User Score
6.0 out of 10

Mixed or average reviews- based on 360 Ratings

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  1. Jun 27, 2011
    10
    Drag Me to Hell is a perfect example of why CRITICS know what the hell (pun intended) they're talking about. This is one of those rare instances where the critics are the ones who praise a film (I mean, holy crap ... this film has like a 96% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes) while the general public completely pans it. Guess what? After seeing this film, I can definitely say without a shadow of a doubt that all of the critics are absolutely, 100% correct. This is easily one of the greatest horror-thrillers of all time, the scariest horror-thriller of all time, and by far the most well-directed horror-thriller of all time. It's amazing how many people claimed that this film wasn't "scary" at all, when in fact they were probably wetting their damn pants everytime something popped out out of nowhere after the misdirection/suspenseful build-up that happens throughout the entire movie. Cheap? Maybe. Does it work? Absolutely. This film now ties with The Mist as being my two favorite horror-thrillers of all time. A great example of why critics are the only ones who should be making any comments about anything. Critics and myself, one of the few people who aren't a bunch of stupid morons who wouldn't know "good" from "bad" if their damn soul depended on it (another intended pun). Nearly ten major critics (from Entertainment Weekly to the Washington Post) gave this film a PERFECT score. Personally, I wouldn't give it higher than a 90/100 or a 9.0 out of 10 ... but it really sickens me to read what many of the movie-goers have said about this film. All those comments have done is prove just how stupid most people really are. The critics have it ... everyone else, kindly STFU

    It's interesting how a lot of people (and I don't just mean on here) claim that this film wasn't the least bit scary ... and then they turn right around and admit that there were plenty of "jump scares" (which I guess is the term people are using) throughout. Okay ... so if suspenseful music/tension and misdirection leading to an inevitable, shocking "scare" isn't what "scary" is, then I'd really like to know what IS.

    Of all of the horror thrillers I've seen in the last decade or so (1408, The Mist, The Others, Skeleton Key, The Descent, The Ring, 28 Weeks Later, Hills Have Eyes, Texas Chainsaw Massacre, House of Wax, etc., (too many more to name ... those are just off the top of my head)), Drag Me to Hell is BY FAR the scariest. If this film doesn't qualify as being "scary," then I really don't know what else in the entire damn world would qualify as such, because every single one of those other movies I just named (and pretty much every horror film ever, especially slasher-types) watch like the Care Bears movie compared to Drag Me to Hell.

    Honestly, do people even THINK before they post reviews on sites like IMDB and Metacritic?

    Yes, the movie IS full of cheap, "misdirect and then jump out at you" shock-scares ... that's what SCARY IS!

    Of course, as with all horror thrillers, how "scary" it happens to be really depends on how, where, and when you watch it. For instance, if you watched this film with other people around during the daytime ... or even in a movie theater surrounded by other people, then it probably wouldn't come off that scary at all. I, on the other hand, watched this film by myself, in a dark room, in the middle of the night. Big difference. I actually considered closing my eyes at one point, but then I realized that the scares would have been even worse, as the loud, out-of-nowhere SOUNDS in this film are half the scare. At least with my eyes open I could see the nasty, crusty, hag of an old woman pop out out of nowhere and be expecting the loud-ass shriek that accompanies it.

    It's one thing to NOT like the film, but to actually say that this movie wasn't scary is just plain ridiculous and stems from pure bias and spite. Because I can think of no other horror thriller in the last decade or two that even compares in terms of sheer fright and tension. If Drag Me to Hell isn't scary, then nothing in the world of cinema is. I pretty much cringed for the entire 100 minutes.

    And yeah, there are still people who classify this as part "comedy," but until Sam Raimi himself openly says that (which he has NOT), I call bull. The fact of the matter is, a "comedic" horror film would be quite obvious in its tone and atmosphere. I've seen "comedic" horror films before, and this watches nothing like those. This was a film that took its plot very seriously,where exactly did it say "spoof" or "parody" to you? Drag Me to Hell was tense and unnerving the entire time. If you laughed during this, then that's something to get checked out. Because there was nothing even remotely funny about this movie. Disgusting, shocking, and terrifying? Yes.

    Bottomline is, most horror thrillers slightly entertain but do not end up impressing me much. This one shocked me to the core.
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  2. SimonG.
    Jun 19, 2009
    9
    I usually come here to read some critic and user comments before going to a movie. Just to give me an idea. Not to save money. Just to make sure I'll spend some good time sitting at the movie theatre. I didn't do it for this one. I wasn't even planning to go the movies. A totally spontaneous decision I took with my girlfriend on a rainy day. I barely had the time to watch the trailer. I went there only to saw a return to horror from Sam Raimi, only to realize two things. First, the trailer doesn't sell the movie at all and isn't representative of the movie really is. Second, this is a great movie that met perfectly my expectations of seeing the new flick by the guy who did Evil Dead. So many people worship the Evil Dead trilogy and most of them didn Expand
  3. Sam
    Oct 20, 2009
    9
    When I first saw this movie I knew it was a horror comedy but I was annoyed more than anything. Then I watched Evil Dead 2, which I adored, and I thought back on this movie and I 'got' it. I gave it another chance and thought it was hysterical fun. Raimi builds up the countless jump scares in the film, but he doesn't use these scares as a way of 'legitimately' scaring you as most recent horror movies do: he uses them to entertain you, and they made me laugh incredibly hard. Despite the PG-13 rating and almost complete lack of blood (with the exception of an amusing nose bleed), it never feels like restrained Raimi, because the scares, story, and some of the characters are all so over the top and fun that he doesn't need buckets of blood to capture the insanity he so desires (not to say that the evil dead movies didn't use buckets of blood well). Evil Dead 2 may still be his masterpiece, but it's good to see that horror Raimi has still got it in him. Expand
  4. elly
    Oct 26, 2009
    9
    Loved it! It had frightening jump-out-of-your-seat moments, creepy moments where you just cover your eyes, gross moments and I found a lot of those creepy/gross moments to be completely HILARIOUS!!! I will definitely be checking out the Evil Dead movies by Sam Raimi.
  5. TDKinDallas
    May 29, 2009
    9
    This is the kind of movie that reminds you of why you love to go see movies. Bring a date and as many friends as you can. Better than any other movie so far this summer, including Star Trek.
  6. JacobP.
    May 30, 2009
    10
    Amidst all the cookie-cutter foolishness that's been plaguing the cinemas for years (Brangelina cheese; torture porn 'Saw' movies considered true horror; boring films trying justify their existence by pushing some limpid philosophy onto a bored audience) comes our hero, Sam Raimi, bringing with him a film that pushes you to the edge of your seat, screaming happily and laughing with everyone else in the cinema. If there is a nomination for best (horror) film of the year, it must be 'Drag Me to Hell'; just because it involves the audience. I have never been this encompassed by a movie, ever. I was in commune with the other movie-goers; it was tremendous fun. Expand
  7. DS
    Jun 2, 2009
    9
    This is a GREAT movie... As long as you know what you're getting yourself into. Regardless of what the trailers may show, be warned that this is not a run-of-the-mill horror movie. It is campy, it is cheesy, and you will be laughing as often as jumping. All of the comments about the "CGI" are irrelevant, as this movie aims to be purposefully corny and low budget, even with the big bucks that Sam Raimi has to throw around these days. It's gross, it's offensive, and it's a hell of a good time. If this sounds like your kind of movie, you'd be a fool to miss it. Expand
  8. GlenJ
    Jun 20, 2009
    10
    This movie is a riot. It totally lambastes the method acting and synthetic plot sequence of most horror films. Altogether very entertaining and, just to address some weird criticisms, if you still take this film seriously after seeing it you need a lecture in irony
  9. TimH
    Jul 10, 2009
    9
    Finally, the damn Spiderman movies are over and Sam (and his brother) has come full circle, branding a suffering genre with his trademark style and glib wit. I say more cheesy horror and less spandex arachnophilia!
  10. GrantZ
    Oct 31, 2009
    10
    Drag Me To Hell, has to be one of the best horror movies i've ever seen. Many of you may be complaining that it's tacky, cheesy and camp, but most OLD movies were like that. This differed from most movies by being genuinely interesting, and not centering around teenagers being murdered. More horror than humour. I must've jumped 10 times. ACE Worth a 96. Rounded up to 10.
  11. Moonwaffle
    May 29, 2009
    10
    What an amazing time. way more frightening than all the stupid torture porn movies flooding the horror market these days, and a lot more fun too. it also perfectly embodies everything i love about sam raimi as a director. combining the bizarre stomach-turning hilarity of his old evil dead movies with the skilled handling of the morality tales of his spiderman movies, the person sitting behind me actually left because they peed their pants. totally lifted my spirits and scared the crap out of me at the same time. Expand
  12. TroyB.
    May 29, 2009
    10
    The most thoroughly rewarding movie experience I've had in a very long time. Great fun from beginning to end. Forget all of the other summer blockbusters, this is THE ONE to see.
  13. chrisp
    May 31, 2009
    10
    So old school. So Raimi. So brilliant!!!
  14. PatrickD.
    May 31, 2009
    10
    i like kristian's comment a lot. i am sorry not every movie is a copy of the exorcist. Do you seriously go see horror movies looking for christian moral undertones and god saving people? This movie is awesome and is almost as good as evil dead 2. Its only fault is a lack of Bruce. the best pg 13 horror movie ever.
  15. JonF
    Jun 1, 2009
    9
    Ridiculous, expertly-paced, hilarious, frightening and loads of fun. This is film made by a man unrestricted for the first time in a decade, drunk on his own exuberance, working wonderfully within genre to deliver what I want so many summer movies to be: engaging brain candy. This is the best horror flick I've seen in years, and I've seen way more than I should have.
  16. ThomC
    Jun 1, 2009
    10
    I don't quite get the user reviews here which say this movie wasn't scary. I've seen a lot of horror flicks (most of them lousy) and this was one of a very rare few that actually kept me terrified to the very last shot. Yes, we get some humor--some intended and some perhaps not--and yes, those flash-cuts of scary faces coming out at you are something of a horror cliché at this point, but.... I was genuinely scared a lot of the time. Otherwise, I was impressed with the very well-plotted script, the smart direction and the convincing performances. Yeah, there were moments I had the awful sensation of being dragged to hell. And isn't that why we go see horror movies in the first place? Totally recommended. One of the best I've ever seen. Expand
  17. SheriffN
    Jun 13, 2009
    9
    I'm not going to sit here and say everything the man has put his hand to has been a work of genius (uh...Spider Man 3/Time cop??)--But when Raimi does make contact, he hits it 500 feet out of the park. Then, after rounding the bases 10 times with superhuman speed, he rips the home plate umpire in half unleashing several thousand gallons of red and green food coloring into the crowd, who then become possessed by demons, A-Rod runs for his life, Gwar begins performing in center field..you get the idea. After a decade of horror movies that have catered to the extremes of cruelty, masochism, and the voyeuristic thirst for 'real life' violence (Saw, Hostel et al.), I felt refreshed and even uplifted experiencing 21st century Evil Dead style slapstick zombie-fu. I'll concede that the plot-Hot blond chick/time released deadly curse-is not terribly original, but some themes are turned on their head in unexpected ways. At times, the audience will find itself laughing with the bad guys (cheesy floating spirits/old vomit covered lady), at the painful blunders, poor judgment, and outright misery of the good guys (home loan officer and her boyfriend, the know it all university professor). Raimi respects that due to this topical character element, we may not want the heroine to succeed, and certainly we can say he does throw us several bones throughout the course of the film. The criticism that this film is not scary enough misses the point, and begs the question-with everything going on in the world, how can we possibly be scared by a movie? Saving that question for another day, lets just say that with Drag Me To Hell we have a classic horror storyline framed beautifully by one of the masters of the genre. I'm not ready to call it a cult classic, or put it in the same category as ED2 until the 'multiple watch' factor has been established, but if you're not thoroughly entertained by this film.....well....Release date for G-Force is July 24th. Expand
  18. AllaK
    Jun 15, 2009
    10
    Brilliant, imaginative and extremely funny! Would recommend it to anyone with a sense of humour. But it is one of those, you either get it or you don
  19. Joe
    Jun 1, 2009
    9
    A really fun fright-fest in the vein of the best horror films of the 60's and 70's, but with state-of-the-art FX! Scary, gross, but not gratuitous like much of the stuff that passes for horror these days.
  20. BrentP.
    Jun 16, 2009
    10
    Funny, scary, and outrageous. If you didn't get a kick out of this movie, you might want to ask yourself, "Am I a party pooper?" Go see it!
  21. RandyM
    Jun 5, 2009
    9
    Now THIS is what a horror movie should be. Sam Raimi returns to his Evil Dead roots with Drag Me to Hell, and it doesn't disappoint. In fact, it may be the most fun i've had at the movies in years. Hilarious, dark, and scary as HELL, Drag Me to Hell puts all the "horror" films of late to shame...complete shame....
  22. KarolinaM.
    Jul 5, 2009
    10
    I am 19 and even I can appreciate how this is one of those rare horror gems that have come in this past decade. Lately I have cringed with the other Hollywood horror flicks but because they were horribly bad. This one made me squirm because I desperately tried not to scream ( a bet). As for those who call the effects cheesy, I am proud to say I like this kind of cheesy. Although the idea of curses is overused, this movie had originality. Raimi & another masterpiece!!! Expand
  23. JeremyW.
    Jul 8, 2009
    10
    Amazing. From minute one right through till the end it was 100% classic Rami. I loved how I could go from horrified screaming to boistrous laughter all within a single breath. Not as gory and Rami's classic Evil Dead movies, but equally as gross in other ways. I was anticipating this movie for months and was worried I would be let down, but found that I was more satisfied then I thought would be possible. Those who don't like this movie probably don't understand Sam Rami's style of films and would be better off watching something lame like The Ring. Expand
  24. BryanF
    Nov 3, 2009
    10
    I honestly don't know where these bad user reviews are coming from. With so many "Horror" movies out there that rely on nothing but shock value, I find Drag Me To Hell refreshing. What I liked most of all is Raimi's ability to create scares that you never see coming. It also has an ending that will leave your jaw dropped. My only complaint was there were 1 or 2 scenes where the lead actress's acting was less than impressive. If your tired of horror movie cliches, such as high heel shoes breaking and "don't go in there!" scenes, then watch this film, it will not disappoint. Expand
  25. PrestonJ
    Oct 14, 2009
    9
    A movie who died the death of a bad marketing campaign. It wasn't a true horror film, and wasn't meant to be a true horror film. Its a spoof, or homage, to a now all but dead genre of films that are hilarious to watch and have the sole goal of being silly beyond reproach. Its not great cinema, its just highly entertaining, and sometimes that's more than enough.
  26. AndrewB
    Oct 4, 2009
    10
    Great movie - in a league of its own. Will be up for an Oscar for Best Picture.
  27. Mason
    May 29, 2009
    9
    i was dragged to hell and laughed the whole way! i loved it, but you regular folks beware. this isn't plain horror. this is horror/comedy, as only raimi can deliver. great ticket if you know what you are buying. an ending i will never forget!!!
  28. ChadS.
    May 29, 2009
    10
    [***SELF-POLICING SPOILER ALERT***] Christine(Alison Lohman) saw her gypsy everywhere. And where this loan officer ends up, she'll be far from heaven. The gypsy is an anti-hero for every senior citizen who ever felt shamed by a youth-oriented society. Mrs. Ganush(Lorna Raver) is they're Rambo. "Drag Me to Hell", hands down, the best horror film since William Freidkin's "The Exorcist", delivers what it promises, a self-fulfilling prophecy, but by unexpectedly paying homage to Todd Haynes' 2003 film in the most galvanizing way imaginable. The tear running down her boyfriend's cheek is so melodramatic, so Douglas Sirk-like, the moviegoer instantly understands it's no accident that "Drag Me to Hell" ends, likewise, at a train station. In "Far From Heaven", Cathy Whitaker(Julianne Moore) watches her gardener Raymond Deagan(Dennis Haysberg) depart on a boxcar because he's from the wrong side of the tracks: the black side. With all the demonic mayhem going on in this sharply written, sharply acted genre film, it's not until the mimicking final scene that we realize the inherent social melodrama in Clay's breeding and Christine's lack of it; she grew up on a farm. Literally, the country girl ends up on the wrong side of the tracks: the subterranean side. All the more heartbreaking, all the more sudsy, Christine buys a new coat prior to meeting up with Clay Dalton(Justin Long) on the train station platform. For maximum soapy calibration, an engagement ring is in her fiance's possession. The coat she wears symbolizes the country girl's break with her "poor white trash" past. Too bad there's hell to pay. The crime? Social-climbing at the expense of an old woman's welfare. While "Drag Me to Hell" brings new energy into all the hoary archetypes(the haunted house, the cemetary at night) of the horror genre, it's the evocation of the star-crossed lovers that will ultimately resonate with the moviegoer. Expand
  29. SamT.
    May 29, 2009
    10
    The best horror movie in years. I saw two screenings of it and am absolutely in love. Haven't been that jumpy and giggly in a theater in a REALLY long time. Long live Sam Raimi!
  30. JamesB
    May 31, 2009
    10
    This movie may be the dumbest movie I've seen so far this year. And it is also the funniest. Do yourself a favor. If you can stomach nastiness and extremely dark comedy, go see it. You will not be disappointed.
Metascore

Universal acclaim - based on 32 Critics

Critic score distribution:
  1. Positive: 30 out of 32
  2. Negative: 0 out of 32
  1. Reviewed by: Chris Hewitt
    80
    Thrilling and often hilarious, it’s good to see one of Hollywood’s most inventive directors fully reinvigorated. On this form, Spider-Man 4 should be a belter.
  2. Reviewed by: Peter Debruge
    80
    The picture is single-mindedly devoted to pushing the audience's buttons, and who better than Raimi to do the honors?
  3. Raimi's still very much up to his old tricks, retaining that deliriously over-the-top brand of Grand Guignol horror that he had abandoned by the mid-'90s in pursuit of other genres.