It’s been a slow start at the box office in 2026, with holiday blockbusters Avatar: Fire and Ash, Zootopia 2 and The Housemaid doing most of the heavy lifting. Primate, Mercy and 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple have been the most notable new draws to theaters, but none of those have even broken $25 million domestically. Enter this weekend’s biggest release, Send Help, which could deliver a much-needed shot in the arm to the box office before an anticipated Valentine’s Day bump.
Send Help is the latest film from Sam Raimi, the director behind the original Evil Dead and Spider-Man trilogies. The Rachel McAdams-Dylan O’Brien vehicle is his first movie since Doctor Stranger in the Multiverse of Madness, which made $955 million worldwide back in 2022. Send Help won’t be nearly as big as Raimi’s take on the Marvel Cinematic Universe, but it just might get butts in seats.
Whether you are dying to see Send Help on opening weekend or are on the fence about making the trek to the theater, here is everything you need to know about the survival thriller.
When does Send Help come out?
Send Help is hitting theaters nationwide on Friday, January 30. Like most other wide releases, though, there will be plenty of preview screenings starting Thursday afternoon as well. It had its Hollywood premiere at the TCL Chinese Theater on January 21.
As for how wide of a release Send Help is getting, it is expected to screen at roughly 3,300 theaters. The film has a runtime of 1 hour and 53 minutes, including credits.
Since Send Help is a 20th Century Studios production, it will go to Hulu for its streaming debut. That won’t happen until late April or early May, however, based on the timeline other 20th Century Studios movies have followed in recent years.
What is the movie about?
Linda Liddle works a run-of-the-mill desk job in strategy and planning. Her boss, Bradley Preston, is an abusive nepo baby who recently took over his father’s company. Linda tags along with Bradley and other executives on a business trip to Bangkok, but their plane crashes during a storm. Linda and Bradley are the only survivors, taking refuge on a deserted island. From there, Linda and Bradley have to learn how to survive together all while their power dynamic flips on its head.
Send Help is rated R for strong/bloody violence and language. It was written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon, whose previous credits include 2017’s Baywatch, 2009’s Friday the 13th and 2004’s Shark Tale.
Who is in Send Help?
Given the plot of Send Help, it isn’t shocking that its cast is on the smaller side. Here is a list of every publicly confirmed actor and their speaking role:
- Rachel McAdams as Linda Liddle
- Dylan O’Brien as Bradley Preston
- Edyll Ismail as Zuri
- Dennis Haysbert as Frankling
- Xavier Samuel as Donovan
- Chris Pang as Chase
- Emma Raimi as River
- Kristy Best and Polly Perera
- Thaneth Warakulnukroh as Boat Captain
Bruce Campbell, who has been in 13 of Raimi’s 16 previous movies dating back to 1979, is expected to make an appearance in Send Help as well.
Watch the Send Help trailer here
What does Send Help have on Rotten Tomatoes?
Through the first 63 critic reviews logged on Rotten Tomatoes, Send Help boasts a 94% on the Tomatometer. In simpler terms, 94% of critics have given the film a positive review, while only 6% have submitted negative reviews. There is not currently a Popcornmeter score, which is based on user-submitted reviews. Of the 28 verified audience reviews, though, 27 are positive.
On Metacritic, Send Help has a 73 based on 16 critic reviews, which is designated as “Generally Favorable.” That includes 12 positive reviews, four mixed reviews and zero negative reviews.
