Sam Raimi, you beautiful bastard. You’re as whacked out as ever and thankfully, you’ve retained that adolescent streak that made your take on horror so damn enjoyable!
Yes shock fans, Mr Raimi has returned with Drag Me To Hell, one of his most entertaining works since the Evil Dead films.
What’s unique about this film? Nothing, and that’s what’s great about it. It never takes itself too seriously, it never tries to re-invent the wheel and it never pretends to be anything other than what it is. The scares start early and they don’t let up, the gross-out factor hits the bell more than once and the twist ending is a good as a twist ending gets.
It’s the consistency that makes this film. Even the acting talent merely serves the greater good. Alison Lohman does a fine job playing the disturbed heroine, battling demons and conspiring co-workers in an attempt to save her soul, but at no point do you love her, instead the viewer is merely content to take the ride with her, and really, that’s enough to make a film like this work.
Opposite Lohman, the uber-likeable Justin Long who plays the straight man to the madness that is engulfing his beloved. Again, Raimi has Long hanging so far back, his infectious personality never threatens the story.
There are a couple of scenes that producers should have made Raimi drop, but for the most part the movie flows well utilizing a tried and tested formula reaching the predictable but oh so tasty final destination.
One of the best horror films to come along in quite some time.