Review of Drag Me to Hell (2009) by Liam C — 10 Apr 2013

Three years is a long time. I first reviewed this movie, three years ago and quite honesty my opinion hasn't changed about this movie, but my review was pretty pathetic, so I decided to post another.

The story of Drag Me To Hell starts with Alison Lohman's character (Christine Brown), as a banker. She has a loving boyfriend and an upcoming promotion. Things aren't going her way. A young man named Stu is winning out in the promotion race, Justin Long's mother thinks Christine is an unfit choice for her son (usual mother), and she drives the ugliest car on the face of the planet.

Things get worse, when an elderly woman asks Christine to give her an extension on her mortgage. Because she wants the promotion she declines and so on and so forth, she gets cursed and has three days before a demon comes to take her, where else? Hell.

First off, Sam Raimi took a few years off of directing horror movies, whilst delivering us a trilogy of Spiderman films. Evil Dead is still one of the most incredible horror movies to date. It seems every horror film tries to copy what made it so great, but they can never pull it off, until this film.

Does it count as cheating that it's by the same director? Absolutely not! What makes Drag Me To Hell so spectacular is that it never takes itself too seriously, which more and more directors are picking up on.

He knows that the plot is silly, but he never tries to be anything but. However, while going hand and hand, he gives us some terrifying shots and scenes. Cabin in the Woods did this, just this year. It gave us a "spoof", while delivering some truly eerie scenes that haunt you.

Drag Me to Hell does the same thing. The camera work is disturbing and the atmosphere is perfect. When a piece of cloth scares you to death multiple times, you know the director has done its job. Even when the scene is calm and happy music is playing, something scary will pop out, and catch you by surprise.

Sure, it has its surprise scare moments, but it doesn't rely on them. Raimi relies mostly on the tracking shots, and creepy angles that give you chills just watching. One thing I mentioned in my review three years ago, was the ending.

In my opinion, the ending just seals the deal to an already stellar movie. **SPOILERS**Everything is going Alison's way. She got the job, she '"stopped" the demon, and her boyfriend is going to propose to her.

If, for some reason, you didn't take Christine throughout the movie, you are sure to fall for her in this final scene. She admits her mistakes and shows she is a truly good person. But just like that, the major plot twist hits, and your jaw drops.

Sam Raimi does this perfectly, giving us no hints that she actually didn't stop the demon. Your heart drops as she slowly gets dragged to hell. If that didn't disturb you enough, you get a sudden flash of the title, right after you see a single tear rolls down Clay's face.

You are so blandished by the final thirty seconds that you will sit there for a few minutes. **END OF SPOILERS**Whether it be the the fantastic camera work, the fun pacing, or terrifying atmosphere, Drag Me To Hell is original, quick, and silly.

You won't get a better movie as Sami Raimi delivers a modern horror classic!