For Rental Only - Sam Raimi’s ‘Drag Me To Hell’ Is An Over-The-Top, Weirdly Funny PG-13 Horror

April 09 2022 - 03:47am

Sometimes a movie never pops up on streaming services, and you just have to cave in and rent it. Here’s one that never seems to come up anywhere, but it’s well worth the watch! Sam Raimi follows his Evil Dead and Spider-Man legacy with Drag Me To Hell, a nearly comedic 2000s update of his temporarily forgotten horror ambitions.

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Plot of ‘Drag Me To Hell’

Christine, a nice young loan officer set on advancing her career, decides to turn down an elderly woman who is futilely asking for an extension on her house. When this happens, the woman unexpectedly curses Christine, giving her three days to discover how to reverse the curse before befalling a terrible fate.

Reasons to Watch ‘Drag Me To Hell’

The Scares

Though only PG-13, Drag Me To Hell gets by on the disgust factor rather than through blood and gore. Some well-placed jump scares and ridiculous animation delightfully woven in show Raimi appreciates the classic and modern excessiveness of horror with equal fervor.

The Humor

If you’ve ever found yourself laughing at the way a movie just scared you, that’s the exact feeling that Drag Me To Hell utilizes for maximum effect. The manner by which the screenplay emphasizes the “everything’s gonna be okay” moments is downright brilliant, and the abundance by which Christine is tortured by her curse comes off as too absurd not to laugh.

The 'Camp'

This movie is the definition of camp. By highlighting its referential aspects with over-the-top jump scares and nastiness to the point of hilarity, the film elevates its apparent simplicity into an effective B-movie tribute that genuinely scares in an enjoyable, non-horrifying way. In short, it’s one of few modern movies that captures the spirit of its influences while exaggerating itself into a thing of its own.