Rachel McAdams has landed a lot of iconic roles in her 20+ year career. From starring in some of the best romantic movies of all time like The Notebook and About Time to bringing the iconic Regina George to life in Mean Girls, she’s been an inspiration to moviegoers of all different kinds of genres. However, it’s been a while since we’ve seen her really take a gig in a bonafide thriller, but that’s going to change soon when Send Help hits the 2026 movie schedule.
A short while ago, we learned Rachel McAdams would be teaming up with Maze Runner star Dylan O’Brien for a new movie from the mind of Sam Raimi. The two are playing co-workers in the film, so the 13-year age gap isn’t particularly mismatched, and more importantly, it’s going to bring McAdams back into the fold in a thriller capacity after the two become stranded on a desert island.
We’ve already seen a trailer for Send Help, and it’s been beautiful to see her back in the genre.
You may remember, but back in 2005, McAdams starred opposite Cillian Murphy in Red Eye, a fun thriller directed by Wes Craven and featuring a plotline in which McAdams’ character single-handedly takes on a terrorist organization hellbent on taking down the U.S. Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security. The movie is a little kooky, but it’s grounded in the performances Murphy and McAdams brought to the table. (Even if Cillian Murphy disagrees.)
I remember when it came out, I thought at the time it would be the start of an action career for her. That wasn’t the case.
Instead, she went on to become known for a slew of romantic films like Midnight in Paris, The Time Traveler’s Wife and The Vow. She did throw a little action in there as Irene Adler in the Sherlock films, but I’m happy to call that more action/adventure than “thriller.” Given the Raimi-ness of it all, this one also looks to have horror components, so there is likely some arguing we can do over genre; however, let’s just call this one a horror-thriller and call it a day.
Check out the trailer below for a better idea of what to expect.
Send Help officially hits theaters on January 26, and I hope like Red Eye it lives on for years in the fanbases memory. Just like last time, she should have a great sparring partner in Dylan O’Brien, and the deserted island setting seems promising to boot.
With a little luck, I hope Send Help expands the roles McAdams is given in the future, too. I look forward to her in more rom-coms, but let’s not forget this is also the woman who once stabbed Cillian Murphy in the neck with a ballpoint pen. Get it, girl.