Alright, I will admit it right now- when I saw the posters for "Drag Me to Hell," upon knowing nothing about it, mind you, I rolled my eyes and thought that this would be a horror film that came and went without much knowledge. What brought me to the theater was the fact that it was by Sam Raimi, the mind behind the "Evil Dead" trilogy as well as the new "Spider Man" trilogy. What "Drag Me to Hell" entails is a horror movie that supplies as many laughs as it does general thrills. I loved this movie.
The plot follows a young, hopeful bank loan officer named Cristine Brown who becomes so consumed with the idea of getting a promotion to the Assistant Manager's position that she makes the tragic mistake of denying a mortgage extension to an old gypsy named Sylvia Ganush. Mrs. Ganush gets so super-pissed off that after a golden parking lot showdown (a wonderful homage to the slasher genre) that she takes a button and places the Curse of the Lamia on her. The curse means that hell's worst demon will torment her for three days and then drag her into his homeworld if the curse is not broken.
What follows is quite possibly the most satisfying, gruesome (PG-13 rating stretched for more than it was worth) journey into what Peter Travers of Rolling Stone perfectly called, "horror movie heaven." When the Lamia torments her, it's thrilling, but when Mrs. Ganush unleashes her wrath, it is hilarious, plain and simple. Feel free to laugh whenever you feel so inclined- Raimi would love that.
After I first saw the film in theaters, three nights later, one scene stuck in my mind while trying to sleep; the Lamia comes into her house when it begins to show its figure, and she is confined to her bedroom. The scene is perfectly paced and horribly entertaining because we truly fear the Lamia and root for Cristine to overcome the curse, despite what some may think of her. Her actions may isolate some viewers, but we become consumed with her attempt to fight this abnormal curse.
I have to recommend this film highly, as it is a perfect horror/comedy. Is it the best film of the year or deserve nominations? Perhaps a Golden Globe for Allison Lohman as our heroine or Lorna Raver as the best comical villain I've ever watched. Maybe even Dileep Rao as Rham Jas, the seer into Cristine's fate (just watch the 'Making Of' feature to see the depth and excellence he brings to his performance). Everyone brings their a-game here, and the final result is greatly satisfying for those who know that this film is within their genre.
I could go on and throw around the plot and characters, but by now you know if this is your movie or not. If you can handle what the film has to offer, you should have already checked it out. If not, you know what to do.
Rated PG-13 for sequences of horror violence, terror, disturbing images, and language. Unrated DVD available.
Buy it here.
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