Drag Me to Hell was a film I was really looking forward to. Ever since I first learned of the production, back when Ellen Page was set to star, this was a movie that was high on my radar. Why? Well, it marked director Sam Raimi's return to the horror genre. Fans have been waiting for this ever since 1992's Army of Darkness, which was the last film Raimi made that was even close to horror.
In the 1980s Sam Raimi and Peter Jackson were masters of the horror genre, each of them having a number of cult hits under his belt. Then their fates shifted, Hollywood noticed their talents, and they both became heavy hitters on the blockbuster market with their work on the Spider-man and Lord of the Rings films, respectively. As big as they got, we all waited for their return to the horror genre.
Then the commercials and trailers began to play as the theatrical release date drew near. Controversy cropped up as soon as the PG-13 rating appeared. I admit, I was disappointed. Raimi's old stuff was very R-rated — had he lost it having worked in the PG-13 realm for so long? My hopes did fall a bit in the face of this news. Still, I was certainly interested in seeing it.
I did see the film opening weekend and absolutely loved it. Sure, it did not have many elements that would push it into R-rated territory, but it still delivered an intense experience. Drag Me to Hell successfully captures the feel of his older Evil Dead outings, while also reflecting his growth as a filmmaker. Is it better than those early films? I would have to say no, but that does not change how enjoyable it is.
The big question heading into this revisit was whether or not it would live up to my initial theatrical love. It sort of does. Watching now, I am a bit more level-headed than I was during that first viewing. My initial anticipation had already been satiated — all that was left was me and the movie. There was nowhere to hide.
I found that my unabashed love no longer existed. I did not enjoy it quite as much as I did the first time around, but I still really like it and find it to be a movie I can watch multiple times without getting bored. There is a lot to like.
Article comments
1 - Jesse G. Barnes
I was really let down by this one. I'm a huge Raimi fan, and as far as I'm concerned the only bad movie he ever made (that I've seen anyway) is Spider-man 3.
Drag Me to Hell DRAGS you to Hell. The plot is simple, but also never goes anywhere. I'm all for a simple plot, but this one lacks progression. It's just a heartlessly acted Christine trying all kinds of ridiculous ways to rid herself of the curse with no character arcs, story arcs, or surprises. A flat liner.
The only good parts were the deaths, scare sequences etc. Mostly they were all pretty darn funny and very classic Raimi, which I appreciated. But every time there wasn't any of that going on it was a painful bore to sit through. There was virtually nothing interesting or exciting happening in the exposition whatsoever. I shut it off once, almost choosing not to finish.
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I actually enjoyed Rise of Cobra more. I didn't think I could be more let down this year. I'd give Drag Me to Hell 3/10.