(DVR’ed from Cinemax on February 16, 2018)
It seems like an ordinary day in an office building in Bogota, Columbia when all of a sudden, a voice comes on the intercom and tells the workers they must kill one another in order to survive the day. Initially, they shrug it off, thinking it’s a prank, but when steel shutters surround the building, blocking their escape, they suspect their predicament is all too real. When they fail to execute their co-workers in a timely fashion, random people begin dying, thanks to explosive chips implanted in their heads. Eventually, the employees come to grips with their grisly situation and begin terminating the staff.
Written by James (Guardians of the Galaxy) Gunn and directed by Greg (Wolf Creek) McLean, The Belko Experiment is a none-too subtle metaphor about cutthroat business practices, predatory co-workers, and overly hostile work environments. Just because Gunn and McLean skimp on subtlety doesn’t mean it doesn’t work. I mean, the premise is admittedly kind of thin. (It’s The Office Meets Battle Royale.) When you’re making a movie with this many exploding heads, subtlety is kind of overrated.
Yes, the plot is probably the sort of thing that might’ve been best suited to a short film, or maybe even a horror anthology. Thankfully, Gunn’s smart and funny script, coupled with McLean’s no-nonsense direction help propel the film along at a rapid pace. While the plot is a bit skimpy, there aren’t many wasted moments. Every scene builds on top of one another, so there’s no gratuitous padding to get in the way of the fun.
It helps that the heavies are expertly cast. Tony Goldwyn can do this kind of scumbag yuppie role in his sleep by now. However, he finds new ways to make this archetype even more despicable. John C. McGinley is also a lot of fun to watch as the sex pest of the group who adapts to the role of executioner way too easily.
We also have Gunn regulars Sean Gunn as the office’s resident conspiracy theorist, Michael Rooker as the kindly janitor, and Gregg Henry as the mystery man who is pulling the strings. If you’re a fan of Gunn’s work, you should certainly enjoy seeing all of them popping up. John Gallagher, Jr. is a bit milquetoast as the hero, but that’s kind of what the role requires as he is one of the few voices of reason.
Even though most of the horror comes from the “What Would You Do?” scenario, the gore is solid all the way around. Fans of exploding heads will surely dig it as it contains almost as many exploding head effects as a Scanners movie. Even though most of the kills come courtesy of boring old gunfire, we still get a few choice impalements, axes to the face, and skull crushings too.
In short, The Belko Experiment is a fast-moving, down-and-dirty, three-chord horror movie. It’s content to resist the temptation to exceed its grasp and that restraint results in a consistently entertaining little flick. It certainly beats a day at the office, I’ll tell you that.
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