Rollicking, scary fun

Rating: 8/10 (1 June 2009)

Director Sam Raimi undoubtedly reached the biggest audiences of his career to date through his work on the "Spiderman" franchise. However, in the Eighties, his work on the "Evil Dead" movies assured him a place in that elite Valhalla reserved for masters of horror. After years away from the genre, "Drag me to Hell" is renewed proof that few filmmakers posses his ability both to terrify an audience and then have them in convulsions of laughter- while reminding them that nobody can outrun their conscience.
The plot is pretty straightforward: Christine (Alison Lohman) is a loan officer who has been told that she needs to show toughness in order to secure a promotion that she covets. Hoping to win points with her boss, she refuses an elderly Gypsy's request that her mortgage be extended- causing this obviously ailing woman to lose her home. The old woman wreaks a horrific revenge by uttering a curse that unleashes the Lamia- an ancient demon that torments it's victim for three days before taking their soul to Hell for eternity. Christine is then subjected to increasingly terrifying manifestations of said entity (invisible to everyone but her)and enlists a medium to save her from damnation, but time is running out...
The plot moves along at a cracking pace and there is no shortage of genuinely scary and shocking moments. However what really makes this film a joy is the mischievously surreal humor that permeates the whole enterprise, for example when a demonic eye appears in a slice of fruitcake. All in all, this is a terrific horror film that has no problem scaring it's audience while staying in touch with the idea that movies are all about having fun. Top-notch entertainment.