Drag Me To Hell
- Year:2009
- Rating:M
- Director:Sam Raimi
- Cast:Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver
- Release Date:July 23, 2009
- Distributor:Roadshow
- Running time:99 minutes
- Film Worth:$12.50
- FILMINK rates movies out of $20 - the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
A perfect mix of Sam Raimi’s (Evil Dead, Spider-Man) typical giggles and scares, and a well chosen flick for his return to horror.
The news that director Sam Raimi (the Evil Dead trilogy, the Spider-Man flicks) was making a return to horror sent a thrill of anticipation through gore hounds and cult film lovers alike. See, Raimi is one of those rare directors who can mix horror and humour seamlessly. From the harrowing The Evil Dead, to the cult classic Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn and Army Of Darkness (Evil Dead 3), Mr. Raimi impressed a lot of people with his visual muscularity and inventive camera shots and techniques, not to mention the very specific mood that he brings to all his work. After doing three Spider-Man movies, with a fourth on the way, it seemed unlikely that Raimi would show off his horror chops ever again. And then Drag Me To Hell popped up.
First things first: this is an M-rated movie. Those expecting Evil Dead-style gore will be disappointed. That said, this morality tale about a bank loan officer, Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) falling afoul of a gypsy curse after foreclosing on Mrs. Ganush's (Lorna Raver) house is an absolute cracker. Ganush, the evil gypsy crone, sets a nasty demon, Lamia, on Christine, giving her three days before she will be, well, dragged down to hell.
The plot is as old as they get, but Sam and brother, Ivan Raimi have written a script that goes to places you'd never expect. The whole film has an anything-can-happen quality that takes you from nerve-jangling terror to belly laughs and back again. Occasionally this does get a little inconsistent, with an anvil-to-the-head scene feeling a wee bit too Itchy & Scratchy. But the action is so in-your-face that you'll soon be back on the ride, ready for the next scare. This isn't Raimi's best film, but it's an absolute hoot - somewhere between Evil Dead 2 and Army Of Darkness in tone - and the combination of chuckles and chills makes this stand tall amongst a sea of tepid horror remakes, re-imaginings and rehashes.
Drag Me To Hell is the most fun you'll have being scared for a long time. Nice to see you back, Sam.
