Mayhem: Directed by Joe Lynch and written by Matias CarusoThis, this is the movie The Belko Experiment should have been. This movie is bloody and brutal. This movie is funny and moves like a bolt of lightning in 87 minutes. It is the exact perfect length. This movie is a lot of fun. It makes my subscription to Shudder worth it even more when they have wonderfully, exhilarating movies like this. This comes from Joe Lynch, the fun B movie director that turned the Wrong Turn series into what it became with Wrong Turn 2. He directed Salma Hayek's bad ass but heartfelt desperation in Everly. He has a handle on material like this. I can not wait to see what else he has in store or films I may have missed. He knows exactly what he wants to do. He fills the movie with vibrant color and creative kills feeding on the office related puns and jokes to weave in this story of redemption and finding life even through the muck and the bile.The acting is superb. Steven Yuen proves that he has the chops to be a terrific leading man. He has the intensity. He has the vulnerability and he has the comedic timing. I think this movie showed even more of what he has to offer than Okja or the Walking Dead. Samara Weaving is fun and clever. Add this to her excellent villianous turn in The Babysitter and she's another one I can't wait to see what she does. The characters are fine tuned to a higher pitch but it works within the confines of this story. They are total lunatics especially when the virus reaches a fever pitch. This was a fun, terrific movie. You would be hard pressed to find another horror comedy this solid, this stylish and this much of a damn good time. I give this movie a B.

They messed with the wrong Steven.Wow. I thought The Belko Experiment was great. Since I've worked in offices most of my adult life AND I love horror flicks, I adore office horror films (and some comedy ones too - thank you, Office Space.) But, this raced to the top of the Office Horror Film Subgenre. This wildly original, funny and brutal film stars the best looking man from The Walking Dead and he probably kills more people in this than his tenure on the AMC show. And as fiction as this movie is, I can see this happening in real life in any one of the offices I've been employed at.The movie begins with explaining a new virus that affects our "moral" behavior. Though, what I've seen since 45 took office, this might be a true story after all. I digress...A lowly attorney in a ruthless firm is accused of mishandling a client and is fired. But, lucky for him, the aforementioned virus quarantines his office building and it's up to him and a mortgage foreclosure borrower to make it to the top and set things right.This movie hits home to me in so many personal ways, it's hard to count. I'll try, nonetheless. Totally have a crush on Steven Yeun for starters, so that's a plus. I work in this industry and know what people are capable of. And I love horror movies that can actually happen, unlike the millions of ghost/haunted house clones of the past decade.It's funny when it needs to be, it's very well acted and realistic and the title...totally lives up to its name. In the closing credits, this was listed as being "authored" by Rage, LLC, which means its original title was probably "Rage." Also lives up to the name, but they probably changed it due to the other virus named Rage in the 28 Days/Weeks Later films.Almost everything works in this film aside from a few down times and one out of place sex scene. Probably just because the writer, Matias Caruso, has only done short films up to this point and to stretch one of his ideas to feature length was a bit of a struggle. Nevertheless, those can easily be forgiven as the movie keeps progressing once the speedbumps occur.Highly recommended little gem, especially for indie-horror lovers and for ANY office worker. You'll totally empathize and be on board from almost minute one.***Final thoughts: After the 3 deaths of Glenn on The Walking Dead, it's nice this is the payoff. Hope he keeps going and has a very fruitful career. And not just saying that for his incredible looks. He's a pretty darn good actor, to boot.

There exists an ID-7 virus which blurs emotional response and rational response. The virus is not called "Impulse" because the script writer didn't want his younger audience to know it's been done. Derek Cho (Steven Yeun) works for a large corporation and has been recently set up as a far guy by his bosses. This happens at the same time the building gets hit with the virus and a disgruntle home owner (Samara Weaving) comes to visit. The film evolves as expected with people turning on one another, most of which what was going on was undeveloped mayhem. Cho, who is infected, acts for on reason, knowing he will get away with it. Samara was good, but was no Harley Quinn. Guide: F-word, sex, nudity.

Sometimes I can think of nothing worse in life then having to work in a job you hate. It is fraking souldraining for many reasons, though for me the sole reason is the fact that your not doing what your suppose to be doing, being where your suppose to be and just simply not being you. This is an under the radar gem that I'll admit is another of those plesent supprises. I really like the premise which is the typical viral outbreak premise but here they do some different things with it, from having it not just in a contained space but the fact that each of the carriers remain themselves. In most viral outbreak films the carrier's personas just completely alter, but in this film they retain their personas it's just certain emotions they choose to exercise just get turned up to 11 and completely breaks the knob off. You could also say the film is sort of a wish forfillment fantasy, who hasn't ever felt the need/ desire to destroy the very job they hate to the core of their being.The production value is on par, the setting is perfect as it looks like most of the interriors of all other office buildings, clean and sterile which also helps involks an oppressive and unfriendly atmosphere just from the amount of white and grey and metallic set pieces it really makes it feel like a prison, which ironically is what the whole place becomes.I really like both characters; Steven Yuen yes, I 've seen "The Walking Dead" but also "Voltron Legendary Defender" is solid as Derek Cho and Samara Weving as Meline Cross. Both are characters are easy to sympathize and emphasize with because we all been there, both have one thing in common they both got the shaft, both professionally and personally. Derek despite having big ambitons has as time when on became disillusioned and realized he's made a big mistake working in this firm, and it may not of been what he really wanted to do. The worst part is how much he had to thoughout time he's had to repress certain emotions in order to do his job despite deep down his subconscious screaming "this is wrong"; despite how much ignoring that voice has helped him go higher up it's killing his soul little by little the more time he spends at the office. And sadly his climb is all for not as the company saws off the coporate ladder he's climbing on for no good reason.Melene Cross, is also another decent joe or should I say jane, whom is a laywer just want her family to keep their house but of course the corporations crooked dealings threaten to take it away, which makes her hense her last name cross.The chemistry between both of them is soild, their back and forth is funny and touching. I really like the gradual build in their dynamic as both at first start out hatting each others guts (though I feel it's really misplaced frustration toward the company) when we even see both spit on one another at first but then both warm up to each other amid the chaos. One funny scene is when both talk about a particular band that Derek loves but Melene hates, that dialog I really like because it's true but also brings up a point on dislike type.In a twisted sense you can say this virus was kinda a blessing in disguse as it's given them a sense of empowerment, both now finally have the freedom to do a demolishion job on the company; finally express and exercise their anger toward the organization that stole everything. As Tyler Durton put it "Sometimes when you lose everthing, that's when you have the power to do anything."Suspense is good as you constantly wondering how much crazier are things going to get. The action is soild, it's not exactly wall to wall or fansifully chorigraphed but that's because it's more on a realistic which makes sense because both characters aren't trained assassins or fighters; the gore effects are very good there are some soild kills. I really like the format of the film, it kinda plays out like a live action video game, as both characters have to blow though the opposition to accend the three levels, and each level contains a boss they have to defeat. Each of these bosses like any have a name "The Repper", "The Siren", and "John Towers" each of them you just plain hate along with any of the other corporate scum that are loyal to them; they are just selfish, self serving, heartless bastards that don't give a crap about anyone let alone the law. What they've done and do to both characters all the more justifies why you want them both to win and just rip their guts out literally.One of my favorate battles is where on the second level both Derek and Meline are fighting against a group of loyal corporate scum and it's just awesome seeing both just going fisticuffs as well as using their tools and anything else against them literally painting the office red. Though the highlight of this scene is when Derek states the rules before the battle which cracked me up and is my favorate monologue in the film, because you know it's no holds bared from here on out.But the film does have some heart as there is an underlying message about doing the right thing for both the other and yourself. I really like how we see thoughout the film there is a contrast going on between the characters and the organization they fight. Both Derek and Meline thoughout the process are creating a true sense of community as their not just thinking about themselves but care about the others needs and do their best to help each other forfill them. This is what business is truly suppose to be about, the business in the film is a total hypocricy of that purpose as their serving only themselves which is part of what leads to the bosses downfall because they have no community, no one to save them, let alone want to.Mayhem is a crazy fun day at the office.Rating: 3 stars.