When I first saw the trailer for Sam Raimi’s new film, Send Help, I was immediately excited at the prospect of another gory, fun-filled film like Evil Dead. The trailer was intense, giving the impression of extreme violence, unhinged characters, and thrilling action. What I didn’t know was that the film was about to pull the rug out from me in an ultimate reversal, a bait and switch that turned out to be for the better.

While, yes, Send Help does feature Raimi’s trademark horror gross-out moments, it is also a comedy. Something I should have expected from Raimi, given his filmmaking history, but as I said, the trailers didn’t signify this. While I went into the film expecting one film, I got another, in a movie that featured its own reversal of power dynamics. Send Help is a smart, hilarious take on deserted-island stories and nails everything it aims for.

At the center of Send Help’s narrative are two characters who couldn’t be more different than one another. Linda Liddle (Rachel McAdams) is an excellent corporate strategist who is well-meaning but lacks confidence and charm. Bradley Preston (Dylan O’Brien) is her newly appointed boss, a man whose recently deceased father promised Linda a promotion. Bradley is a wholly misogynistic and mean-spirited man, and despite Linda’s outstanding achievements, he awards the promotion to a recent hire who just so happens to be his old college buddy.

Linda confronts Bradley about his decision, and while he dismisses her complaints, he also invites her on a trip to prove him wrong. While on that trip, the plane crashes in the ocean, and Linda and Bradley are forced to contend with one another while they attempt to survive isolation on a deserted island.

The island is Linda’s paradise. Coincidentally, she’s a survival expert, a Survivor-addicted TV watcher who has even made her own self-tape for auditioning. The moment the two wash upon the shore, Linda springs to action, building huts, collecting rainwater, hunting, and cooking. Bradley, meanwhile, is forced to watch his recent subordinate outdo himself while he lies there with a broken leg.

McAdams captures her character’s transformation with skill, changing from a hunched-over, meek woman to a confident, upright, and fearless survivor. Watching her go head-to-head against a wild boar and coming out the victor is thrilling. Turns out, she was made for this life, and while she’s not exactly going to let Bradley die, she won’t shy away from enjoying the power she now has. There’s no doubt she’s going to enjoy showing her former boss a thing or two.

O’Brien plays Bradley as a frustrated, bewildered man who is forced to humble himself against a woman who clearly knows more than he does. Watching him fumble around, attempting to build a shelter, for instance, while Linda breezily completes her daily chores, is gut-bustingly funny.

Of course, comedy isn’t all there is to the film. Towards the end, as the two leads grow desperate, there’s more violent fun to be had. Eye gouges, vomit, castration, this is some heavy stuff. The narrative too, twists and turns upon itself, forcing the characters into unexpected decisions and heavy consequences. It’s a blast.

While the film has some feminist commentary, it also explores what kind of people we become when we’re forced to reckon with our darker impulses. Revealing much more would spoil the fun. Let’s just say both Linda and Bradley are dramatically altered by their time on the island, and not necessarily for the better.

Send Help is a hilarious and thrilling film, complete with the best role reversal I’ve seen in movies recently. With great action, acting, and character development, this is one you don’t want to miss. Catch it in the theatres while you can.