Review #150: Drag Me to Hell (2009)

This review was originally written in 2022.

Gabe's 100 Bucket List Horror Films Review #5- Drag Me to Hell (2009)

So far, all of the Bucket List movies I've watched have been ones I've seen before (that'll change soon, don't worry) and this movie is no exception. I saw this back when it came out, and my thoughts then are mostly the same as they are now: Drag Me to Hell is a solid, fun horror movie with some great scares, great acting, and phenomenal cinematography. I noticed a lot of details I never caught before, many of which are likely intentional metaphor- the main character has a subtle backstory that keeps being brought up against her will throughout the story, over and over, in ways that make her ordeal even more and more traumatic and personal than it felt at first. All of the characters' actions feel real and believable (if a bit on-the-nose, apart from the backstory I alluded to the dialogue and characterization in this film is about as subtle as a hammer) and for the most part I liked all of the characters, except for the ones I was supposed to dislike.

One thing I will say I appreciated about this movie: Drag Me to Hell is one of the most "Sam Raimi-y" things I've seen in my life. So much of this movie felt like someone said, "Hey Sam, you know Evil Dead? Do that, but like, change it up enough that it's a different movie but maybe even not". The cameos, the stunts, the sound effects, the cinematography- all of it feels so clearly inspired by the same material that I wouldn't be surprised if I found out Sam Raimi intended this to take place in the same universe as Evil Dead 2. (Apparently the screenplay was written shortly after Army of Darkness but shelved. Also, apparently Bruce Campbell was supposed to have a cameo but was busy filming Burn Notice- in my mind I'm picturing Evil Ash showing up in the seance scene along with the other spirits, but maybe that's just wishful thinking.)

While watching this film, my wife (who had also seen it already but forgot most of the details) was taken aback by how GROSS this movie is! I didn't think it was overly so, but yeah, it's freaking gross! A lot of time and effort was put into making bodily fluids, and nails, and teeth, and whatever else look as visceral and disgusting as possible. It definitely gets under your skin, and stays there.

If I had to knock the movie for something, I guess I would say I wish the conflict of Christine's guilt over not giving Mrs. Ganush a loan extension was either more ambiguous, or honestly, more negative. As it is, I really didn't feel like she did anything wrong- granting an extension (the third one she'd been granted IIRC) likely wouldn't have done anything but pass the buck down the road a few months, and they spent enough time making Mrs. Ganush appear to be unsavory and rude (stealing candy, having an option to move in with her daughter but refusing to take it) that I didn't really feel like Christine did anything wrong except be in the wrong place at the wrong time. If Mrs. Ganush had literally nowhere else to go, and/or if she were a much friendlier and pitiful person right up until she takes her revenge, I feel like that could have really driven the plot a bit more (at the cost of having the protagonist be a bit more of a shade of grey, rather than a milquetoast friendly person whose only sin was not taking a bad deal). Apart from that I loved the character moments between her and her boyfriend, with her boyfriend's family, and even her hateable co-worker. It was all very well-done.

I don't think I'll be watching this one again anytime soon, but I recommend it to anyone out there looking for a fun horror film!

Overall Rating: 8/10 Buttons in Envelopes

Something I Would Love To Do: If I were working in a fortune telling business (a weird and unlikely premise, but stick with me), something I would ABSOLUTELY do if I was ever having a dull day, is this: When someone comes in wanting their fortune told, I would wait until about five minutes into the session, get a freaked out expression on my face, and then suddenly act like everything is fine, give them their money back, and then usher them out while making gestures of warding until they were outside. Then I would flip the "Closed" sign and shut the blinds. They'd have something to talk about for the rest of their lives!