Sam Raimi’s influence on Drag Me to Hell is obvious. The film is permeated with the director’s trademark horror and comedy, but also his unflinching portrayal of human nature. To be perfectly honest, it isn’t Raimi’s scariest film, and might seem a bit tame with the volume reduced, but it’s an enjoyable, often revolting experience, replete with possessed goats, maggot-vomit and sacrificial kittens.
Mrs. Ganush
Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) is an up-and-coming loans officer, eager to be promoted above her sly colleague Stu (Reggie Lee), but reminded by her manager to be more ruthless in her delegating of loans, no matter the circumstances.
So when an elderly woman, Mrs. Sylvia Ganush (Lorna Raver), begs for an extension as she is being threatened with eviction, Christine, in an effort to impress her manager, refuses her the loan. Humiliated, Mrs. Ganush attacks Christine in the company car park and brands her with a gypsy curse. Rattled, Christine is taken home by her loyal boyfriend Clay (Justin Long), who assures her curses, and demons, do not exist.
The Lamia Demon
But Christine is compelled to discover what she has been cursed with, and consults a fortune teller, Rham Jas (Dileep Rao), who confirms Mrs. Ganush has summoned the Lamia, a demon who torments its victims for three days before dragging them to hell.
Despite Clay’s scepticism, Jas’ claims are confirmed when Christine is repeatedly harassed by a shadowy spirit. The Lamia disrupts Christine’s job, causing a comic projectile nose-bleed, and her relationship with Clay’s disapproving parents, turning her fruit-cake into a fly-ridden, eye-blinking mess. Christine is desperate to rid herself of Mrs. Ganush’ curse, but can she reverse the inevitable?
Drag Me to Hell, Laughing
The trailers and pre-release hype may have focused on Drag Me to Hell’s horror elements, but the film is actually funnier than it is horrifying. It may elicit jumps and yelps from the audience, but only because each scare is accompanied by a thunderous sound bite. It’s disappointing to see Raimi opt for such conventional tactics, but his natural talent for humour prevails, and ultimately rescues an otherwise mediocre horror film.
When Mrs. Ganush’s teeth are shattered in her encounter with Christine in the car park and the old woman resorts to biting her victim with slobbering gums, its obvious Drag Me to Hell isn’t taking itself too seriously. Raimi and his crew employ the same slapstick revolting humour the Evil Dead series enjoyed, with the Lamia as much a sick-minded comedian as it is a hellish demon.
Alison Lohman Stars as Christine Brown
It’s an accomplished performance from the relatively unknown Alison Lohman, anchoring the film’s plot and providing Raimi with a chance to further explore the same boundaries of human nature he approached in the Spiderman trilogy.
Christine may appear kind and wholesome, but as the Lamia’s torment of her grows, she becomes ruthlessly driven, utterly willing to offload her literal demons onto others. It’s a far better example of the darker realms of human nature than the emo-fringes and random dance-routines of Spiderman 3.
Sam Raimi’s Return to Form
Seemingly unshackled from the burdens of summer blockbusters and comic-book canon, Sam Raimi’s return to the horror-comedy genre is a riotous success. Drag Me to Hell is funny, revolting and often scary, with assured performances, both from the cast and Raimi himself. Whilst it may not compare to the cult-classic phenomena of Evil Dead or the commercial success of Spiderman, Drag Me to Hell may become a fan-favourite for Raimi aficionados. If only Christine had spared her poor kitten!
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