Pure horror, just the way it should be!

Rating: 9/10 (1 June 2009)

Just when I was starting to agree with all the people that regularly complain that no good horror movies are being made these days; along comes Sam Raimi to deliver what is surely one of the best horror films of the decade! Drag Me to Hell is pure horror just the way it should be; very little time is spent on the plot and characters, and a lot of time is spent on the actual horror - the result is a shallow, but expertly made and very exciting film. And best of all the film is clearly aimed at Evil Dead fans, which gives it tons of cult appeal. Parts of the film are gruesome and disgusting, while others are manic and cartoonish; and it all slots together very well indeed. The plot is very simple and we focus on Christine Brown; a loan officer at the bank. Her world is turned upside down one day when an elderly woman turns up wanting an extension on her mortgage. With one eye on a promotion, Christine tells her there's no way she can get an extension; leading the old woman to place a gypsy curse on her...which will end with her being dragged to the fiery pits of hell!
The film doesn't rely on gore to deliver its shocks. It's Sam Raimi's direction that really makes the film exciting. The plot is very well plotted and we're never very far away from another jump scene. Most of the sequences featuring the villain are fast and exciting, which ensures that the film is very entertaining. It has to be said that the plot doesn't make a great deal of sense and there are some very big holes in it; but really I couldn't care less, because when a film is this exciting; it doesn't matter. Aside from the scares, Raimi delivers some laughs too and the pitch black humour is very well placed; a dinner sequence was a particular highlight. Alison Lohman at first seems a little too lightweight for the central role, but she grows into it as the film moves along and proves herself a very good sport by the end. Justin Long is, as usual, entertaining in a co-starring role; while big credit has to go to Lorna Raver, who is brilliantly effective as the villain. The film builds up nicely for the most part; and we boil down to a fantastic séance scene that is pure Evil Dead. Clearly this film isn't going to appeal to everyone; I expect a lot of complaints about the plot, but if you like entertaining horror and/or are a fan of Sam Raimi; you owe it to yourself to check this beauty out!