Drag Me To Hell, 2009, Review
Directed by Sam Raimi, starring Alison Lohman
Loan officers beware. If a jagged-toothed, evil eye-sporting, strikingly unattractive gypsy asks for a loan extension, think twice before turning her down. If only Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) had heeded this advice. Perhaps she could have been spared the torturous curse imposed by the evil Mrs. Ganush.
Drag Me to Hell Storyline
In an effort to get a promotion, Christine tries to prove to her boss that she’s capable of making tough decisions and denies the old woman a third extension on her loan, thus ensuring definite home foreclosure (quite a propos of the current economic climate). Desperate, Mrs. Ganush begs and pleads for Christine to reconsider, but in a frightened panic, Christine pushes her away. It’s every man for himself and Christine’s promotion is her top priority. Terribly insulted, the evil woman places the curse of the Lamia on the young career girl, sentencing her to 3 days of torture, to be followed by being dragged down for an endless future of burning in hell. (Note to viewers: please ignore the fact that the old woman can conjure a demon from hell, but can’t come up with the cash to pay a few bills.)
The story is one of an ordinary person thrown into extraordinary circumstances. Christine is not a horrible person, nor is she the most noble, yet she’s forced to deal with karmic retribution to an unprecedented extreme.
Horror Movie Ratings
Don’t be fooled by the PG-13 rating. Director Sam Raimi offers up a satisfying romp of continuous fear and suspense, and even a few laughs. The soft rating is a true testament to how suspenseful a film can be without resorting to a plethora of gory visuals (don’t worry, there are still a few). Horror junkies will not be disappointed by the fear factor.
Cast of Drag Me to Hell
Alison Lohman is terrific as the nice girl with the nice life who gets thrust into a nightmarish funhouse of evil tricks. As her charming but skeptical boyfriend Clay Dalton, Justin Long offers a pleasant contrast to the (seemingly) mentally unstable Christine. It’s Lorna Raver’s portrayal of the vindictive Mrs. Ganush though, that is sure to go down in horror movie history.
Drag Me to Hell is a startling thrill ride that is a more than fitting addition to Sam Raimi’s horror oeuvre. It skirts the line between horror and camp, and few will be disappointed with the results.
- Drag Me to Hell
- Directed by Sam Raimi
- Starring Alison Lohman, Justin Long, Lorna Raver
- Running Time: 99 mins
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