Drag Me to Hell (2009)

In Drag Me to Hell, Sam Raimi returns to his roots (along with brother Ivan, who co-wrote it along with Army of Darkness (1992)). The Raimis completed the script soon after Army of Darkness, but were sidetracked by other projects. I’m glad they finally got around to it.

Christine (Alison Lohman) has a mundane existence as a loan officer until she causes an old Gypsy, Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) to be evicted. Mrs. Ganush, perhaps overreacting slightly, puts the curse of the Lamia, the “black goat” on Christine, vowing that she will be sent to Hell in three days.

Disbelieving at first, Christine is forced to acknowledge the seriousness of her situation as the Lamia begins to torment her, the demon’s manifestations increasing as the deadline approaches. Can Christine negate the curse with the aid of the mystic Rham Jas (Dileep Rao) and her boyfriend Clay (Justin Long)? Or will the Lamia succeed in dragging her to Hell?

In Drag Me to Hell, Raimi has returned to his element. Shades of the Evil Dead movies are everywhere. The fear of old people is once again used to good effect (the vengeful Mrs. Ganush echoes the farmer’s wife in the basement from Evil Dead). There is a sly mention of a cabin in the woods, and Raimi’s yellow 1973 Oldsmobile even makes an appearance as it has in many of his films. His inventive camera work has not flagged, nor has his penchant for grue. Watching Mrs. Ganush try to gum Christine to death when she loses her false teeth is particularly disturbing.

What has improved from the Evil Dead movies is the characterization and acting (no offense to Bruce Campbell). Christine is a more fleshed out character than many a horror movie damsel in distress, trying to escape from her accent and roots as a farm girl and former pork queen as well as from the curse. Raimi skillfully adds her anxiety to impress her boyfriend’s parents and get a promotion to the rest of the dread, and Alison Lohman does an excellent job in the part. Justin Long gives a very natural performance as Christine’s sweet, geeky boyfriend, and Lorna Raver, veteran of wide range of TV shows, seems to delight in the leering and snapping that the role of Mrs. Ganush demands.

Drag Me to Hell is much better than any recent horror movie I’ve seen- the Raimi humor is still strong, the story and script are good, sets, lighting, and special effects are all masterfully done, there are Gypsy curses, flies, gore, foreclosures, obnoxious bosses, scheming coworkers, and other demons. The only (slight) flaw is an over-reliance on Mrs. Ganush jumping out at Christine throughout the film. I kept wondering “Where will she pop out next?” and “Can I make a drinking game out of this?” Still, it’s highly enjoyable, especially when Raimi lets out all the stops for an over-the-top séance. He hasn’t lost his talent for making you laugh at the same time you’re getting the bejesus scared out of you.