Sam Raimi is officially returning to the director’s chair with Send Help, a tense, character-driven survival thriller that promises to blend psychological tension with his signature brand of horror. Entertainment Weekly has unveiled exclusive first-look images from the film, offering a chilling preview of what Raimi has in store.

In Send Help, Rachel McAdams stars as Linda Liddle, a brilliant but underestimated strategist at a corporate firm, opposite Dylan O’Brien as Bradley Preston, her arrogant and overconfident supervisor. When a private plane crash leaves them stranded on a desolate island, the two must rely on each other to survive, but their past animosities soon evolve into a brutal psychological and physical power struggle.

What begins as a fight against nature slowly becomes an exploration of ego, respect, and transformation. As Linda’s instincts and intelligence take over, she redefines what survival means, flipping long-held dynamics between power and vulnerability. Raimi has described the story as “an underdog tale” that examines how people change when stripped of comfort and hierarchy, when survival demands evolution.

The film marks Raimi’s first directorial feature since 2022’s Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness, and a return to his horror-thriller roots reminiscent of Evil Dead and Drag Me to Hell. Send Help is written by Damian Shannon and Mark Swift (Freddy vs. Jason, Friday the 13th), and produced under Raimi Productions alongside Zainab Azizi.

Joining McAdams and O’Brien are Dennis Haysbert, Chris Pang, Edyll Ismail, Xavier Samuel, Thaneth Warakulnukroh, and Emma Raimi. Behind the camera, Raimi reunites with longtime collaborators, cinematographer Bill Pope (The Matrix, Spider-Man 2) and editor Bob Murawski, with an original score by Danny Elfman.

Principal photography began in February 2025, filming across Sydney, Los Angeles, and Thailand, and wrapped in mid-April 2025. The film’s visual design promises a blend of isolation and intensity, with sweeping natural vistas set against claustrophobic emotional tension.

Early images released by EW show McAdams’ Linda fashioning makeshift weapons and tending to a wounded Bradley, hinting at shifting dynamics between the two survivors. According to Raimi, Send Help will not only test its characters’ endurance but question what it truly means to lead when civilization collapses.

Send Help is set for theatrical release on January 30, 2026, via 20th Century Studios, marking one of next year’s most anticipated returns to grounded, character-centered horror.

Poor Reviews and Low Box Office Put The Strangers: Chapter 3 at High Risk

The horror saga of the masked killers has hit a major financial snag. The Strangers: Chapter 2, released two weekends ago, is now confirmed to have grossed a disappointing $11.9 million domestically after its second weekend, with a worldwide total estimated at $13.6 million.

While the film was made on a modest budget, its weak box office performance is a clear signal of poor audience reception.

A Rough Road for Lionsgate and the Trilogy

• Disappointing Debut: The sequel opened with only $5.8 million, nearly half the opening of the first film in the rebooted trilogy.

• Negative Word-of-Mouth: The film holds a consistently low critic score (around 17%), and a significant drop in day-to-day earnings indicates poor audience word-of-mouth.

• Future in Doubt: All three chapters were filmed back-to-back, a risky production strategy that aimed to replicate the success of other trilogies. However, analysts and fans are now openly questioning whether Lionsgate will give the final chapter, The Strangers: Chapter 3, a wide theatrical release. The consensus online is that the studio may opt to offload the film to a streaming service to cut down on marketing and distribution costs.

Tim Burton’s Gothic Masterpiece Sleepy Hollow Returns to Theaters for 25th Anniversary

Tim Burton’s opulent and blood-soaked gothic masterpiece, Sleepy Hollow (1999), is riding back into select Regal theaters today for a special one-night screening. This event is part of Regal’s “31 Screams on Screen” marathon and marks the film’s 25th Anniversary celebration.

A Dark Fantasy Reimagining

The film, loosely based on Washington Irving’s classic tale, stars Johnny Depp as Ichabod Crane, an eccentric New York constable sent to the mysterious, fog-shrouded village of Sleepy Hollow to investigate a series of brutal decapitations. The culprit is believed to be the legendary apparition, the Headless Horseman (portrayed by Christopher Walken and Ray Park).

Critics praised the film upon its original release for its visual flair and signature spooky atmosphere. The film’s aesthetic was heavily inspired by the classic Hammer Horror and Universal Monster films, resulting in a unique vision that won the Academy Award for Best Art Direction.

A Star-Studded Cast and Stunning Visuals

The film features an incredible ensemble cast, including Christina Ricci as the mysterious Katrina Van Tassel, Miranda Richardson as Lady Van Tassel, and a strong supporting cast of British character actors, including Michael Gambon and Christopher Lee. The re-release allows audiences to appreciate the film’s breathtaking cinematography, which is characterized by its heavily stylized colors and deep, shadowy black levels, making the Horseman’s ride even more terrifying on the big screen.

If you miss today’s screening, keep an eye out for the recent 4K Ultra HD Blu-ray release, which captures the film’s visual brilliance for home viewing.

Julia Ducournau’s Divisive Alpha Opens the Fest, While The Life of Chuck and Bulk Arrive

The Sitges Film Festival, running from October 9th to 19th, is already delivering on its promise of a global showcase of dark fantasy and horror cinema.

Opening Night Controversy: The Divisive Alpha

The festival kicked off on October 9th with the highly anticipated, but polarizing, body horror film Alpha from director Julia Ducournau (Titane). The film’s critical reception has been highly mixed, with some calling it a “dismal” and “bafflingly overwrought” disappointment, while others predict it is “destined to become a cult classic.” The plot, which deals with a mysterious virus outbreak, themes of grief, and unsettling body horror imagery, is proving to be a challenging watch, but its sheer ambition and visual intensity are undeniable.

Today’s Major Screenings: The Heavy Hitters

The festival’s weekend lineup is packed with major names. Today’s schedule and recent premieres include:

• Mike Flanagan’s The Life of Chuck: The Stephen King adaptation, which tells the story of a man’s life in reverse chronological order, has been generating massive buzz. While not a traditional horror film, its emotional weight and fantastical elements are winning over audiences.

• Ben Wheatley’s Bulk: The British auteur is back with an experimental, black-and-white sci-fi horror film. Critics are calling it a “mind-melting return to the weird,” with a plot that blends a multiverse concept with low-fi, DIY effects, creating a disorienting, claustrophobic experience.

Festival Highlights and Special Events

• The Zombie Walk: A major highlight of the festival, the iconic Zombie Walk, is scheduled for tomorrow, October 12th.

• Awards: The festival will present its Grand Honorary Award to British actor Benedict Cumberbatch during its run.

• Final Film: The festival will close with the screening of The Long Walk, the dystopian thriller based on the Stephen King novel.

Dev Patel’s New Psychological Thriller Arrives on VOD: A Sonic, Surreal Descent into Welsh Folklore

The unconventional folk horror film Rabbit Trap has officially transitioned from its limited theatrical run to VOD today. Directed by first-time feature filmmaker Bryn Chainey, the movie is a challenging, art-house blend of horror, psychological thriller, and experimental sound design that has captivated and confounded critics since its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival.

Plot: A Mystical Sound and a Mysterious Child

Set in the remote Welsh countryside in 1973, the film follows married musician Daphne (Rosy McEwen) and Darcy Davenport (Oscar-nominated Dev Patel) who have retreated from London to work on their experimental electronic music album. Darcy, a sound engineer, unintentionally records a mystical, unidentifiable frequency in the woods near an ancient “fairy circle” (known in Welsh folklore as tylwyth teg).

This discovery coincides with the appearance of a nameless, unsettling child (played by Jade Croot) who slowly but surely ingratiates himself into the couple’s isolated life. The child’s presence acts as a catalyst, exploiting the couple’s deepest vulnerabilities, particularly Darcy’s unresolved childhood trauma and his resistance to starting a family. The film’s title refers not just to the dead rabbits the boy brings, but to the mental snares Darcy is caught in.

A Masterclass in Sonic Horror

The unique selling point of Rabbit Trap is its commitment to sound. Director Chainey wanted to explore horror through what is heard rather than what is seen. Composer Lucrecia Dalt and the sound designers weave an experimental score that blends electro-psychedelic murmurs with natural, ambient sounds. Reviewers have highlighted the film’s “ASMR-driven” atmosphere, which creates a sense of dread that is both transcendent and genuinely unnerving. In one particularly trippy sequence, visual spectrogram waves of sound distort the screen, making the terror palpable.

While some critics found the plot intentionally muddled and frustratingly opaque, nearly all agree that the film is visually stunning and features powerful performances from Patel and McEwen, who successfully ground the abstract terror in real marital tension.

Rabbit Trap is now available to rent or buy on major VOD platforms.

The Conjuring: Last Rites and Him Unleash Bonus Features for Digital Debut

Two of the biggest and most talked-about horror films of 2025 are available for purchase and rental on premium digital platforms today. Fans can now dive deep into the bonus content of both The Conjuring: Last Rites and Him.

The Conjuring: Last Rites – The Final Case-

The Conjuring: Last Rites, the ninth entry in the massive $2 billion Conjuring universe, is now available to buy or rent digitally on platforms like Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV+, and Fandango at Home. The film, which follows Ed and Lorraine Warren in their final, most terrifying case (based on the real-life Smurl family haunting), was a major box office success, earning over $459 million globally.

Bonus Features Breakdown (on Digital, 4K UHD, and Blu-ray):

The home release comes packed with never-before-seen content, including three specific featurettes that peel back the layers of the series’ conclusion:

• Last Rites: An Era Ends- A featurette detailing the end of the Warrens’ cinematic journey.

• The Conjuring: Crafting Scares- A deep dive into the making of the film’s most chilling moments.

• Michael Chaves: Believer- A featurette focused on the returning director’s vision for the finale.

The physical release (4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD) for The Conjuring: Last Rites is scheduled to hit shelves on November 25, 2025.

Him – The Demonic Sacrifice-

Jordan Peele’s dark, sports-themed horror film Him, starring Marlon Wayans and Tyriq Withers, is also available for purchase and rental on digital platforms today. For those who buy the movie, Universal Pictures Home Entertainment has unlocked over 45 minutes of exclusive, never-before-seen bonus content.

Exclusive Bonus Features (Digital Purchase/Physical Media):

• Alternate Ending: Zay’s Nightmare- A fan-demanded look at a radically different conclusion to the film.

• Deleted End Credits Scene: Food or Freedom- A deleted sequence that adds a final, twisted detail to the narrative.

• Becoming Them- A featurette on how stars Tyriq Withers and Marlon Wayans trained like elite athletes to prepare for their roles.

• Anatomy of a Scene- Detailed breakdowns of key sequences like the “Rebirth” and “A Diabolical Game of Catch.”

The physical release (4K UHD, Blu-ray, and DVD) for Him is scheduled to arrive on November 11, 2025.