February 3, 2026 – This movie is being celebrated in horror circles as Sam Raimi's return to the genre that made him famous (“The Evil Dead” and “Drag Me to Hell;”). I'm not a fan of the horror genre (I prefer Raimi's “Oz the Great and Powerful” and “For Love of the Game”) but I did enjoy this one, probably because it isn't really a traditional horror movie.

Like “Oz the Great and Powerful” and “Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness” this is another of Raimi's 3D movies. It wasn't showing that way in town, so I headed down to Fort Collins to see it in a Cinemark theater that was showing it the right way, and it is a good 3D presentation, with some pop-outs.

This movie has a great setup for the conflict between survival geek Linda Liddle (played by Rachel McAdams of “Doctor Strange”) and her narcissistic boss, Bradley Preston (Dylan O'Brien of “Love and Monsters”). Preston, who inherited his job, and Liddle, who works hard for hers, come into conflict when Preston denies her a promotion that was promised her.

After a plane crash, these two end up as the only survivors, stranded on a remote island. Preston is injured and would die without help. Liddle saves him, but Preston is not grateful and still thinks he is better than she is. Liddle has a very strong survival instinct, which shows up even before she and Preston are stranded. She repeatedly proves that she is the better survivor, and Preston is forced to admit it, but he bitterly resents this.

Preston wants to get back to civilization, but Liddle is quite comfortable on the island. Part of the reason she is so comfortable is because of a secret which is revealed later in the movie. Preston has to be rescued several times by Liddle and he also rescues her once, but they never really get along. Things get progressively darker until Preston and Liddle end up trying to kill each other.

The horror elements of the film are confined to some nightmare and imaginary scenes, as well as some fight scenes and the brutal killing of a wild boar. There is plenty of blood in this film, but mostly, it is about the relationship between these two, and how Preston constantly underestimates Liddle.

There is also some dark humor in the movie, another Raimi hallmark. There are also a couple of standard Raimi Easter eggs in the film, a 1973 Oldsmobile Delta 88 in a parking garage and a picture of Bruce Campbell hanging on the wall in an office, both early in the film. Campbell is an old friend and frequent collaborator, and the car has been in Raimi's family since 1973. The car was featured in Raimi's 1981 debut film, “The Evil Dead,” starring Bruce Campbell, who also helped to raise money to get the film made.

One night around a camp fire, Preston and Liddle both get drunk and reveal dark secrets about their past. These secrets explain how they both ended up psychologically damaged, and why both are capable of murder. This movie is all about the worst aspects of both of these people, and how this darkness rises to the surface.

Sam Raimi is a gifted filmmaker, and this is a good film, aided by a powerful performance by Rachel McAdams, with good support from Dylan O'Brien. The screenplay, by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift, has plenty of good plot twists and surprises. It is a bloody good time. This movie rates a B.

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