Drag Me to Hell, written and directed by Sam Raimi is an authentic twist to a genre that is suffering with generic exhaustion as of late, it seems. The film follows loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) who denies gypsy Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver) an extension on her mortgage. This action stimulates a chain of scares, laughs and exciting moments that most certainly hybrids the film, creating a fresh and exciting outtake on situations that we feel we have all experienced at one time or another.
Upon leaving the bank, Christine is attacked in her car by Ganush. After a violent struggle, Ganush removes a button from Christine's jacket and uses it to place a curse on Christine. Christine's boyfriend, Clay Dalton (Justin Long), tries to comfort her, ensuring her the situation will amend itself. As a result of the curse, Christine is entrapped in a world of fright and terror, as a result of the spirits that haunt her at every moment.
Drag Me to Hell encodes a rather simple plot that at first seems predictable and worthless. A quarter of the way into the film, however, the film places its own unique personality on the horror genre, creating a comical outtake that enhances the experience that the audience could have wished for, even before entering the theatre. This experience is enhanced by fortune teller Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) who smothers the film in the humor that makes it so unique. Rao’s personality again separates this film from its desired ‘teen’ audience, allowing a wider audience to enjoy the humor from the film, even if the horror undertones are too unbearable.
Whilst the tone of the film was satisfying, Alison Lohman’s performance was not. The nature of the film requires a flexible approach, an aspiring actress that can atune to the many different undertones that the film contains. Whilst Lohman was expressive with the horror elements, her ability was stretched too far from the nature of the film, a disappointment for her. Supporting actor Justin Long, however, was satisfying, even though his role was less demanding than Lohman’s.
Drag Me to Hell knows what it wants to be, and that’s exactly what is provided. Audiences may be confused by the films ambition, but it is more obvious than can be imagined. It is at once a formulaic horror film, whilst at once a startling comedy, aimed at audiences of all types and ages. The mix of the two is what makes the film so enjoyable and understated. Whilst the film is cheesy indeed, director Sam Raimi has proven once again that his films can deliver, all the way to hell…
Posts
