It probably isn't entirely fair to criticize such an effective horror movie on the basis of acting, but it's the only real thing that sticks out as a negative. Lohman is adequate as Christine - all she really needs to do is act convincingly scared and she does as needed. Justin Long as her boyfriend isn't the greatest (I really don't know why he was chosen for the role), but he's not weak enough to drag the movie to hell (I know, I know - I just couldn't resist). However, something tells me some of the cheesier acting moments and lines of dialogue might be what Raimi sees as part of the fun — part of the horror-comedy combo. In that case, I suppose that can be overlooked.
Right off the bat, Drag Me To Hell sets itself up as a no-messing, full-on horror thrill ride and it keeps that pace consistent pretty much throughout the whole thing. Raimi stretches the 15 (PG-13 in the US) rating at every point in turn with over-the-top gory effects, and keeps the thing whizzing along because of a quick, breezy pace and a very welcome, lean 99 minute run time which keeps the whole from becoming tiresome. And tiresome is a word that definitely can't be used to describe Drag Me To Hell. It's an inventive, inspired, well-made film that proves that amongst the sea of Japanese-to-American remakes and cheap teen slashers, the horror genre is truly alive and well in Hollywood today. ![]()








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