Sightlines · reception

How Drag Me to Hell was received

2009 · Sam Raimi · Drag Me to Hell on Sightlines

The arc

Raimi's return to horror after the Spider-Man trilogy got rave reviews in 2009 but only modest box office — horror fans were skeptical of the PG-13 rating. It's since become the standard rebuttal whenever anyone claims PG-13 horror can't go hard, and a beloved Halloween-season staple.

What’s debated

The eternal fan debate: did Christine actually deserve any of it — and is the film a gleeful morality play or just mean-spirited to its heroine?

Its footprint

The séance goat, the dentures, and the parking-garage fight with the handkerchief-wielding Mrs. Ganush live on as endlessly screenshotted gross-out set pieces — proof Raimi never stopped being the Evil Dead guy, even in a studio picture.

Where it stands

A Letterboxd favorite and consensus 'last great Raimi' pick — the go-to example of a master returning to his roots and sticking the landing.

Did you know? Elliot Page was originally cast as Christine but dropped out before filming, and Alison Lohman stepped in shortly before the shoot began.