Office Uprising

"Office Uprising" (2018, Lin Oeding, Mind the Gap Productions, Rumble Riot Pictures) is a horror comedy set in the large office building.

Desmond (Brenton Thwaites) works at a weapon manufacturing company called Ammotech. He mostly likes getting stoned in the stationary cupboard, and this turns out to be a good decision because he manages to avoid trying out the company's new weaponised energy drink that they distribute to their employees. When the drink turns the majority of people in the building into raging psychopathic zombies intent on killing everyone in sight, Desmond, his crush Samantha (Jane Levy) and best pal, Mourad (Karad Soni), attempt to escape with their lives.

A cheesy, entertaining piece of slapstick horror which doesn't really ask its audience to think too hard. It doesn't necessarily bring anything new to the table, but the gore is good, the action is entertaining, the comedy is well timed and overall the film delivers exactly what you'd expect from the synopsis.

[Image: Mind the Gap Productions et al]

Hani

The Belko Experiment

"The Belko Experiment" (2016, Greg McLean, Metro Goldwyn-Mayer, The Safran Company, Troll Court Entertainment, Orion Pictures, BH Tilt) is a horror movie along the lines of "Battle Royale".

Mike (John Gallagher Jr.) works at Belko Industries; a non-profit of no explained purpose based in Columbia. He and his colleagues (including girlfriend, Leandra (Adria Arjona) and boss, Barry (Tony Goldwyn)) come in to work to find new, heightened security. This isn't the only strange thing to happen that day... With shifty security, a limited, non-local skeleton staff only being allowed entry and a strange voice over the loudspeaker giving terrifying orders, it looks like things might get violent. And, spoiler alert: they do. Really violent.

An intense, savage romp that remains entertaining, but doesn't cover any new ground. The story is not the most innovative, but the action keeps moving and the characters remain three dimensional. The casting is good; especially Wendell (John C. McGinley) who makes an excellent creep and an equally effective office-politics Goebbels.

While I think the creators intended the film to have some deep meaning about office life, human survival and faceless corporations it kind of gets lost in the gory, gory, gorefest that is most of this film. A slimy, bloody, B-movie massacre, but not as cerebral as I had anticipated.

[Image: Metro Goldwyn-Mayer, et al]

Hani