Drag Me to Hell; Sam Raimi brings back the Horror Genre

Drag Me to Hell tells a story of a loan officer Christine Brown (Alison Lohman) who “has a good job, a great boyfriend, and a bright future” as the tagline says. But one day, she had to order an eviction of an old woman, Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) from her house. After failing to convince Christine for an extension, the old lady cursed her and Christine finds herself being haunted by supernatural powers and her life is now a living hell. Desperate, she finds a seer and will try anything to save herself from being dragged to hell.

Sam Raimi, after the long years of making the Spider-Man trilogy, has come back to what he's good at and bringing along with him the horror genre, something that is long gone in Hollywood. The thing about this movie is that we know what’s going to happen in the end. Hence, the title. But the journey to get there was the real deal.

The soundtrack and camera angles really complement each other. We barely get to see the demon pursuing Christine, but we could feel the intensity. The jump scenes (the scary shocking scenes) are so effective; it gets you every time like a buzzer placed on your sit, unlike in recent Hollywood horror movies. The special effect is good, and the cinematography and atmosphere of the movie is perfect.

Of all the actors, Justin Long, playing Christine’s boyfriend Clay, was the standout. His reactions and especially towards the ending were priceless. The others were mediocre. But in a good way. It reminds me of the fun horror B-movies from the 80’s or so.

Drag Me to Hell is horror, plus fun, with a dash of comedy in its purest form. I had the most intense movie experience of my life. It is definitely a classic. I recommend it. And you HAVE to watch this in theatre to get the full experience.