As far as classic horror movies go, this one really has got it all. There’s the bright young woman whose life is about to be turned upside down by a series of out-of-this-world and absolutely terrifying supernatural events. There’s the creepy old woman with a secret dark past. There’s the inhuman being who relentlessly torments our heroine for what he, or it, desires. And finally there’s the excessive amount of scary suspenseful music perfectly timed to climax right when something, anything usually, jumps right out in your face causing you to flinch, shout, scream and/or grab the person next to you.
Add into all of that the directing style of Sam Raimi (Spiderman 1, 2, & 3; The Evil Dead 1 & 2; Army of Darkness) and you have Drag Me To Hell, an absolutely terrifying journey through the world of dark and evil spirits and how they terrorize their victims. If you like that scared feeling you get when you enter a dark room and think there just might be someone waiting to jump out at you, the way your heart races, your muscles tense, and your throat closes in, ready to scream for dear life, then this is definitely the movie for you.
Christine Brown has a decent life. She lives in a nice house, has a great boyfriend, and a pretty good job. She works as a loan officer for a bank, and although she is happy in her job she wants more. She has been steadily working toward a promotion to assistant manager, and at this point the only thing standing between her and the job is her new co-worker Stu. Even though Stu has only been at the bank a few weeks, he has impressed Christine’s manager, Mr. Jacks, with his ability to make the “tough decisions.”
When Mrs. Ganush, a creepy looking old woman, visits the bank to ask for an extension on her mortgage, Christine sees her opportunity to shine by making her own tough decision. If the bank gives Mrs. Ganush another extension they will lose money, but if they repossess her home, the bank stands to make a considerable amount on fees. With her eye on the assistant manager position Christine denies another extension and when the old woman gets on her knees to beg for her home Christine has security throw her out.
As Christine heads home from work that night she has an unpleasant surprise waiting for her in the parking garage. In an utterly terrifying sequence of events Mrs. Ganush attacks Christine, placing a curse upon her saying in three days Christine will be the one coming begging to her for something. This is just the beginning of Christine’s trouble. As she tries to go about her normal activities, something is not right. She is being followed, tormented by something dark, terrible, and very powerful. She turns to a seer to read her fortune and tell her what is happening and why she is experiencing such terrible things. His description of what she has been cursed with along with his inability to actually help her slowly lead Christine to the horrifying realization that there may not be anything that can be done to help her or reverse her fate.
When Christine first encountered Mrs. Ganush she unknowingly made a decision that would have a very profound impact on the rest of her life. Mrs. Ganush came to Christine because she needed help. In her words, she had just fallen behind and needed a little more time. She had a debt that she couldn’t pay. Rather than having mercy on her and offering another extension, Christine, desiring to impress her boss and get ahead in her career, threw the old woman out into the street. Her desire to become assistant manager and make her boyfriend proud, and feel more important, clouded her judgment. She took away everything the old woman had, and as a result was left with a curse that threatened to take her very soul down to the depths of hell.
We play a very dangerous game when we refuse mercy upon those who are indebted to us for whatever reason. Whether they owe us money or material possessions or something more abstract such as time or support, when they are unable to pay and we in turn take from them everything they have rather than offering them something as simple as the mercy of an extension or another chance, we forget that we have all at some point had a debt we couldn’t pay back. What would we have done if our friend, neighbor, or family member had demanded payment in full when we had nothing to give?
More importantly, every single one of us has an ultimate debt that we are incapable of paying back. As imperfect and sinful human beings, which we all are, we are required to give up our lives, our own flesh and blood, to save us from an eternity in hell. “The wages of sin is death.” It is a sacrifice that is required of everyone but no one can pay it. Jesus Christ was the only One capable of paying this debt and He did it for us. He had mercy upon us even while we were imperfect and sinful human beings with absolutely nothing to give (Romans 5:8).
Since we have all been forgiven such a huge debt it is even more important, then, for us to extend mercy to our fellow man or fellow woman. Christine’s life and experience would have been very different had she simply offered to help the old woman out rather than having her thrown out. She would have been spared a lot of torment and haunting. The next time the opportunity to extend a little grace or compassion someone’s way arises, remember what Christ has done for us and try to pass his mercy on. After all, Christine didn’t and, well, I’ll let you find out for yourself what happens to her.
May 29th, 2009 at 7:32 pm
This movie is devoid of grace, and yet it’s more biblical than most of the so called preachers I see on Christian television. We are all cursed, and we all need saving from that curse. Praise God for our Lord Jesus and His sacrifice.
May 31st, 2009 at 2:54 pm
Hey Jeremy: Another fine review - thanks. I haven’t seen this film yet - though I will, thanks to your insightful review of it - but I suspect Sam Raimi himself would be surprised at your Biblical interpretation of it. Sometimes a pipe is just a pipe, and a horror film is just a horror film. I’ll be that’s the case with this one, though your review will certainly send me back to reread my copy of “The Unseen Force: The Films of Sam Raimi” to see whether I missed anything the first time. Also: if you haven’t seen it, be sure to check out Raimi’s underappreciated film “Darkman” (1990) - with early performances by Liam Neeson and Frances McDormand - to get an early glimpse of the genesis of a style Raimi used so successfully in his later Spider-Man Trilogy of superhero films
June 5th, 2009 at 3:49 am
I agree and am sure that Sam Raimi would probably be more than a little surprised to see a biblical interpretation of this film or even to see spiritual themes being pointed out in it at all. I do not believe his intention was any more than to create a terrifying horror film which he succeeded in doing. I do also believe though that larger themes of spirituality are found virtually everywhere regardless of what kind of belief system we identify ourselves with. As a Christian I can’t help but see evidence of Christ in many places I do not originally expect to, such as in this film.
June 5th, 2009 at 3:50 am
I will also be sure to check out that film “Darkman.” Thanks for the info Jack!
June 7th, 2009 at 11:00 pm
Hey Jeremy: Just back from seeing this. I do admit it was a good bit of comedy & horror. The scenes where the fork wiggles into the Harvest Cake & the anvil dropping on the old woman’s head were great.
I agree w/your assessment: at the very end Christine admitted her sin but it was (from the film’s perspective) too late. I’m a bit bothered by the whole magical approach the film took–there were curses aplenty but not grace. Christine did what a lot of us do: tried to ‘handle’ sin herself albeit with the aid of others. She never called upon God nor did she ask forgiveness or admit her wrong to the old woman.
I agree w/your assessment re: the need to show mercy and what also struck me is how easily we justify cutting corners & much other bad behavior for things like promotions. There was a whole lot of ego in her decision to go against her ‘better angels’ and refuse the woman an extension. She was selfish in that decision & that’s ultimately what caused her downfall. Plus the issue of her shaming the woman.
On a technical basis I was bothered by inconsistencies in the film: the disappearing goat at the seance, her lip’s bloodied in one scene early on, then it disappears, & the like.