Drag Me to Hell (2009) User Reviews

A stitch in time saves nine

[AvinashPatalay · 20 May 2011]

"Drag Me To Hell" transports to you to the era of 1980's where blood, gore, chills and likes of "Nightmare on Elm Street" / "Evil Dead" spawned in plenty. And yes, for a welcome change "Drag Me To Hell" steers clear from the Japanese horror genre and pans out to be a very much American product.

† Alison Lohman "i can shriek" delivers the right expressions warranted for a horror movie. Anything more would have been potential overdose.

† Justin Long "Keanu Reeves impersonator" is plastic expressions all the way.

† Reggie Lee "corporate pacman" does a good job of munching up everything that comes between him and the success ladder.

† David Paymer "carrot dangler" knows how to make the rabbits dance to his tunes.

† Lorna Raver "the trigger of Lamia curse" ensures to get etched in the memory and haunt you for a very long time.

† Dileep Rao "amateur spiritualist" was okay'ish. It appears his part got hijacked by his Guru.

† Flor de Maria Chahua "avenger in waiting" has a brief but effective role. And so was her assistant.

All in all "Drag Me To Hell" is both tacky and cheesy, but that doesn't stop it from sending shivers down the spine. The screenplay is void of drag moments ensuring the audience get fright doses at regular intervals. Good utilisation of visual effects and the background score alleviate the visual experience. The potholes in writing could have been easily creased out. Not exactly horror-comedy like "Shawn Of The Dead" but it does have well-interlaced comical moments between the chills.

Watchable fare... and yes a few days you potentially might abstain from using the staplers.

Classic Sam Raimi

[simon-81093 · 6/10 · 20 June 2020]

People who gave this a very low score don't get Sam Raimi. I found it entertaining and I enjoyed the humour. A homage to classic horror films with a mix of humour and old school special effects.

Raimi goes back to the man he used to be.

[Samiam3 · 7/10 · 29 May 2010]

Sam Raimi hasn't made a bad movie yet, and while Drag Me To Hell has emerged as a case of you hate it or you love it (like Apocalypse Now, Forrest Gump, and Avatar). It turns out to be a fun ride.

Christine Brown is a loan officer in L.A. and is trying to get the position of assistant manager. She decides that in order to impress her boss, she has to be tougher. So when an old gypsy woman comes and asks her for a third extension on mortgage payment, Christine denies her that. Feeling shamed, the old woman puts a curse on Christine, and sends a demon after her. Her life is suddenly in ruins, but with the help of a fortune teller, and his Latin American friends, Christine attempts to rid herself of the demon, before it takes her down to hell.

the ending of the film is more than somewhat controversial, and in fact you could even spend the rest of the day going over it in your mind, trying to figure out what the Raimi bros were thinking. In fact considering what they choose, the entire story is kind of pointlessly staged, but at least it is fun. Raimi takes us on a crazy ride, we the viewers are treated to a handful of shocking and humorous moments, many of which directly resemble, the Evil Dead flicks. You can tell from this that after fifteen years, Raimi is still a master at horror. He has tackled every genre but it is clear now that he is most at home with this genre. I would not say it's lovable, but it doesn't disappoint either.

Intense and Funny - Classic Sam Raimi

[indyj1 · 9/10 · 30 May 2009]

The early trailers for Drag Me to Hell dubbed it as (sic) "the return to classic horror", and for once at least, they are correct.

Sam Raimi manages to incorporate genuine thrills and terror using the old-fashioned format of surprise, misdirection and suggestion. As a frequent viewer of horror films, little surprises me, but in this film I was caught off-guard several times while watching it.

While the majority of the movie is kept on a serious and foreboding level, much like the original "Evil Dead", Raimi can't help but throw in elements of the absurd and slapstick during some of the more horrific scenes, thus reducing the tension and echoing the latter 2/3 of the "Evil Dead" trilogy.

WHile I have nothing against the modern trend of horror movies to provide shocks merely in the form of how much blood and gore they spill, this flick was wonderfully refreshing. It's a must-see, not just for Raimi fans, but for anyone who loves a good scary story and a great movie in general.

Too predictable and far too loud

[zetes · 6/10 · 31 May 2009]

A huge disappointment in my eyes, especially after the high praise it has received from critics. Sam Raimi attempts to return to his B movie roots. Like the Evil Dead movies, it's delightfully cheesy and relentless. Unfortunately, it's also very formulaic and, much of the time, downright obnoxious. This is one film I would almost implore people not to see in theaters. At least not ones that like to turn the volume up. This movie is LOUD. I saw Terminator Salvation at the same theater, and was not nearly as deafened as I was by Drag Me to Hell. The problem: horror stings on the soundtrack. CONSTANTLY. The formula of the film is this: quiet set-up followed by sharp screech and an even louder BOO! It's the same thing over and over. I was cowering, but only because I was afraid I might not be able to hear in the morning. The story isn't bad, but it's been done before. Alison Lohman (awful) plays a loan officer who gets cursed by a gypsy after she turns her down for a loan extension. A goat demon begins to attack Lohman and, well, the rest of its intentions are included in the title of the film. Though I generally didn't like it, it's far from a bad film. In fact, I think it might play better on television (it's definitely the kind of movie that I would have caught on late night TV as a kid and loved). The séance scene near the end of the film is mostly gold. The demon itself is scary as Hell, but Raimi's way of indicating it, with sharp screeches, is what ruined the movie for me.

Different from what you're used to

[Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews · 7/10 · 7 June 2022]

This was a very fun, self aware, campy yet still creepy horror flick (not what I was expecting)

I thought they did a really good job at easing the viewer into the camp/ ridiculousness gradually while still being upfront with the style of the movie from the beginning. I started off open minded and gradually was like mmm idk... and then ended up really liking it. You don't see too many movies in this particular genre done this way.

The acting was hit or miss for me, but in this genre you can get away with a lot more so it didn't really effect it all that much. I will say I am not a fan of jump scares at all and this was just littered with cheap ass jump scares haha but it's to be expected.

Over all I think this was quite successful for what it was and accomplished just that. Would recommend for sure, esp to someone who can appreciate a more "light hearted" horror lol.

Deliciously pulpy return to horror for Raimi

[ametaphysicalshark · 29 May 2009]

"Drag Me to Hell" might be the victim of unfair expectations, or just plain incorrect assumptions. This might partially be down to the advertising campaign, which could lead audiences to believing this is purely serious horror, when in fact it is pulp silliness in the vein of the old EC comics, and fully aware of it. Sam Raimi, for whom the childhood experience of reading those pulp tales served as an inspiration for his now-legendary "Evil Dead" movies, and hence gave him his career, has made his most fun and entertaining film since "Army of Darkness", and probably his best since then as well (although I do need to see "A Simple Plan" again) in "Drag Me to Hell", which feels like it could be an adaptation of one of those horror tales.

Hopefully audiences will be expecting something along the lines of "Evil Dead" mixed with its sequels when they go in, or they could leave disappointed. Unless you're scared by old women and supernatural mumbo jumbo, unless you're a superstitious person, "Drag Me to Hell" probably won't be giving you any nightmares. Then again, I'm not scared by anything really. Still, one can't help but feel that this sort of thing (if done seriously) doesn't belong in today's age of rationality and would work only in the 50's, or maybe even then would be too late to really pack a punch.

That's why this is, like the "Evil Dead" movies, a cartoon. It is one cartoony horror set-piece after the other, more often than not with an overt comedic edge, and always, always with its tongue firmly in cheek. The characters are well-realized enough for the movie to be endurable, and well-played too (Justin Long is perfect for the role regardless of how limited his range is and I can't imagine anyone but Lohman playing this particular role), but Raimi doesn't really care about them. He cares more about piling on the pulp gross-outs, resorting here to all sorts of unsavory things (including embalming fluid gushing out of a corpse into Lohman's mouth, one of a multitude of things Raimi takes pleasure in introducing to that particular orifice of Lohman's body), but not much blood at all. It isn't needed either, the PG-13 rating may sound like a limitation but it's hard to imagine this movie with much more gore, although there are a few things that happen off-screen that I would have LOVED to see on-screen, but that might be because I'm a horribly sick person.

Utilizing an active, expressive camera akin to the sort of thing we saw in the "Evil Dead" movies, Raimi stages these ridiculous scenes with gusto and passion. This is not going to terrify many people, but it is absolutely terrific at being what it sets out to be- a live action EC comic. As long as you go in expecting that, you'll probably leave satisfied. I'd like to leave you with the wise words of AV Club critic Scott Tobias: "He wants viewers to jump out of their chairs, to laugh and scream and cheer, and to nudge each other over the transcendent ridiculousness of what they're witnessing. This is junk film-making at its finest."

Entertaining

[gbill-74877 · 7/10 · 2 December 2022]

Drag Me to Hell gets off to a strong start, with a young woman's stress at home and work reasonably well developed before, well, all hell breaks loose, and an assortment of colored fluids are expelled from various orifices, often from one person to another. There are a lot of squirm-inducing moments but they are spaced out reasonably well, and this is a fun film.

The young woman (Alison Lohman) is a loan officer at a bank who is vying with another to get promoted at work, but watching her hopes dim as he seems better at playing political games. She also has a boyfriend (Justin Long) whose wealthy parents believe she isn't good enough for. One day at work an elderly woman comes in asking for an extension on her loan payments so that she doesn't lose her house. Fearing that she needs to be perceived as tough enough to make hard decisions, she turns the woman down, leading to being cursed and soon haunted by an evil spirit called a lamia. She turns to a fortune teller for help, but naturally the solution is not as simple as sacrificing an animal.

I liked how Sam Raimi the director moved the action along, skipping unnecessary dialogue and physical movement to get from one scene to another. I thought Sam Raimi the writer (and his brother Ivan) were a little less successful in the middle part of the film, where it stalled a bit. One of the obvious solutions to attempting to lift the curse (getting rid of an object) is oddly delayed. There were also moments where the dialogue was stilted. With that said, the film holds together well, and its big scenes all deliver. Strong ending too.

Way More than Expected!

[nitishkumarmohanta · 8/10 · 31 October 2023]

At first let me clarify, I've watched it in 2023. So according to the time of 2009 it's damn brilliant. The storyline still looking fresh and the screenplay is still tight and gripping. Kudos to the director of this movie, he took hell lot of time to make it and the end product was turned out to be brilliant.

It's a Horror-Thriller-Comedy kind of genre for me. Some scenes were disgusting to watch ; still I enjoyed and laughed out loud. Some brilliant jumpscares scared me as well, as I've watched it by plugin' my headphones with 60/70% of Volume. I can easily recommend this to my friends and family to pass their time ; but remember 4/5 kissing scenes are there otherwise nothing wrong with the parental guidance.

So wrapping up my review with 8 Out of 10, as I just loved it... That's a short review from my side for this 'Drag me to Hell' movie.

Fun horror from Sam, but perspective is still needed.

[hitchcockthelegend · 7/10 · 18 September 2009]

Waiting for another Sam Raimi horror film has been like hoping your numbers come up on the national lottery, long, arduous and ultimately unfruitful. So it be that when one finally comes around, there is a tendency to over praise, over hype, and even be blind to actually how worthy Drag Me To Hell is. Not only in the pantheon of the horror genre, but in the cannon of its supremely talented director.

So it comes to pass that myself, a Raimi fan for sure, decided to let the hoo-hah die down before venturing in to Hell with Alison Lohman and her devilish nemesis. I note now at the current time of writing that the film is rated just over 7.5/10, that's just about right where it deserves to be. It's not new or remotely ingenious, and for sure it's actually finding Raimi on auto-pilot for himself and his fans. But hey! It's still far better than the ream of remakes and blood for bloods sake cash cows that insult the genre faithful on a monthly basis.

Drag Me To Hell is a comedy horror, there's nothing really scary here, it's gross at times, almost disgustingly {delightfully} so, but Raimi is reliant on fun to go hand in hand with a creeper of a story instead of a conventional boo jump bonanza. And it works just fine. The story sees Alison Lohman's Christine Brown upset an old gypsy woman and gets a curse of demonic proportions laid onto her. This set up then lets Raimi pummel Lohman with a number of excellently scripted set pieces, whilst managing to keep a mystery element ticking throughout the story. Some problems do exist, tho, certainly enough to ensure this isn't the masterpiece the desperate for a Raimi horror hoards have labelled it.

Lohman does real well in relation to duality of character, but both she and her on screen beau, Justin Long, just look too young for the roles they are playing, and yes, it's pretty distracting and an itch you can't scratch. The CGI is also duff and affecting the story, particularly during what should have been a ripper of an ending. And crucially there is a familiarity about the whole thing, a feeling that Raimi and his brother Ivan have just made a collage of genre staples.

Still, Drag Me To Hell makes for a real entertaining night in by the fire. Enjoy a director making a film for himself as much as his fans, a sort of roots revisit if you like. But don't expect a genre defining, or genre boosting, picture, because you may be a tad disappointed with the return. 7/10

Sam Raimi has made his 'Jaws'.

[hey_treacle · 8/10 · 28 May 2009]

Drag me to Hell is, really, a throwback in so many ways to the fun of The Evil Dead 2. The camera angles, the excellent score - it all recalls how Raimi played with us in his earlier trilogy. What has changed however, is the sense of pace. We know its coming and Raimi employs all his skills to draw out the tension. The thrills are all there in place, I jumped like there was an electric buzzer under my seat. Perhaps a little too much CGI is indulged in but its easy to forgive in a film as wicked and blackly comic as this. I genuinely found the film disturbing for a 15 as well, again I think this is a mark of tension that Raimi creates with the score and camera work throughout the film. So incredibly refreshing to see a horror film with out the hallmarks of the recent saw franchise. Special mention for the ending, which has conviction and guts and was the proverbial cherry on top of the cake. throughly entertaining.

Raimi's return to his Evil Dead roots

[Leofwine_draca · 5/10 · 15 December 2012]

DRAG ME TO HELL sees Sam Raimi attempting to update his EVIL DEAD formula to the modern era, reinventing it as a teen-friendly comic horror about an unsuspecting bank worker who becomes a victim of a witch's curse. It sounds entertaining, and you'd think it would be easy for a man who once made it his job to bring fresh, energetic horror to our cinema screens.

Sadly, time has passed, and nowadays the formula seems a little stale. Raimi relies far too much on CGI in this movie, so that most of the (frequent) scare scenes are fake-looking and cartoonish; sometimes making this look like a Looney Tunes cartoon done via live action. I'd much have preferred practical effects, because then the film wouldn't have been so cheesy and laughable.

The mood is all over the place, too. The witch's curse storyline has real potential to be interesting, but none of the scare scenes work, mainly because Raimi goes for the gross-out over the genuinely spooky. There's a kind of infantile relish in watching a toothless old crone slobbering over her victim that makes me wonder what exactly he was thinking of. Playing it straight would have worked far better, I think.

The cast is nothing to write home about, with performances ranging from the pantomime (Dileep Rao) to the decent (David Paymer). As the heroine, Alison Lohman tries very hard to convince, although she does fail to elicit much sympathy. The pacing's good, though, and there are plenty of set-pieces and jump-in-your-seat moments, so undemanding horror fans might find themselves entertained regardless. Sometimes, though, Raimi goes too far; take the goat scene: just what on earth was he thinking?

Sam Raimi's Return to "True Horror" is a Triumph

[PoisonKeyblade · 10/10 · 21 May 2009]

From the intense opening scene to the stellar and shocking finale, Sam Raimi has officially returned to the horror genre with vigor and spark in the year's best horror film so far. Starring Alison Lohman in the leading role (Ellen Page was originally cast as the lead but dropped out of the project early in production), Drag Me to Hell feels like much more than your average, predictable horror popcorn flick. It's filled with plenty of twists and turns and, like any good ride, a satisfying conclusion. And the PG-13 rating? Forget about it! You hardly notice that little factor because of how immersed you become in the story. Also starring are Justin Long, David Paymer, and Lorna Raver.

Christine (Lohman), a loan officer at a bank with a lovely boyfriend (Long), is being considered for a promotion. Jumping at the opportunity, she comes across an old gypsy woman (Raver) who requests a third extension on her house. Her boss (Paymer) tells her it's a tough decision, and its her call, so she refuses the woman's payment. Absolutely infuriated, the woman stalks Christine after work and bestows her with a supernatural curse, one which she has only three days to overcome before the spirits drag her to hell.

Lucky enough to have won tickets to a pre-screening of the film, I had heard nothing but great things about it. I was hoping for the best, but I wasn't sure how the comedy and horror would mix together. Much to my surprise, the horror and comedy in Drag Me to Hell are that rare perfect mix of perfection that one craves in horror movies. If too funny, they can go overboard, but not this one. In fact, I don't think I've seen quite a proper mixture since Raimi's own Evil Dead II.

Perhaps the most shocking thing about the movie is how well it's made technically. It had all sorts of interesting shots and the real work of a master filmmaker. Having both written and directed the film, Sam Raimi more than proves his worth to the horror genre despite his long absence since Army of Darkness. In ways, this is also a sort of revival of what people with think of PG-13 horror movies. Drag Me to Hell is one of the most intense, scary horror films in quite some time, despite the PG-13 rating which many tag as already crap.

Drag Me to Hell is full of its epic shocks, and the less you go in knowing about it the better. I could go on for hours about the movie and spoil everything there is to know, but that would truly ruin some of its appeal. Which is certainly not to say that it is lost after a first viewing, just that it's an experience unlike any other going into this movie watching virtually no clips and reading very little about it. It becomes a truly rewarding experience.

Mrs. Ganush is one truly phenomenal villain that provides plenty of scares. Lorna Raver infuses the role with an enthusiasm - an terror - that is rarely seen in big-screen baddies. She has more personality than The Ring's Samara for sure. Clay's character provides a much-needed balance between the goofy and the horrific, and helps make the film's heroine, Christine, all the more believable. It was an interesting twist to see Justin Long in a horror film, despite the nature of his role. I believed his performance and the sincerity of his character. Lohman had a lot resting on her shoulders with this movie, and she totally pulled it off with flying colors. Nobody plays the terrified, but headstrong and determined female lead better than Lohman, and she proves her worth over and over again in this movie. She totally has a career ahead of her.

Overall, Drag Me to Hell did more than just impress me nonstop. It was a masterpiece of a horror movie, with unrivaled intensity, scares, and one killer of an ending. More often now, horror directors/writers seem to have such a difficult time ending their movies properly. This one has an ending which snugly solidifies the movie as an early contender for best horror film of the year. Don't miss Drag Me to Hell... you will never look at handkerchiefs the same way!

Overhyped

[mattmusko · 6/10 · 21 October 2020]

This movie isn't bad but the ratings here are way too generous in my opinion. It's too silly to be a true horror film. If Justin Long is in it then chances are it is a comedy. Except Jeepers Creepers maybe. It's a cute film but not scary and the only creepy parts are mostly just gross put moments. Fine to watch if you are bored or its part of a Halloween binge-a-thon but I wouldn't seek it out exclusively or pay to rent it.

You'll laugh and squirm in equal measure

[Coffee_in_the_Clink · 6/10 · 16 September 2021]

This is not one of the best horror films of the '00s, as it was boasted for in some quarters, and which is probably why the film caused much division upon it's release in 2009. It was Sam Raimi's return to the horror genre after so many years, so naturally many people got very enthusiastic and probably praised the film for more than it's true sum. All that aside, and I did watch this film back in 2009 - I remember not being impressed - I think it is important to watch it now with a more neutral perspective, as is often the case. I definitely found it to be a lot more enjoyable this time around because in '09 I had viewed it surrounded by the hype that proclaimed it to be the scariest film in years. While there is jump-scare aplenty, Raimi succeeds mostly in his trademark gore-effects and dark humour.

Excellent lead performance from Alison Lohman. It's unfortunate that she is now retired. She balances the 'scream queen' and dark humour perfectly. Much of the gore scenes hark back to the slapstick and mood of the 1980s, evoking Raimi's classic "The Evil Dead" as well as other staples like Dan O'Bannon's "The Return of the Living Dead". The old gypsy lady is disgusting to look at and Raimi taps in to this horror by emphasising her filth by focusing on her dentures and long, thick yellow finger-nails, as well many a scene where her mouth comes in to contact with Lohman's face. Again, this hardly triggered a scare on the scale for me, but what I did find was that the scare scenes more so had me laughing out loud, which I well suspect was Raimi's intention. There's never a dull moment in the film, so although it is far from one of the best horrors of the decade, it is one hell of a trip.

Dragged to Hell: Another Experiment in Grueling Terror

[amarcordforever · 9/10 · 14 May 2009]

To properly (and fairly) access my experience with seeing "Drag Me To Hell" Sam Raimi's (The Gift, Spider Man) much anticipated and blogged about new opus, we must first take a little trip back in time to the year 1995. As a kid, I had always been intrigued by the horror genre, most of which likely spawned from my parent's extreme hatred towards it. While they perused the Comedy and Drama sections of our old video store (then stocked to the brim with VHS tapes, I might add) I found myself sneaking off to the far left corner among the gory, trashy, at often times downright pornographic cover art that adorned the paper sleeves for films such as "Invasion of the Blood Farmers" and "Deadtime Stories".

Like a college freshman introduced to mass quantities of alcohol for the first time with no guidance in sight, I was on overload. What were they attempting to keep me from? If I slid this threw the door of my old Sony T-120, what exactly would I be getting myself into? One would like to think I found the answer that day instead of being forced to watch "The Jerk" for the ten thousandth time, but alas, my first experience with the "terror" genre began that same year, late at night, in the comforts of my own bed, with a remote control, a freshly fluffed pillow and the Sci-Fi Channel.

The words flashed onto the screen, "The Evil Dead" in blood red, bold faced lettering. As I watch the plot unfold I found myself paralyzed by the images I was seeing. Humans being possessed by demons, dismembered by their own friends, maniacally laughing in a distorted, demented all together frightening way and above all jumping out at me when I least expected it. I was changed. My outlook on movies changed. My fear of the dark was created and that was WITH commercial breaks. Of course, I have only one man to thank for getting me hooked on the "Terror" genre and that is Sam Raimi.

After almost twenty years (since "Army of Darkness" the final installment of the Evil Dead franchise) Mr. Raimi returns to his old stomping grounds with "Drag Me to Hell", the tale of Christine (Allison Lohman, Matchstick Men) a loan officer whom forces Mrs. Ganush, a sick, decrepit gypsy woman from her home by denying her an extension on an already delinquent bank loan. As fate would have it, after work in a desolate parking garage, Christine is attacked and the curse of the Lamia is placed onto her. In the days to follow she is brutally attacked by unseen entities, experiences visions of a deformed Mrs. Ganush and attempts to reverse the curse by contacting psychic mediums. Time is of the essence, but taking the curse off proves to be much more difficult than it was to put on as we witness Christine attempt to silence it before she is dragged to hell.

Earlier on, I referred to my obsession with the "Terror" genre. Terror differs from Horror in that its goal is to completely terrify the audience as opposed to simply scaring them. "Drag Me to Hell" falls into one such category. From start to finish, you make the first plunge down the drop of a 100 minute roller coaster and in the end feel as if you've been tossed around and abused by a master manipulator, Raimi. It is evident, through the use and placement of scares, gore, mixture of comedy and horror as well as pacing of the plot that Raimi didn't have to do much dusting off to get back in the game. He clearly knows that, in this genre, simplicity is often times the best course of action. The storyline and its unraveling is basic, often times boarding on naivety, but the absolute madness that ensues within its walls is comparable to a warm piece of chocolate cake.

Allison Lohman (who replaced Ellen Page in early stages of development) does a fine job of portraying Christine and the character arc that she goes through. Page would have brought a bit more grittiness to the role, but that's beside the point. Lohman is able to bring the charm and diversity to the part. Justin Long as Clay, Christines boyfriend, delivers as always and manages to keep it real in a role that could have very easily turned corny had it not been handled correctly. Supporting cast, Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) and Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) the Medium are both convincing in their extremely demanding parts.

What's so special about "Drag Me to Hell" is that it knows its roots. It takes us back to the days when it was a true "experience" to see a horror/terror movie. When you went into a movie theater and the audience jumped, yelled at the screen and quivered in shock and disgust. At the conclusion it brought them to their feet with a standing ovation and all along with the mindset of, "Okay, we're all in this together, let's make it out in one piece." "Drag Me to Hell" is what a good experience at the movies is all about. There will be those who hate it, loath it even, but for the handful of us that were transformed into obsessed fans of this niche market by a master director, it will validate our love for the genre and will forever stand as a true testament of the best it has to offer. As for myself, for a short moment in time I was a thirteen again, curled up under my covers, frozen with fear, and loving every single minute of it.

Raimi's return to horror

[freemantle_uk · 7/10 · 11 June 2010]

Sam Raimi is known as one of the best horror directors around in recent years: but he had left the genre to do some small projects like the Spider-man trilogy. He returns with a story idea that he wrote with his brother wrote 10 years before filming it. He also set out to get his production company Ghost House back on track after a very unsuccessful run.

Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) was a young woman and loans officer at a local branch of a bank. She has a simple ambition to become the assistant manager but has to compete with the new employee Stu (Reggie Lee). She is a kind-hearted woman, in a long term relationship with Clay (Justin Long), a psychology lecturer at a local university. Christine is told to make some touch decisions if she wants to get the job. She refuses to give an old woman, Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver) an extension on her loan: a decision she regards because Ganush places a curse on the young woman. Christine ends up being haunted by a demon and she has only three days to save her soul from being taken to hell for all eternity. With the help of Clay and an Indian psychic, Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) Christine does everything she can to break the curse.

With the horror genre you get a number of different types: serious like Let the Right One In, 28 Days Later, the Exorcist; slashers, e.g. Halloween, Friday the 13th; gorno like Hostel, Saw; comedy, e.g. Shaun of the Dead. And of course you can also sub-divide into types like Supernatural, monster-based, psychological, realistic, etc… With the best horror films there is often deeper message behind the story and often focuses on great characters. Raimi obviously knows about putting a compelling protagonist in his film and the audience will care about Christine, a decent person who ends up having to explore her dark side so that she can save her soul. Christine extremely well played by Lohman who shows she is a competent actress, playing the lost young woman who has to toughen up quickly. She is joined by a decent cast, Rao and Raver were of particular note. Raimi did not set out to make the film too serious. There is not much of message except showing someone's dark survival instincts, but trying to retains some good and don't upset gypsies. Does not treat the film too seriously with violence moments of slapstick, like Christine using a stapler as a weapon and dropping a anvil on top of Ganush with the eyes popping out like in a cartoon. Raimi deliberately makes Ganush an over the top stereotype and very entertaining, you would have to be of a very sensitive disposition to be offended. Also, there is nothing funny and more surreal then a talking goat.

Raimi also knows how to create an effective creepy atmosphere, using shadows to show demon was very well done. With his experience with Spider-man Raimi uses a lot of CGI in the film. Admittedly I am a traditionalist, CGI should only be used when there is no other alternative: but Raimi is skilled to make keep the film engaging and it allows him to use to do some extraordinary things. Raimi also mixed slapstick level violence and some gross out with more realistic style which at times effective, other times, not so fitting. Raimi was even able to fit in a few one liners, particularly with Christine nearing the end of the film. Raimi also shows his skill with a few clever camera and editing tricks, like when Christine was in a rainstorm and it turns into her being in the shower, which were nice touches.

Plot wises the film was a little like Paranormal Activity: but it was a lot better then that poor excuse for a film. The main reason being that there was a real threat to the main character of the film to make you actually care about her and the events of the film. The demon was actually a creepy being, not a minor nuisance.

Raimi shows that a horror film can be violence but does not have to be meaningless or violent just for the sake of it. Raimi gets the balance just right and the body court is surprising low in this film.

But whilst Drag Me to Hell is a good film this is really a film for fans of the horror genre. Outsiders properly won't be won over.

a masterpiece in horror

[sinnerofcinema · 10/10 · 30 May 2009]

For those of you old enough to recall watching "The Evil dead" when you were a cub, you might remember what a scary and traumatic experience that might have been. I could not sleep for days and when I did, I slept with the door open with a clear path into my parents room if something out of the normal approached. Drag me to hell, drags us all back to the good old days of horror where true impactful scares are made yet the film takes you on a roller coaster ride where you just don't know where or when it will end. With a flawless story and well crafted, sound design was outstanding and therefore helped deliver the chills, this film will feel like going to a very expensive restaurant and eating meal where you feel so satisfied, you bask in the experience. You will feel the same after seeing this movie. A definite triumphant return to cinema by Raimi to a well elaborate masterpiece

Horror story with supernatural touches of black humor by Sam Raimi

[ma-cortes · 6/10 · 21 September 2010]

Creepy terror caused by a curse against a young woman with a bright future that goes wrong . The bank employee named Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) finds herself growing distresses after she assertively refuses to extend a loan to an old gypsy woman ( Raver ), then she places a hex on her . As when a button is removed during a scuffle , a curse is placed on her . It will result in her being taken to hell in a few days time and the things get worse . Now the girl must call upon his boyfriend named Clay Dalton (Justin Long) and a spiritual adviser (Rao) to help her persuade the gypsy to lift the curse. Time is running out for the desperate loan officer as he draws closer to his own death . At a mansion reunite various mediums who are determined to save her. The psychics attempt to rid her of the strange demon , a malevolent force she is up against , leading until an incredible ending .

This exciting picture is a terror story full of supernatural elements with eerie moments here and there and brief touches of black humor . The makeup and special effects vary , but for the most part, they are quite good , they are realized by Robert Kurtzman and Howard Berger . Colorful and adequate cinematography by Peter Deming who captures perfectly the peculiar scenarios . The film displays adequate musical score fitting to terror and suspense by Christopher Young , an expert composer of dark atmospheres . The motion picture is professionally directed by Sam Raimi ( Crimewave, Evil dead I and II ) who directed ¨Army of darkness¨ another horror film with humor and tongue-in-cheek . This one isn't his worst movie , but definitely not the best either . The result is better than previous Stephen King adaptation called ¨Thinner¨, that bears remarkable resemblance to ¨Drag me to the hell¨. Rating : Acceptable and passable Horror-Comedy from Sam Raimi , well worth watching for Alison Lohman fans .

Drag me to Hell Premiere

[rservello · 10/10 · 13 May 2009]

Went to the world premiere of Drag me to Hell last night at the Chinese theater....and while I had seen quite a bit of the film with no sound I was still incredible surprised, and impressed! I have always been a big Sam Raimi fan....I watched Evil Dead 1&2 and Army of Darkness religiously in High School....so to be able to work on Raimi's return to horror was an honor and a pleasure. And this does not disappoint. It was exactly what I would have expected from a master of comedic horror that got to really cut his teeth on the mega budget Spiderman series. Extremely refined...but not a product. It doesn't feel like a typical Hollywood film....yet has the production values of one.

I was extremely excited when I got my invitation to attend the premiere and I was not at all disappointed. The final film is both one of the creepiest and scariest film I've seen in a while, and yet in perfect Raimi brothers style....very funny (even at times most other film makers wouldn't have been able to make it funny).

I'm not going to spoil anything, but for those of you that saw the PG-13 rating and groaned let me say....don't let it deter you. As with other great Raimi films the scare is in what is NOT seen....which is what makes it so damn scary! I wish more horror filmmakers would finally realize that. There are some extremely tense moments brought on by nothing but great camera work and awesome sound design.

If you want a genuinely creepy movie....and a great laugh go check it out when it comes out. You will NOT be disappointed.

Oh, and none of my shots were cut!!! Woohoo!

Horror, humour and hell in Raimi's devilish new movie

[joebloggscity · 7/10 · 24 August 2009]

Sweep aside all those Japanese psychological horrors, the torture porn and the 3-D specialities, and lets get back to basics. Sam Raimi takes a side-step and has brought us this wonderful little flick.

Our heroine Christine Brown is a loans manager cursed by an old gypsy lady she refused to extend a loan out to further. Cue devilish goings on as our lead lady tries to exorcise the curse to little avail.

As a horror movie it will make you jump, but really it's a bit of gross out comedy as well (watch out for the fly sequence!). You will laugh and yelp in equal measure.

Keeps you more than entertained for the duration, and at heart it's a nice old fashioned popcorn horror movie that has been forgotten about of late. No classic but a good ride along the way.

Really good camp horror

[masonsaul · 7/10 · 18 April 2023]

Drag Me to Hell is a really twisted horror film that proves Sam Raimi hasn't lost most of his sensibilities from Evil Dead as he brings all the hilariously over the top and cartoonish set pieces you expect. In terms of delivering genuine scares, it's not as strong but there's a few clever jump scares.

Alison Lohman gives a great lead performance, once cursed she doesn't get a break and her eventual urgency as she takes matters into her own hands is a lot of fun. Justin Long gets to take a break from being terrorised and gets a nice and simple supporting role.

Sam Raimi's direction is on point, there's more than enough canted angles, whenever gore is present it's suitably over the top and it maintains a brisk pace. The music by Christopher Young is good, nothing memorable but it's atmospheric stuff in the moment.

Drag Me To Horror Movie Heaven!

[tyranid_slayer · 9/10 · 30 May 2009]

Hi! Years and years ago.....A guy called Sam Raimi made a couple of films called Evil Dead. Scary scary movies ahead of their time. But over time Sam moved away from the horror genre and directed films like Darkman and the Spider-Man trilogy. If he wasn't doing that he pasted his name on and produced really really bad horror movies like The Boogeyman. So imagine my surprise when i heard that he was actually directing a horror movie again! After seeing it last night here is my review. I do enjoy horror films......but i don't like them. That doesn't make sense but what i mean is i LOVE horror movies but all horror movies today are utter crap. The only scary movies made today are all Korean. Then America, with their complete lack of originality and money grabbing ways, make a remake with low standards. The last horror movie i went to see was The Unborn and that is THE WORST MOVIE i have seen in a long time and the worst horror movie as well. Drag Me To Hell is a breath of fresh air for the horror genre. In the films opening sequence the plot device is introduced in a chilling manner. It opens the film perfectly and the goosebumps go all the way through the opening credits. Christine has a fairly nice life until she denies an elderly woman an extension on her mortgage. Then the main part of the plot is opened in a sequence that is tongue in cheek funny and scary (classic raimi). From here on out it's scares piled upon scares. Sam Raimi doesn't follow the usual horror movie cliché of.........long......drawn-out......silences.....THEN LOUD NOISE TO MAKE YOU JUMP! He actually builds suspense with a neat little musical score. High pitched violins carry your nerves then throw them in the air! That's another thing. The film doesn't have a great focus on visual effects but the sound effects are fantastic. Tension building and atomospheric sounds and music are put to amazing use. The story is a good set up. It is an original film with an original story. It isn't plagerised or a cheap money making remake from Korea. Although the story is limited and the film run time is of average length. The film is classic Raimi and there are lots of references to other films by him. It's good to know that super massive Hollywood blockbusters haven't diluted his great direction and how he used to make films all those years ago. He keeps a good balance of humour and serious scenes by using humour when necessary and never ruining the atmosphere. Throw all this in with a disturbing shock ending you have the best horror film i've seen at the cinema in a long time! I'm sure you'll agree. Enjoy.

Dare I say it?

[kizzthesky · 8/10 · 14 June 2009]

I think I'll throw the cat amongst the pigeons by saying that I thought this movie was as good as, and possibly surpassed Evil Dead 2.

I was immediately taken by the classic - and somewhat clichéd - horror title sequences and music. The films pacing was excellent and well acted. The gorgeous Alison Lohman does an excellent job as lead role, and although her character is not as hilarious as Bruce Campbell's Ash, her charisma shines through.

Raimi isn't re-inventing the proverbial horror wheel, in many ways Drag me to hell is a homage to earlier horror films and their style. What sets it apart is that it takes tried and tested horror conventions and simply does them better than we are used to seeing. The formulaic drawn-out-periods-of-quiet-followed-by-a-loud-shocking-noise is used more than once and to great effect, without feeling too cheesy. There are also sequences when Raimi really amps up the creep factor i.e Christine alone in the underground car park.

Having said this, the film also has a comic touch and tongue in cheek manner. Raimi understands that its futile to try and sustain complete terror throughout a feature length film (alien is perhaps the only film I've seen that manages to accomplish this)as the audience will eventually just switch off. He laces the film with humour and some of the most terrifying scenes become laugh out loud funny and vice versa.

Also I think after working on three block buster films Raimi relished the opportunity for stylisation. Although there are no 360 degree camera pans and less fast zooms than in the evil dead films Raimi does indulge in some camera acrobatics, and tongue in cheek shots. i.e where a fly lands on the camera lens and leaves a dirty smear.

I think most people would enjoy this film, its scary enough for the horror aficionados but has enough humour to appeal to a wide audience. I loved it.

Also, I don't want to give away any spoilers, but I can say I left the cinema with my jaw hanging open.

Drag Us Home, Raimi

[Jonny_Numb · 7/10 · 4 June 2009]

This much insanity shouldn't be legal...and so much fun. Thankfully, no one told Sam Raimi, who shakes off Hollywood expectation and demographic-appeal concerns with "Drag Me to Hell," a back-to-basics horror flick that's one of the strongest original works of genre storytelling so far this year. To those who would bemoan or dismiss the vitality of this frequently reviled class of film...this one's for you.

Confession Time: I have never been a big fan of Raimi's work; his well-regarded "Evil Dead" trilogy never consumed me with the same sense of ballistic fanaticism it inspires in most. I could appreciate his distinctive way of mixing the extremities of the genre (demons, decapitation, dismemberment) with gleefully broad (and outright ludicrous) physical humor, but something always kept me from fully embracing this auteur's style. A theatrical screening of "Army of Darkness" last year had me thinking I might have been a bit harsh in my assessment of Raimi's work. After all, even his more streamlined, serious mainstream works (the masterful "A Simple Plan," for instance) contain undeniable stylistic echoes of his macabre roots.

As with other horror directors whose humble beginnings have spun off into commercially and critically successful careers (David Cronenberg and Peter Jackson immediately come to mind), part of the thrill of "Drag Me to Hell" is to see the accumulated experience of a now-seasoned filmmaker played out in the genre he helped define. The result is classical in style while distinctly contemporary; silly and funny while genuinely jolting and unnerving; polished and slick while grungy and crude. These contradictory traits are a clear invitation for the already-initiated, and newcomers will have the pleasure of experiencing Raimi's now-highly refined joybuzzer shocks without the safety net of familiarity.

The premise is deliciously simple, creating a uniquely internal logic that gives Raimi free reign to pull out all the stops: Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is a promotion-seeking loan officer who, in a split-second of avarice, denies Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver), an old gypsy woman, an extension on her mortgage payment; as a result, she visits a three-day curse on Christine that, if not stopped, will literally send her to hell. Supported by faithful boyfriend Clay (Justin Long, balancing the dramatic and comedic quite well) and the assistance of "seer" Rham Jas (Dileep Reo), Christine is driven to extreme measures in the battle to save her soul, leading to sequences that will leave even the most jaded horror hound uncertain of the outcome. In addition to the macabre elements and the suitably outlandish special effects, Raimi builds adequate suspense and even integrates some genre-crossing sidesteps (a great sequence where Christine meets Clay's parents is played liked a romantic comedy that segues into horror before once again returning to comedy) that deliver a one-two punch of terror, humor, and character development. Its initial scenes even invoke "The Twilight Zone" in the sense of bland domestic drama giving way to powers beyond man's ability to control.

True to its title, "Drag Me to Hell" is a film without barriers or limits; nothing is definite in Raimi's world, and in the best horror tradition, the guarantee of a Happy Ending is punctuated with a solid question mark. All the more impressive given the film's PG-13 rating; in an era where horror films are stigmatized for whatever commercially-viable moniker the MPAA attaches to them, it speaks volumes for Raimi's tact and skill the wildly creative grotesqueries that fit within the seeming "confines" of this rating. With a generation of filmmakers that miss the point of "horror" and go straight for gore, it's downright refreshing to see a veteran (who made his name in gore) embrace straight-laced fear...and succeed wildly.