The Master of Horror is Back

Rating: 9/10 (15 June 2009)

It's hard to defend that recent horror films are simply not nearly as good as they were in the past. Moviegoers have become so accustomed to the idea that torture porn like represented by the Saw and Hostel series is what horror is all about. Not to mention how the rest of the horror films are simply remakes of past movies, like the recent Friday the 13th remake. Thankfully, Sam Raimi decided to tackle the task of making a great horror film in the 21st century. The question is, however, is the film everything horror fans wished it to be? The answer is a resounding yes, considering Drag Me To Hell is quite possibly the best horror film to be released in decades.
The main idea behind Drag Me To Hell is a simple one, yet an idea that has been seemingly lost over the years: Making a horror film that embraces retro horror films, yet is still exciting and exhilarating enough to bring new ideas to the genre. As the years have passes, it truly seems that horror films lost all the charm that they once had. Horror movies are supposed to be enjoyable diversions from reality, that while still being scary and creepy, are fun to watch. Simple as that. But now, the genre is filled with grim, sickening, and twisted gorefests that are neither enjoyable or entertaining. Sam Raimi, however, saw exactly what was wrong with modern film-making, and corrected it. It's truly unbelievable at how amazing the result is.
As far as the story is concerned, the film is centered around one young woman whose life isn't going so well. Her bank promotion is about to be given to a newbie, and in an attempt to show her boss that she is the right one for the position, she denies an old woman an extension on her mortgage. Normally, this wouldn't be a huge deal, had the old woman not cursed the young bank clerk to a fate in hell! Yes, it's silly, but it's refreshing to see a silly horror film plot again, which haven't been seen in years. The shocking part of the film, for me, is just how hilarious it is, yet at the same time, being filled with creepy moments. I spent pretty much the entire film laughing, and some scenes had me laughing so hard that tears were running down my face. I had never laughed that hard during a comedy, let alone a horror film no less.
It is also highly recommended, above pretty much all films in recent memory for that matter, that viewers see this flick in a theater. Why? Well, there are movies that people go to see for the movie itself, and then there are movies, like Drag Me To Hell that are made in part due to the experience. Laughing and yelling at the screen with a bunch of random strangers is what the horror genre is all about, and that is exactly what this film provided. There were people screaming from fear, and then immediately rolling in the aisles laughing. There was even one part of the film where a person was walking into the theater as a screamer popped up on-screen, leading to her literally falling to the ground in fright. While watching it on DVD will still be great, definitely go to a theater if at all possible. It's worth every penny.
Many people refer to me as a cynical reviewer, and that may be true, but I am not kidding when I say that people owe it to themselves to see Drag Me To Hell. It's a celebration of classic horror, and strong enough to represent the past in a time where the genre isn't holding up very well. It's exhilarating, enjoyable, hilarious, and downright awesome in every regard. Sam Raimi deserves a round of applause.