Drag Me To Hell

Rating: 10/10 (28 May 2009)

So many questions, so little time. I'm just going to come out and say it not only will this review be one of the longest I've written but folks I'm not holding back, this may include one or two spoilers. The movie I'm talking about, of course, is Sam Raimi's "Drag Me To Hell" which in theory is Sam Raimi's first horror films since The Evil Dead III: Army of Darkness. The main question, im sure, is does this director still have what it takes? Will he have me rolling in my seat nostalgic and immersed in the world he created with "The Evil Dead" or like some naysayers have been stipulating, has he been in Hollywood so long that he won't have the chops for this. I think its safe to say at this point that he still has it, in fact it's so apparent that I felt inclined to stand up at the end of the movie and shout "yes!". Fortunately I was in a theatre with several other Sam Raimi fans and I wasn't the only one. In that the rue brilliance of this movie emerges, if you go see this by yourself, you'll have a great time, it will be a fun, forgettable romp. See it with friends, at night, in a crowded cinema and you'll be on the floor, "please stop it your killing me" laughing.
For anybody that doesn't know, and the trailer can be deceiving, this is essentially a comedy. Granted there are several sense where the film ups the ante and you are genially terrified (for example towards the end of the movie there is a séance sequence that drove me insane, pulling my hair out) but for the most part this is a comedy, and boy if it doesn't work, almost perfectly, there are sequences that are do ultra violent and over the top that you'll be begging for an intermission just to change your pants. The movie is cast phenomenally, the supporting cast plays in well, and don't play dumb when it comes to the point where they know this isn't their movie. There no denying that the film belongs solely to Alison Lohman who is such a juxtaposition when in context. Being the young, pretty pixie of a girl it's devilishly cruel what Raimi puts her through but, god damn it it's just so much fun to watch from beginning to end. In that we get this films true motivation. It's a playground for Sam Raimi, whatever you may think of the movie one thing is absolutely undeniable, Sam Raimi had a blast making this movie twirling his Dick Dastardly moustache saying "what horrible stuff can I do to this girl next" If there's anything I can say that's bad about the movie and I almost don't want to after falling this deeply in love with it. (Spoiler Ahead) Raimi trys to pull a twist ending resulting in the immediate realisation of the audience, it almost plays as a merit if only because it will have you screaming in agony at the screen telling her, "don't you even dare go in there" As much as I may think the twist ending is a stooper, all is made up when the films takes you beyond the level you expected to...welcome to hell. Scant of plot and barren of subtext, the film is single-mindedly devoted to pushing the audience's buttons, and my god if my buttons weren't pushed. Only one other movie this year had me feeling like I was pumped full of adrenaline and that was, funnily enough, Crank 2. This is that kind of insane, over the top, exploitative fun that I enjoy so very much.
The 99-minute, eye-popping, bowel-twingeing, possessed-talking-goat extravaganza that follows must be one of the scariest things I've ever seen in the cinema. How bad? Well, I screamed out loud in genuine, save-me-now-Jesus terror for the first time since Evil Dead II. And I laughed through the fear much more often. Don't let the movies 15 rating deceive you, there may not be a whole load of blood on show (despite a horrific nose bleed sequence) but trust me you'll be throwing up your breakfast at the endless amounts of puss and slime and close up shots that may linger for days on end. You're unlikely to find a better night out this year and there not way this isn't going to make my "best of" list.
Verdict: It's a visceral assault on the senses and will have you gasping for breath as the laughs and scares mount. Raimi directs with the confidence and flair of a genre master. No Raimi fan would miss the opportunity at seeing the master filmmaker back at the helm of a movie that suits him so comfortably, this insane thrill ride grabs the audience full throttle and refuses to let go throwing blood, puss and slime in your face topping it off with a punch to the gut that is the nerve shredding ending. This is diabolically entertaining, ferociously funny and mind numbingly intense, go see it with friends, go see it at midnight. You have my guarantee you'll come back a new person, for better or worse. Muhahahaha!