The workplace can be a jungle of uncertainty. Especially in
competitive office spaces where even the smallest moments can unravel into
failed promotions and blacklisting, jobs can seem almost deadly. Whether it’s
dealing with annoying and sometimes manic coworkers or an infuriating boss,
some offices are unbearable. Capturing this are a recent string
of workplace horror films, most recently done in Mayhem.
Starring Steven Yeun (The Walking Dead), Mayhem follows
an unfairly fired employee of a large white-collar corporation where a
virus that causes you to act out your worst impulses is released into the air
system and the entire complex enters lockdown. Mayhem works through
some cheap ploys with poignant and campy comedy and fantastic acting. Other
actors include Samara Weaving (The Babysitter), as Yeun's character's
love interest, Steven Brand (Teen Wolf) as the buildings big boss
figure, and Caroline Chikezie (Aeon Flux) as a cut throat coworker.
The film's strengths most definitely come in its crazed charm.
Despite at times feeling strikingly similar to The Belko Experiment
Yeun and Weaving are each powerhouse performers who ooze both chemistry and
personality. Even the obtuse and over-the-top side characters like the one
played by Chikezie or her assistant are entertainingly juicy. The cast oozes
cheese and whether or not it's intentional, it certainly works in favor of the
film. Had things been so serious and glum, the resulting product would not
be nearly as enjoyable or worthwhile.
For fans of The Office or any of a number of shows or
movies covering the very serious lives of coworkers in an office, Mayhem is
a true change of pace. This isn't a soft workplace comedy or a serial drama. Instead
it plays like a comic; consistently gritty, but with a sense of graphic-novel
novelty. The premise is simple but the execution is all too delectable, making Mayhem
worth the mayhem. 6 out 10.
For as long as horror movies have been around, the fear of the
outsider coming into a home has existed. Whether it is a step-parent, a
salesmen or a babysitter, horror movies have made quite a market for suspicious
guests and their terrifying actions. More recently, movies like Orphan and Emelie
fought to ensure that audiences were more cautious when letting others into
their homes, and the latest Netflix original, The Babysitter, attempts
to do the same.
The Babysitter follows a young (?) boy and his eventful night with a
babysitter he is secretly in love with. Left far too frequently by his
out-of-love parents the boy has a uniquely close bond with the teenager
(?). That is until he discovers that after bedtime, his guardian is
actually involved in occult rituals with friends. The Babysitter stars
Judah Lewis (Demolition) as Cole, the charge of Bee, played by Samara
Weaving (Monster Trucks). Supporting cast includes Emily Alyn Lind
(Enter the Void), young scream queen, Bella Thorne (Amityville: Awakening),
Hana Mae Lee (Pitch Perfect), Robbie Amell (ARQ), and Andrew
Bachelor (Meet the Blacks).
Each of the characters is awkward and poorly established.
Weaving is the only bright spot in a film brimming with poorly timed jokes and
bad acting. Lewis seems uncomfortably old to have a babysitter and even more so
to have a bunch of Tonka trucks lying around. He's simultaneously pubescent and
prepubescent in his character development. Coming across as at least a young
tween, but with room décor, style sense and a lack of agency, he is childish
and awkward to connect with.
A veneer of camp attempts to cover the mediocrity and low-brow,
immature humor exhibited in The Babysitter. The gore is gratuitous but
is neither entertaining nor sickening. Instead, it looks like a Disney
Channel film gone PG-13. It's hard deciphering who this film is meant for. The
filmmakers seem to have wanted a film meant for a young adult audience,
but the cast never has enough of an edge, the humor is neither smart nor
naturally obscene enough to warrant interest.
The Babysitter a grossly dated coming-of-age film that's more cringe than spirited.
Perhaps if The Babysitter had a clearer direction, better writing and a
premise that didn't feel obnoxious, there'd be something redeemable. But, the
fact of the matter is, this movie, its dialogue and the tossed together
ensemble of zero-chemistry actors leave a bad taste. 3 out 10.
