Underrated Horror Movie of the Month: DRAG ME TO HELL

Becca Stalnaker

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Drag Me to Hell movie poster featuring a woman with blonde hair surrounded by flames.

Hello, horror lovers! Welcome back to another edition of Underrated Horror Movie of the Month. If you are new here, hello and welcome. I will quickly explain what happens. Every month, on the second and fourth Friday, I talk about horror movies I feel are underrated and underloved. Entries can come from any time frame and subgenre. They may be mainstream or indie films. As long as it is a horror, it could end up here. In today’s edition, I am talking about the 2009 Sam Raimi film Drag Me to Hell. This movie has a decent rating but is rarely talked about in the horror community.

About Drag Me to Hell

This film tells the story of a loan officer, Christine Brown (Alison Lohman). One day, Mrs. Ganush (Lorna Raver) comes to Christine’s bank asking for an extension on her loan. After a brief discussion, Christine decides to deny the woman’s request. Thinking the encounter is over, Christine leaves for the day and finds Mrs. Ganush waiting for her in the parking garage. After begging and spewing hateful language, Ganush shouts words that bring a curse upon Christine.

RELATED: Underrated Horror Movie of the Month: The Belko Experiment

Thinking the old woman batty, the younger banker goes on about her life, but soon, strange things begin to happen. Finally, Christine goes to a seer for help and discovers she is cursed to go to hell in a few days. Can the seer help save Christine’s soul, or is she doomed to hell?

Christine tells Mrs. Garnish that she is denying her loan extension while sitting at a desk

Drag Me to Hell also stars Justin Long, David Paymer, Dileep Rao, Adriana Barraza and Chelcie Ross. Sam Raimi directed the film and wrote the screenplay along with Ivan Raimi.

This film has a 92 percent Tomatometer Score and a 62 percent Audience Score on Rotten Tomatoes.

My Thoughts

I am a Sam Raimi fan in general, but this is one of my favorite movies of his. The visceral scenes and intense moments make Drag Me to Hell an epic horror.

The story itself is simple. A character crosses someone who then issues a curse. That character then spends the rest of the movie trying to stop the curse. Other characters think the MC has lost their mind. Nothing new there. However, it is the execution that makes this movie great.

RELATED: The Unholy Spoiler Review

On the topic of the execution, all of the scenes have this eerie, dark, suspenseful feel that left me on edge throughout the entire movie. It is a cinematically beautiful horror. The sets are creepy, the cinematography is brilliant and directing superb. Additionally, the makeup and effects teams create visually stunning moments. Mrs. Ganush is easily one of the most terrifying “villains” I have ever come across. Her look is grossly horrific, and based on my experience, it has to all come from practical effects. I can count on one hand the number of times I have been creeped out by something in a movie, and Mrs. Ganush is on that list.

A close up of Mrs. Ganush's eyes. One is gray and the other brown. She also has a staple in her head

The acting is also top-notch in Drag Me to Hell. Alison Lohman manages to find that fine line existing between extreme reaction and overacting, and she balances that line from beginning to end. Justin Long seems almost robotic at times but does a decent job. Lorna Raver, though, is the absolute star of this movie. I give her mass amounts of credit. Her portrayal of Mrs. Ganush made the hair on the back of my neck stand on end until the credits rolled. I mean, Raver’s performance is *chef’s kiss*.

RELATED: Horror With a Side of Cheese: Evil Bong

Finally, I have to talk about the re-watchability factor. Some movies are what I call “one-watch wonders.” They’re good, but they do not leave you wanting to see them again. Other films bring about the desire to re-watch regularly. Drag Me to Hell falls into the latter category. I look forward to the experience every time I have the opportunity to watch this movie.

Final Thoughts

There we have it, horror fans, another underrated film in the books. I am a huge fan of this one and I highly encourage you to watch it if you haven’t yet. I hope you enjoyed today’s edition and I look forward to seeing you next time.

Let me know in the comments what you think of Drag Me to Hell. Also, don’t forget to tell me which movie you think I should feature next.

Until next time, take a look at the Drag Me to Hell trailer below and stay spooky!

https://www.geekgirlauthority.com/10-creepy-clown-movies/

Becca Stalnaker
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