant goosebumps. But it’s been eight years. It’s 1977 now.

The best moment? Cliff chatting with Elizabeth Debicki’s character about the night he "subdued those hippie intruders."

"I don't possess many talents," Cliff says with that smirk that deserves an Oscar of its own, "but I know better than getting in the way of a good story."

I actually laughed out loud. It’s so perfect. In this timeline, the Manson family didn't terrorize Hollywood; they got their asses kicked by a high stuntman and his pitbull. Cliff isn't just a stuntman anymore; he’s an urban legend. He’s a "fixer" now. And honestly? The idea of Cliff Booth navigating the seedy, coke-fueled underbelly of the late 70s as a violent Ray Donovan is the coolest concept I’ve ever heard.

The "Bureau of Content Compliance"? (WTF is this?)

Did anyone else notice the censorship? It was so weird but so stylish. Cigarettes scribbled out. Booze labels blurred.

The title card read: "Approved for all audiences by the Bureau of Content Compliance."

This is where my nerd brain activated. That Bureau didn't exist in real life. This is pure Tarantino alternate history. It feels like the government in this universe has gone full "nanny state," and the movie is fighting against it. It’s scratching out the "naughty bits" in this grindhouse way that feels rebellious. It adds this layer of unease—like, what are they hiding from us?

The Vibe: 1977 is Dirty and I Love It

The music dropped—Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s Peter Gunn Theme—and I was transported. This isn't the golden, sunny 60s of the first movie. This is the 70s. It’s gritty. It’s dark. It’s the era of Star Wars and disco, but Fincher makes it look like a crime scene waiting to happen.

Seeing the Paramount lot with posters for Looking for Mr. Goodbar rooted it in reality, but that demolition derby shot? That was pure chaos. It feels like Cliff is driving straight into hell, and he’s enjoying the ride.

The Cast: I Have TEARS in My Eyes

Okay, we need to talk about Timothy Olyphant.

If you know the real history, you know actor James Stacy lost his arm and leg in a motorcycle crash in 1973. It’s tragic. But in the trailer? We see James Stacy in a club in ’77, dancing, completely whole.

I genuinely got choked up. Just like saving Sharon Tate, Tarantino used his universe to save James Stacy. It’s a small detail, but it hits you right in the heart. Cliff’s violence saved people. It mattered.

Also spotted:

• Peter Weller (RoboCop!!) holding four aces and looking like the villain of my dreams.

• Yaya Abdul-Mateen II looking slick as hell.

• Scott Caan getting censored mid-sentence (hilarious).

When the trailer ended with Cliff saying, "I'm a little funny," I realized how much I missed this character. He’s dangerous, he’s a mystery, and he’s arguably the coolest character Brad Pitt has ever played.

Tarantino writing. Fincher directing. Brad acting. It feels like a "What If?" comic book come to life. I don't care that it's on Netflix; I would pay $50 to see this in a theater right now.

My Hype Level: Unhealthy. My Drink: Spilled. My Calendar: Cleared for whenever "Coming Soon" is.

Did you guys catch the True Romance reference? Or the Big Kahuna Burger sign? Tell me I’m not crazy in the comments. We need to discuss this immediately!

THE BEAUTY Episodes 1-3 Ending Explained & Review

 

Look, can I be real for a second? Being a Ryan Murphy fan is... exhausting. It’s an abusive relationship. We are constantly oscillating between "This is a masterpiece" and "Why am I watching this trash?"

After Grotesquerie and the disaster that was Rules Fair last year (seriously, who approved that?), my trust issues were at an all-time high. I went into The Beauty with my arms crossed, ready to hate-watch. I was fully prepared for another style-over-substance, stunt-casting mess. I thought the magic of the early AHS days was dead and buried.

But you guys... I was wrong.

I sat down to watch the first three episodes, and I didn't just watch them—I inhaled them. I am actually, genuinely hooked.

The Vibe Check

This isn't just "camp for the sake of camp." It feels like the show actually has something to say. It’s about vanity, rage, and how terrifyingly desperate we are to be perfect. It balances that classic Murphy gloss with some actual, unsettling horror that made my skin crawl.

The Premise: Get Hot or Die Trying

Here’s the deal, and it is terrifyingly plausible: There’s a "drug" (which is basically a virus) run by Byron Forst—played by Ashton Kutcher, who is weirdly perfect for this shady CEO role. It’s the Fountain of Youth, but it’s an STD.

If you get the corporate version, you stop aging. We see this with Anthony Ramos (who plays Antonio the Assassin). The man is 65 years old in the show but looks incredible. But here’s the catch—and it’s a nasty one. If you get the virus the "natural" way (sexually transmitted), it’s a ticking time bomb.

You get two years of being the hottest version of yourself. Then? You literally burn from the inside out. You go into a blind, murderous rage and then spontaneously combust. That opening scene with Ruby on a rampage? I was gagged. It was brutal, it was loud, and it set the stakes immediately.

The Philosophy: Why This Hit Me Hard

What surprised me most wasn’t the gore—it was the dialogue. There is a philosophical battle happening here that actually made me tear up a little.

Team Surgery (Jordan): Rebecca Hall’s character, Jordan, talks about plastic surgery in a way that feels so real. She admits she was insecure, and "fixing" herself made her love her body. It’s the idea that beauty is pain, but that pain buys you peace of mind. I get that. I think we all get that desire to just... fix the thing that bothers us.

Team Kintsugi (Cooper): Then you have Evan Peters (my king, always) as Cooper. He talks about a date with grey teeth and brings up Kintsugi—the Japanese art of fixing broken pottery with gold to highlight the cracks.

"We love the cracks in the armor." I literally paused the show to sit with that. The idea that our breaks make us valuable? In an Instagram-filter world, that line hit different.

Character Deep Dive: The Heartbreak

Jeremy’s Arc: I need to talk about Jeremy because I am not okay. His storyline broke my heart. He’s the guy who thinks his looks are the only reason he’s unhappy. That scene where he’s crying in the basement? I felt that in my soul.

The tragedy is that when he gets the virus and becomes "beautiful," he isn't Jeremy anymore. He smiles in the mirror, but the person looking back is a stranger. He erased himself. It’s devastating.

Jordan’s Transformation: And Jordan... oh my god. She catches the virus after finally learning to love herself. The transformation scene—where she cocoons and emerges as a "butterfly"—was straight-up body horror art. But the look on her face? She was disappointed. She had done the work to love her flaws, and the virus stole that victory from her by making her "perfect." Cruel. Just cruel.

That Chaos Ending & The Future

The episode endings were a bit choppy (classic Murphy pacing issues, let’s be real), but the end of Episode 3? Pure chaos.

Cooper going full Jason Bourne in Venice? I didn’t know I needed Action Hero Evan Peters, but now I can’t live without him. The way he took that guy out was visceral.

And now, with Manny (Ben Platt) getting infected fluids in his eye? You just know Cooper is going to have to watch his friend turn into a monster. I am already pre-grieving.

The Verdict

The Good:

• The Cast: Evan Peters is carrying, as usual. Anthony Ramos is scary-good. Rebecca Hall is a queen.

• The Horror: It’s gross, it’s bloody, and it hurts. Exactly what I wanted.

• The Message: It’s a satire written in blood. The "Beauty" hieroglyphic written in red? Chills.

The Bad:

• Meghan Trainor: Look... I love a bop, but her cameo took me right out of the fantasy. It felt a little too stunt-casty.

• The Pacing: Stop jumping between cities every 5 seconds, Ryan! Let us breathe!

My Rating: 8.5/10 🔥

It’s not perfect, but it’s original, and for the first time in a long time, I actually care about the characters. If you’ve been burnt by AHS lately, come back home. This one is worth the pain.

What did you guys think? Are we Team Kintsugi or Team Surgery? Let’s fight in the comments.

KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS Episode 4 Breakdown & Ending Explained | Game Of Thrones Easter Eggs

 

Rating: 9.5/10 (Emotional Damage Imminent)

Is everyone else holding their breath? Because I don't think I exhaled for the entire runtime of this episode.

If the last few weeks were about the sunshine, tournaments, and the romance of being a knight, Episode 4 just grabbed us by the collar and dragged us into the mud. This wasn't just "good TV"—this felt heavy. It felt like the calm before a storm that’s about to wipe the map clean.

We watched Ser Duncan the Tall hit rock bottom this week, and honestly? It hurt. But it’s also the fire that’s going to forge the legend we know he becomes. Let’s dive into the cell, the betrayal, and that ending that had me screaming at my screen.

1. Hitting Bottom: Dunk in the Dark

The opening shot broke my heart immediately. We see Dunk in his cell, staring at what looks like stars—the one thing that always gave him comfort when he was sleeping in hedges. But then the camera moves, and you realize... nope. It’s just the damp, cold texture of a prison wall.

It’s such a cruel irony. Dunk spent his whole life dreaming of being inside a castle, of having a roof over his head. Well, be careful what you wish for, right? He got his roof, but it’s a cage. seeing a guy as big and strong as Dunk curled up on that tiny stool just emphasized how small he feels right now. He’s a giant in a world that doesn’t want him.

My emotional wreck moment: When he stroked the wet rat. Even when he’s facing execution, Dunk is still the guy who cares about the little things. He’s worried about his horses while his own life is on the line. That is our knight.

2. Egg’s Visit (Pass the Tissues)

The dynamic flipped so hard here. When Egg walks in, wearing those Targaryen clothes... wow. It’s the first time we’ve really seen him as Aegon Targaryen, not just "Egg." He looked like a mini-Daenerys or Rhaenyra, dripping in royalty, standing over Dunk who is eating with his bare hands because they don't trust him with a fork.

But then came the line that gutted me. Dunk is furious (and rightfully so!), asking if he’s the biggest fool in the world. And Egg, with tears in his eyes, admits he didn’t lie to hurt anyone—he lied because he wanted to be a squire that badly.

"I lied because I wanted to go with you."

I’m not crying, you are. It’s that desperate need to chase a dream, even if you have to tell a "monstrous lie" to do it.

3. The Only Good Targaryen? (All Hail Baelor)

Can we talk about Baelor Breakspear for a second? The man oozes charisma. In a family full of chaotic coin-flips, Baelor is the steady hand. The scene in the library/study was perfect. He treats Dunk like a human being, not a criminal.

But the reality check Baelor gives him is terrifying. Aerion doesn't just want an apology; he wants Dunk’s arm and leg. The way Baelor explains the politics—how a "dead wooden dragon" in a puppet show scares the royals because it looks like a rebellion—shows just how fragile power really is.

4. The Trial of the Seven: The Ultimate Gamble

The audacity of Aerion Brightflame! Sitting there, casually eating nuts while demanding a Trial of the Seven? I have never hated a villain this quickly. He knows exactly what he’s doing. He thinks Dunk is a nobody who can't find one friend, let alone six.

It’s a coward’s move, and even his dad, Maekar, knows it. But it sets the stage for the highest stakes we’ve seen yet. It’s basically a medieval "Survivor Series," and if Dunk loses, he dies.

5. The Betrayal & The Green Apple

Top 10 Anime Betrayals: Steffon Fossoway. I trusted you, Steffon! Last week he was talking about honor and "colonizers" and standing up for the little guy. This week? He sells Dunk out for a lordship. It was a brutal reminder that in Westeros, honor is usually the first casualty.

But then... Raymun Fossoway. What a legend. The moment he looks at his cousin and basically says, "You make me sick," I cheered. And seeing the "Laughing Storm" Lyonel Baratheon just cackle while knighting Raymun on the spot? Cinematic perfection.

• Red Apple: Rotten to the core.

• Green Apple: Unripe, but decent.

• Me: Officially a Fossoway stan (the green kind).

6. The Dragon Dreams (Literal Chills)

Prince Daeron, the "Drunken Dragon," is such a tragic figure. He isn't cruel like Aerion; he's just crushed by the weight of seeing the future. When he tells Dunk about his dream—"A great beast... fallen on top of you. But you were alive"—I got goosebumps.

"Did I kill us?" That line is haunting me. It feels like a horror movie prophecy. We know something bad is coming. You can feel it in the air.

7. The Avengers Assemble

The final sequence? Absolute cinema. Dunk standing there in the rain, looking like he’s about to face the firing squad alone. The smallfolk cheering for him because they see what the high lords ignore: a true knight.

And then they show up. The magnificent seven (well, almost).

• Humphrey with the broken leg? Hero.

• Robyn Rhysling fighting for the gods? Icon.

• The Laughing Storm just wanting to brawl? Legend.

But they were still one man short. The crowd laughed. Aerion smirked. My stomach dropped. And then... the music swelled.

BAELOR. BREAKSPEAR.

When the Crown Prince stepped forward to fight against his own brother and nephew, to save the life of a hedge knight? I actually screamed. That is what a hero looks like. He put his life and his title on the line for justice.

8. Conspiracy Corner (Book Spoilers & Theories)

• The Mystery Woman: Did you guys catch the fortune teller with the wine-stain birthmark? BOOK READERS, WAKE UP! That has to be a nod to Bloodraven (Brynden Rivers). A thousand eyes and one? He is definitely watching these events unfold.

• The Prophecy: Daeron’s dream about the dragon falling... if you know, you know. And if you don’t know, prepare your hearts for the finale. It’s going to be devastating.

Final Thoughts

This episode stripped away the songs and the silk and showed us the gritty, dirty reality of knighthood. Dunk wanted glory, but he found responsibility instead.

I am terrified for next week's finale. The pieces are set, the champions are ready, and the tragedy feels inevitable.

What did you guys think? Did the Baelor reveal make you jump out of your seat too? Let’s scream about it in the comments!

FALLOUT Season 2 Episode 8 Breakdown & Ending Explained | Review & New Vegas Game Easter Eggs

 

Okay, GUYS, take a deep breath. Are we okay? No, seriously, are we okay? Because I’ve been staring at my screen for twenty minutes trying to process what I just watched.

The Season 2 finale, "The Strip," didn't just meet my expectations—it dropped a mini-nuke on them. We finally made it to New Vegas, baby! And let me tell you, the wait was agonizing, but the payoff? Absolute perfection. This wasn't just a wrap-up; it was a masterclass in tension, lore-bombing, and making me care deeply about these messy, broken characters.

If you’re still reeling from that post-credits scene or trying to figure out what "Phase 2" means for our favs, grab a seat. Let's scream about this together.

1. The Legion & That "Home Alone" Cameo?! 😱

Can we start with the cold open? The Legion is in full-blown civil war mode, and it is chaotic. It felt exactly like the lore from the games regarding Caesar's succession, but the showrunners added this hilarious, grim layer of bureaucracy to it.

The old Kaiser dying and leaving a note nobody could read? That is peak Fallout dark humor. But the real jaw-dropper? Macaulay Culkin as the terrifying Legate. Seeing Kevin McCallister go full tyrant was not on my 2026 bingo card, but he stole every second of screen time. When he said, "I am the Legion," I got legitimate chills. It was biblical, it was terrifying, and his little wink about building "Caesar's Palace"? Chefs kiss.

2. Mr. House Lives! (And He’s Portable Now?)

I screamed. I literally screamed. The "Mr. House is alive" theory is CONFIRMED. Seeing him hooked up to the cold fusion tech, recounting how many times he’s been stabbed and shot (shoutout to my fellow New Vegas players—we did that), was surreal.

But the twist? It’s not just that he’s alive. It’s that he pulled a Westworld and uploaded himself into a Pip-Boy. The Implications: Cooper Howard, the wasteland’s grumpiest gunslinger, now has the consciousness of an arrogant, capitalist autocrat strapped to his wrist. The banter potential for Season 3 is off the charts. It’s like Cortana from Halo, but if Cortana hated poor people. I can’t wait.

3. Maximus: From Squire to Doom Slayer 🚀

My boy Maximus! I’m so proud. Watching him stand alone against a literal Deathclaw Horde was the action highlight of the series. When those shoulder rockets deployed? I was cheering at my TV. He’s not following orders anymore; he’s protecting people. That’s a hero.

The Heartbreak: Thaddeus. 💔 Look, I know Thaddeus is comic relief, but watching him lose his "thumbs up" arm broke me. And seeing the flesh regenerate all weird and distorted? We all thought he was turning into a Ghoul or a Super Mutant, but that body horror looked distinctly like a Centaur. If he turns into one of those multi-limbed monstrosities, I am going to need therapy.

4. Lucy’s Darkest Moment

This was hard to watch. Lucy has been our moral compass, our "Okey Dokey" girl. But seeing her father, Hank, reveal his true colors—that he wants to turn humanity into mindless NPCs just to keep them "safe"—was chilling.

The moment Lucy shoved that control chip into his neck? Oof. The poetic justice of trapping him in his own hive mind was brilliant, but you could see the light go out of Lucy’s eyes. She’s not naive anymore. She did what had to be done, but it cost her a piece of her soul.

5. Cooper’s Tragedy & The Road to Colorado

The flashbacks this season have been gut-wrenching, but finding out Cooper was framed as a "Pinko" by the Enclave just to cover up Vault-Tec’s dirt? It hits too close to home. The "You Never Know" posters haunting him was such a good visual touch.

But we have hope! His family wasn't in the local vaults. Clues point to Colorado. Lore Alert: Colorado = Fallout Tactics territory and deep Enclave bases (Cheyenne Mountain). We are leaving the desert and heading to the Rockies next season, folks! Cooper Howard revenge tour incoming!

6. Steph... I KNEW IT!

I knew Steph was too competent to be a random middle manager! The reveal that she’s a deep-cover Enclave agent was shocking, but seeing her in a wedding dress activating a black-ops Pip-Boy? Iconic.

Also, she’s Canadian? The reference to the Annexation of Canada adds so much depth to her ruthlessness. But what is "Phase 2"? If she’s unleashing something into the vaults (please don't be FEV, please don't be FEV), things are about to get gruesome.

7. The Post-Credits Scene: WAR IS COMING 🤖

The final montage set to the Ink Spots? Beautiful. The NCR holding the Strip, the Legion at the gates, the "Casino" sign burnt out to read "SIN"? Visual storytelling at its finest.

BUT THAT POST-CREDITS SCENE. Cleric Quintus going full "Destroyer" mode and unveiling Liberty Prime Alpha. If you’ve played Fallout 3 or 4, you know what this means. A 40-foot tall nuclear-football-throwing robot is coming to the West Coast. And since Liberty Prime hates communists, and Cooper is technically a registered communist... oh no.

Final Thoughts

This finale left me exhausted in the best way possible. The writers managed to respect the game lore while blowing the world wide open. We have a three-way war set up between the NCR, Legion, and Brotherhood, and our trio is caught right in the middle.

I don’t know how I’m going to survive the wait for Season 3.

Tell me: Do you think Thaddeus is doomed? Is Mr. House going to drive Cooper crazy? And seriously, how good was Macaulay Culkin?! Let’s discuss in the comments because I need to vent! 👇

Sam Raimi's Send Help Review

 

Listen, we need to have a real conversation about Sam Raimi’s latest, Send Help.

If you’re anything like me, the name "Sam Raimi" isn't just a director credit—it’s a whole damn mood. It’s a promise of that beautiful, chaotic "splatstick" energy we grew up on. Whether it was the DIY genius of the original Evil Dead trilogy that basically invented a new language for horror, the operatic, pulp-noir soul of Darkman, or the way he made us actually care about Peter Parker's heart before the explosions started in the early 2000s, Raimi has always been a master of the tonal tightrope. He’s the only director who can make you scream and laugh in the same breath, blending genuine dread with Looney Tunes-esque slapstick.

So, when the news broke that he was helming a new thriller starring Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien? My hype wasn't just high; it was reaching orbit. I walked into that theater begging for something unhinged. I wanted the kinetic camera work that feels like the lens is chasing the characters, the mean-spirited humor, and that specific brand of "gross-out" magic that made Drag Me to Hell such a cult masterpiece.

Did I get it? Well... sort of. It’s a bit of a mixed bag, but honestly? Even "middle-of-the-road" Raimi is still more interesting than most directors' best days. Here’s the breakdown of how it actually felt to sit through it.

The Setup: Corporate Hell Meets Actual Hell

The premise is simple, but it hits close to home if you've ever worked for a total nightmare of a human being. Dylan O’Brien plays this spoiled, arrogant CEO—a kid who basically fell upward into his dad’s company after his father passed away. He’s the literal definition of "unearned confidence," a man who has never heard the word "no" and views the entire world as his personal boardroom.

Opposite him is Rachel McAdams as his long-suffering assistant. She’s the one actually running the show, the hyper-competent glue holding his chaotic life together, and she’s getting zero credit for it. She was promised a promotion that this new "boy king" has absolutely no intention of giving her. The friction between them is palpable; you have the entitled executive who thinks money can solve physics, and the subordinate who actually knows how to survive a Monday morning.

Then, the plane crashes overseas during a high-stakes merger trip.

Suddenly, we’re on a deserted island, and all those titles, stock options, and bank accounts? They mean nothing. It’s Cast Away meets Misery, filtered through a darkly comedic, Hitchcockian lens. I loved watching the power dynamic shift. When the cell service dies, the "social contract" dies with it. The film uses this isolation to ask a really biting question: when you strip away the suits and the hierarchies, who is actually in charge? Watching the toxicity of an office relationship mutate into a literal fight for survival is where the movie finally finds its pulse.

The Performances: Why You Should Actually Care

If there is one solitary, "buy the ticket" reason to see this, it’s the cast. They take a script that—if I’m being honest—sometimes feels a little thin and generic, and they absolutely carry it across the finish line through sheer force of will.

Rachel McAdams is a beast. We’re used to her being the rom-com queen in About Time or the grounded dramatic lead in Spotlight, but every once in a while—like in Red Eye—she shows us her teeth. Here, she goes feral. Watching her transform from a timid office worker who fades into the background to keep the peace into a woman who is "letting her hair down" (quite literally) was so incredibly satisfying. You can see the darkness in her eyes—it’s like she’s been training for this nightmare by surviving a toxic workplace for years. She brings a raw, physical intensity to the role that makes you believe she could actually take down a wild animal while her boss is busy crying over his ruined loafers.

Dylan O’Brien is having the time of his life. I’ve been a fan since his "Void Stiles" days on Teen Wolf, which proved he could play a terrifying villain, and he brings that same manic, chaotic energy here. He makes the "Boss from Hell" pathetic and hilarious all at once. He captures that specific type of corporate incompetence that becomes life-threatening in the woods—the man who thinks he can "manage" a survival situation like a quarterly review. The tug-of-war for power between him and McAdams is electric, and O’Brien isn’t afraid to make himself look weak, foolish, and completely out of his depth.

The "Raimi" of it All

As a self-proclaimed "Raimi Head," I was looking for those signature directorial touches like a hawk. And they’re there! When the film allows Sam to stretch his legs, we get the goods: the disorienting Dutch angles that make the island feel askew, the extreme close-ups (lots of manic eye shots focusing on fear and paranoia!), and that heightened, almost campy tone that makes his movies feel like nothing else.

The sound design is where the "Raimi Factor" really kicks in. The wind howls just a little louder than it should, and the trees seem to lean in with a menacing intent, creating an atmosphere that feels almost supernatural even though there isn't a ghost in sight. For the gore-hounds, there are fleeting moments of that classic gross-out humor. There’s a specific sequence involving a boar in the second act that felt like it was ripped straight out of the Evil Dead cutting room floor—it’s messy, intense, and darkly funny. It reminds you that Raimi is the master of making the physical world feel like it’s actively conspiring against the protagonist.

Where It Lost Me a Little

I’ve gotta be honest with you guys: it’s not the modern masterpiece we were all hoping for.

The first 25 minutes? Honestly, a bit of a slog. It felt like a standard, somewhat bland workplace drama. Sam Raimi doesn’t usually do "bland," so the slow start was a bit of a shock to the system. It lacks the satirical bite or visual inventiveness we expect from him until the plane actually goes down. In a thriller, that lost momentum in the first act can be deadly.

Also, the movie feels like it’s having a bit of an identity crisis. The trailer sold it as a non-stop, intense horror fest, but the actual film is much more of a dark comedy-thriller. While that’s fine, the movie seems to lack the confidence to fully commit to either side. I kept waiting for it to go "full throttle" into the madness—to lean harder into the Misery aspect of forced reliance and obsession. There is a nastier, meaner, and bloodier version of this film that might have been left on the editing room floor. It touches on psychological horror but pulls its punches right when it should be delivering the knockout blow.

MY RATING: 3/5

Is it a masterpiece? No. It lacks the cohesive punch of his best work. Is it a waste of your Saturday? Definitely not.

In a month like January, which is notoriously known as the "dump month" for weak studio projects, Send Help is a breath of fresh air. It is miles ahead of films like Night Swim or other recent January horror entries. It’s a solid, fun ride fueled by two incredible lead performances and just enough "Raimi Magic" to keep you entertained. Just don’t go in expecting Evil Dead II levels of insanity, or you might leave feeling a little deflated.

My advice? Go for a matinee. Skip the trailers if you haven't seen them yet, because they set an expectation the movie isn't interested in meeting. Just let the movie be its weird, quirky, survivalist self. Even when Raimi is playing it safe, he’s still more interesting than 90% of the directors out there.

But I want to hear from you guys! Did that ending work for you? Am I being too hard on the first act? Did you enjoy the twisty dynamic between Rachel and Dylan as much as I did? Let’s talk about it in the comments below!