Drag Me to Hell (2009)
Drag Me to Hell marked the return of Sam Raimi to directing a horror film as well as being the co-writer with his brother Ivan Raimi. While distracted with the Spiderman franchise as of late Sam's initial claim to fame was a small series a few of you may have heard of - Evil Dead. Yes the pivotal movies that launched both his career and that of B-Star legend Bruce Campbell has returned back to his roots in a movie that clearly pays homage to what made him famous as well as adding in a few new tricks.
The most noticeable difference between this and any of Sam's Evil Dead movies is that this one has a budget. The fact that the main noticeable difference is an increased budget is good because he doesn’t sacrifice the fun thrills from his earlier movies or the humor that is subtly found within. I would say the introduction scene sets the tone to the movie perfectly – a young boy who has been cursed tries to outrun that which has cursed him and ends up being thrown from a balcony into a pit that has opened full of flames and is surely a gateway to hell (hence the movie title.) If you are going to go off killing children in the very first scene of a movie you know it’s going to be a fun ride!
We are introduced quickly to Christine (Alison Lohman) who is a young woman that is inches away from getting an assistant manager’s job that she has long wanted at the bank she works for. However the job is not set in stone and she has competition in the form of a weasel named Stu (only being mentioned because of that great first name.) In order to secure the position she has been told to be a bit stricter on loans and soon is asked to extend the payment date on an old woman’s mortgage. This old woman though is a sickly looking elderly gypsy lady, Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver.) When she tells the old woman no, Mrs. Ganush will not take it as an answer and turns to begging. When further denied she is petrified at what she has had to do and still be denied. This of course is not the end of it.
When in her car and ready to go home that night Christine is attacked by the old gypsy in a fight scene that screams back to early scenes filmed by Raini and you cannot tear your eyes away for a moment. As the fight comes to a close the old lady loses but puts a curse on Christine. This curse quickly proves to us who has really won the fight as there is no end to the constant harassment Christine suffers in both her professional and personal life.
Raini has returned to horror in true style and just the way it was meant to be. Every scene keeps you wanting to know what is going to happen and the way it was filmed puts you in a perfect frame of mind for a fun horror film. It’s not surprising that a Raini horror movie has humor In it but it is surprising at how many laughs are found in this one while still being able to pull off having it be suspenseful.
