Rachel McAdams & Dylan O’Brien Defend Linda’s Final Send Help Moment With Bradley

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Be warned: this article contains spoilers for the series Send Help. The show Send Help features a rescue mission involving Rachel McAdams and Dylan O’Brien, who come to the aid of a character named Linda Liddle.

Sam Raimi’s latest film features Rachel McAdams as Linda, who finds herself stranded on an island with her overbearing boss, Bradley Preston (played by O’Brien), after their plane goes down. Linda’s extensive survival skills quickly give her the upper hand, as Bradley is injured and completely unprepared for the situation. Ultimately, in Send Help, she kills him with a golf club and returns home, where she becomes a famous personality, falsely claiming to be the only person who survived the crash.

In a recent interview with The National, Rachel McAdams shared that she found it rewarding to play Linda’s descent into darkness, viewing it as a poetic turn for a character who initially despised monsters. She believes Linda’s sympathetic history leads viewers to initially root for her escape, though that feeling might evolve over time. You can find McAdams’ full comments below.

I really enjoy those surprising twists in stories – when you think everything is stable, and then something unexpected happens. This movie did that a few times, giving you a genuinely unsettling feeling. The character you thought you knew completely changes, and it’s a wild ride emotionally.

In a conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, O’Brien was asked if he thought Bradley’s ending was unfair, considering he previously saved Linda from a dangerous fall. O’Brien explained that he doesn’t believe it was undeserved, as the film establishes Linda as someone with a history of abuse. However, he did say he appreciated how the movie often left viewers questioning whether they should be supporting Linda or Bradley.

She easily could have seriously injured him at the end—it’s funny to think about! We don’t have the full story, and that’s what makes the movie so engaging. Personally, I’m on Linda’s side. I sympathize with Bradley too, but it’s been fascinating to see how differently people are reacting. I’m surprised by how many are quick to call Linda a murderer, even though she was clearly a victim of abuse.

The characters are complex and nuanced, which makes their motivations and decisions open to interpretation and debate. It’s great that the story doesn’t offer easy answers and avoids a simple good-versus-evil dynamic. We intentionally created a situation where viewers might find themselves sympathizing with Bradley one moment and Linda the next, and seeing that shift in perspective is one of the most enjoyable aspects of the film.

O’Brien explained that he understood why Linda wasn’t truthful about what happened on the island, because he didn’t want her to return to the unhappy life she had before the crash. However, he hopes the audience won’t strongly favor either Linda or Bradley, as both characters are deeply flawed and often act in their own self-interest.

Linda has always been ignored and disrespected, so it’s understandable why she’s so determined to avoid returning to that life. The story explores how much compassion we feel for her, and her adventures in dangerous places make that compelling. She wouldn’t want to be rescued and returned to the controlling environment she escaped – she knows she’d be treated just as badly as before, because no one ever valued her when she was part of that world.

I think both sides have valid points; they’ve both made mistakes, and it really comes down to how much you’re willing to forgive. Honestly, I’d prefer there wasn’t any team taking sides, and I don’t think gender should be a factor either. Sam and Rachel were careful to avoid unfairly favoring women or men at work – it’s a broader issue than that. It’s about being treated unfairly, something anyone can experience. That’s why I feel some sympathy for Linda.

When Bradley’s fiancée and her guide urge Linda to board the boat, telling her to leave her mangoes behind, she instinctively clutches her handmade backpack and the food she’s collected. It’s clear she remembers being unfairly treated in her previous life – she always seemed to get the worst of it. It’s compelling to see her in this new situation and wonder just how much she’ll fight to keep what she has.

I really enjoy watching characters who aren’t perfect. It’s fascinating when a character could just as easily be the hero or the villain. Movies with that kind of complexity are my favorite, but they don’t seem to be made very often anymore.

Todd Gilchrist in his review for ScreenRant’s Send Help, highlights Rachel McAdams’ performance as Linda, noting she portrays the character as sympathetic without being overly endearing. He calls this a clever choice, making Linda a more complex protagonist when contrasted with the clear villain. The film has been well-received overall, earning a ‘Certified Fresh’ rating of 93% on Rotten Tomatoes, with many critics appreciating the resolution of both Linda and Bradley’s storylines.

According to O’Brien, by not portraying Linda as a perfect hero, Send Help reached a wider audience than if it had focused solely on gender conflict at work. The show ultimately explores how power dynamics change, and it does so by presenting difficult ethical dilemmas through shocking, disturbing, and surprisingly funny scenes.

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2026-02-04 02:21