Drag Me to Hell

It's great to see Sam Raimi come back to the horror genre after his years making the Spider-man films. To me he'll always be the guy behind Evil Dead and Army of Darkness, soI couldn't wait to see Drag Me to Hell, and I was far from disappointed.

Christine (Alison Lohman) is a bank loan officer who desperately wants a promotion to the vacant assistant manager position. She hopes that it will validate her in the eyes of her boyfriend Clay's (Justin Long) family. So when her manager, Mr Jacks (David Paymer) tells her that she needs to make the tough decisions she denies a loan extension to an elderly eastern European woman, Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver). Which wasn't the best of ideas, since the old woman put a gypsy curse on her for it. If she doesn't lift the curse in three days, a demon will drag her soul down to hell.

Drag Me to Hell has very little in common with the ultra violent slasher horror films that have been in vogue since the 80s. That doesn't mean that it doesn't have it's share of violence, or gross out moments, just that the film isn't all about grisly deaths and blood. It doesn't want to disturb you, it just wants you to have a good time, mixing a good deal of comedy in with legitimate scares.

It seemed like the audience I saw the film with highly enjoyed it. There were screams, stunned silence and raucous laughter throughout. It's just the sort of reaction you want during a fun horror film Which is exactly what Drag Me to Hell is. It's a ton of fun. I don't think I've had that much fun watching a film in a very long time.

Alison Lohman brings a spunk and energy to Christine that is perfect for the role. I completely bought every moment of her performance. Justin Long was perfectly adequate in the boyfriend role. He doesn't get much excitement in the film, but provides a nice emotional balance to Lohman. My two favorite people in the film have to be Lorna Raver (Mrs. Ganush) and Dileep Rao (Rham Jas). Raver is creepy, threatening and just downright scary. If I saw this movie when I was a kid, I would be terrified of Mrs. Ganush. And Rao provides a great counterpoint. He's just as mysterious, and kind of strange, but has a strength and presence that's comforting. He's the calm in the storm that makes it ok for Christine to try some crazy stuff.

It isn't a perfect film by any stretch of the imagination, some of the plotting is completely insane, and I saw the ending coming about halfway through, but it's just so much fun that it doesn't matter. Drag Me to Hell may not be for everybody, but if you've ever enjoyed a horror movie than I really think you'll like it. Even if you haven't, I think it's worth a chance. I highly, highly recommend it. It may well be the best time you have at the movies this year.

Grade: A-