'Drag Me to Hell' review

Sam Raimi's return to horror is anything but a drag

By Geoff Berkshire

Posted May 22, 2009

Metromix

3.5

1195270
Alison Lohman (Credit: Melissa Moseley/Universal)

Twentysomething bank loan officer Christine (Alison Lohman) really wants a promotion to assistant manager, but she doesn’t realize she’s about to go through hell to get it. When she denies a loan extension to creepy customer Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver), the disgruntled old woman places a curse on Christine that she will be literally dragged to hell in three days. As Christine endures a series of violent visits from demons, she and her skeptical but loving boyfriend, Clay (Justin Long), search for a way to get their lives back to normal.

The buzz: After turning “Spider-Man” into a global film phenomenon, director Sam Raimi returns to his roots in the horror genre, where he first came to fame with the cult classic “Evil Dead” movies. Raimi’s reputation seems to be the reason for the movie's major summer release. Original leading lady Ellen Page dropped out, leaving “Drag Me to Hell” a little short on star power.

The verdict: Raimi’s back to his old slapstick horror antics alright, this time with a bigger budget for elaborate effects and deafening sounds, and the obligatory box office-friendly PG-13 rating. Longtime Raimi fans may be disappointed that Bruce Campbell is nowhere in sight, but Lohman and Long bring everything required for their roles. Lohman especially demonstrates an admirable willingness to go to physical extremes for Raimi’s demented vision. Christine endures some truly eye-popping abuse, and few if any actresses have ever vomited—or been vomited on—on screen as much as Lohman here. (It’s not any old vomit—we’re talking goop, blood, bugs and other nastiness.) It's all part of Raimi’s mission to make a movie that’s as silly as it is scary, just like his good old days. “Drag Me to Hell” isn’t as inspired, or as gory, as the best of “Evil Dead,” but it’s still good senseless fun.

Did you know? Raimi and his brother, Ivan, first started working on the “Drag Me to Hell” script 10 years ago, but the success of “Spider-Man” and the demand for sequels caused the project to be put on hold.