Send Help: What role will Rachel McAdams play in the upcoming Sam Raimi thriller? Details explored

Send Help is a forthcoming film in the psychological thriller genre. Sam Raimi has directed the film and co-produced it with Zainab Azizi. The script is penned by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon. 20th Century Studios will be releasing it on January 30, 2026. Here's the official synopsis as per Letterboxd:

After a plane crash strands a capable female employee and her annoying boss on a remote island, she must use her survival skills to keep them both alive, despite their challenging relationship.

The film stars Rachel McAdams in the lead role. Let us explore more about this character.

Rachel McAdams' role in Send Help explored

In Send Help, Rachel McAdams plays the role of Linda Liddle, who is a part of the strategy and planning department of a firm. Despite her efforts, Linda's work remains undervalued in the organization. The trailer also shows a glimpse of her getting constantly disrespected by Bradley Preston (played by Dylan O'Brien).

Later on, the two are heading for a business trip, but the plane crashes on an island. Despite their differences and mutual hatred, they are forced to work together for survival after surviving the crash. In an interview with EW, director Sam Raimi spoke about the character of Linda. Revealing the details of one of the film's first looks, he said:

"Rachel's character has just been washed ashore from a plane crash and is the only survivor, along with her terrible boss. It's the beginning of their time on the island, and Linda is just starting to put her survivalist hobbies to the test. Dylan's character is injured, in and out of consciousness, and Linda feeds him coconut water."

He added,

"[Linda is] the most capable, hardworking, and overlooked member of her consulting firm's strategy and planning team. Once trapped on the island, Rachel's character knows that she needs protein to survive. Time to bring home the bacon!"

Raimi said that the story flips the dynamics between these two. Once a powerful boss who belittled Linda is now totally dependent on her.

Besides the lead, Send Help also stars:

Edyll Ismail
Emma Raimi
Dennis Haysbert
Xavier Samuel
Thaneth Warakulnukroh
Chris Pang

The film was shot by Bill Pope, while Bob Murawski edited it. Danny Elfman, who also did the score of Raimi's Spider-Man trilogy, has once again come on board as a composer.

Send Help will release on January 30, 2026.