Dir. Sam Raimi (2009)
A loan officer falls under a gypsy curse after refusing an extension to a, uh, gypsy.
CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Sam Raimi’s Drag Me to Hell answers the age-old movie question, “what if the dude from Thinner was actually the young, attractive Alison Lohman instead of an old fat lawyer?” Well, it turns out, Romany curses are no respecter of blondness, because when Lohman’s character Christine runs afoul of an old-world curse she has to resort to everything from kitten-killing to corpse digging to try to rid herself of her new unwelcome haunts. Raimi turns the disgust factor up to eleven by delivering a gypsy gross-out for the ages with one of the most entertaining horror finales to boot.
Lohman is fantastic in the film, providing a sympathetic lead who is just trying to do her job and make her way up in the world, trying to escape her poverty-striken past while making new beau Clay (Justin Long) proud. Long is great as well, playing the skeptic boyfriend who’s also a douchebag, which is a perfect character for Long is we’re being honest with ourselves. Doesn’t he just strike you as kinda a dick? But the real star of the show is Raimi’s storytelling finesse, as he delivers a movie that is as rife with bodily fluids as it is with talking goats and gypsy funerals.
And lots and lots of maggots.
Drag Me to Hell is one of The Morrigan's favorite horror movies, and it’s quite literally fun all the way through. We don’t watch Sam Raimi films because we’re looking to have a dialogue on the inner strength of man, nor do we go looking in his script for thought-provoking monologues about global politics. He has never failed to deliver the early-Peter Jackson-esque goods and Drag Me to Hell is no different. This is one I could watch a hundred times and never fail to enjoy, and it’s a perfect pacesetter for your Halloween season.
Who this movie is for: Gross-out horror lovers; Sam Raimi fans; Lamias with a grudge
Bottom line: Disgusting, entertaining, and darkly humorous, Sam Raimi once again (as always) delivers in spades. The creature effects are outstanding in the film, and there are times where it’s legitimately freaky as hell. Highly recommended, as long as you’re not expecting anything too serious, and it’s a great one to watch during spooky season.
