MOVIE REVIEW - DRAG ME TO HELL

DRAG ME TO HELL REVIEW

9 out of 10

After a decade spent filming the Spider-Man trilogy, director Sam Raimi returns to his Evil Dead horror roots with Drag Me to Hell, a terrifying movie that is no doubt the scariest film I’ve seen in ages. Raimi has created a horror film with too many to count jump out of your seat moments along with multiple gross out moments that will make you want to go home and take a shower.  In fact, I jumped out of my seat more times during Hell than I have during the last 10 fright flicks I’ve seen combined. 

Sam Raimi is a visionary filmmaker with a very unique visual style and it is never more apparent than when he sets his aim on the horror genre.  He brings a visual splendor to gore like no one else and Drag Me to Hell is no exception; Raimi’s stamp is all over this film.  Seriously, if I wandered into a screening of Drag with no knowledge of what it was, it would take me exactly 2 minutes to know it was a Raimi film.  The screenplay, written with brother, Ivan Raimi, is a roller-coaster ride of thrills and chills that twists and turns from the very first scene to the last.  The set-up is simple, Christine, a bank employee, is cursed by an old gypsy crone for not extending her a bank loan and inadvertently shaming her in the process.  The curse calls upon an ancient demon that will drag Christine into the fiery depths of hell for all eternity and she has but 3 days to stop it before the curse can fully take hold.  During the 3 days she is tormented by the demon and the spirit of the old gypsy.  Let me say that the gypsy, played by Lorna Raver, is perhaps the scariest villain ever put on screen.  She is vile, disgusting, mean and freakishly strong.  Any scene that she is in will make you want to crawl into bed and pull the covers over your head.  Thanks to the brothers Raimi, I am now officially freaked out by old women and may have to visit a therapist.  Truly, I might never be able to kiss my grandmother hello again.

Alison Lohman, best known for Beowulf and Things We Lost in the Fire, does a fine job as Christine, ably going from timid bank employee to feisty heroine fighting for her soul.  She actually reminds me very much of Kirsten Dunst which makes me wonder why Raimi didn’t just cast his lead Spider-Man actress to begin with.  Justin Long plays her boyfriend, Clay, displaying great care and affection for Christine even though he truly doesn’t believe what is happening to her.  In essence Long is perfect as the perfect boyfriend.  However, the film really belongs to Lorna Raver who is truly terrifying as the evil, old gypsy.  Her performance will scare the hell out of you.

To sum it up, Drag Me to Hell is a nail-biting, arm rest gripping, cringe worthy fright fest that will scare the living daylights out of you; and you will enjoy every second of it.