There are three different bosses we meet in this very fine black comedy. All three of them, as the title suggests, are rather horrible individuals, and one would certainly not wish to be under the employment of any of these three insidious employers as the film’s protagonists unfortunately are; one can also imagine taking the decisions these characters bravely (or stupidly) take, given the notably vile actions of their despicable bosses.
The first boss we meet is Dave Harken, a financial firm tyrant played by Kevin Spacey (“Beyond the Sea"). Spacey was previously a horrible boss in George Huang's darkly comic "Swimming with Sharks," so he knows what he's doing. Harken spends his workdays bullying and being passive aggressive towards executive Nick Hendricks (Jason Bateman, "The Switch"). He makes him drink alcohol at work, cruelly taunts him when he's late by a measly two minutes, and teases him with a promotion he'll never receive. And Spacey plays this all with a straight face and a suitably piercing set of eyes.
The second is Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston, "Just Go With It"), a not-so-professional dentist who loves to overstep social boundaries. As she fixes the teeth of her usually unconscious patients, she's sexually harassing her timid assistant Dale Arbus (Charlie Day, “Going the Distance“). She strolls about naked in front of him at work, sprays water on his crotch to see the outline of his penis and frequently orders him to have sex with her (or "fuck" her, as she vulgarly puts it). Dale, who is soon to be married, is not particularly inclined to do so.
And then there's Bobby Pellitt (Colin Farrell, "In Bruges"), a chemical company manager who gains control of his father's business when his father dies in a car accident. His accountant Kurt Buckman (Jason Sudeikis, "Hall Pass"), who previously loved his job, now hates his job as he is forced by Pellitt to fire employees due to their weight or disabilities, all the while Pellitt has stripper parties in the office and snorts coke in the bathroom. Pellitt also ignores environmental policies in order to save money.
Nick, Dale and Kurt have simply had enough, and, after discussing their problems over some drinks in the local bar, make the slightly questionable decision to kill their bosses. With the help of the humorously-named Motherfucker Jones (Jamie Foxx, “Ray”), who gives himself the title of their “murder consultant,” these three friends attempt to murder their heinous, inconsiderate employers and make their deaths look like everyday accidents; just another day in the office, eh?
You may notice that “Horrible Bosses” has a distinctively macabre premise, one that almost sounds like it’s not even from a comedy, but it is. Cold-blooded murder and mainstream comedy don’t often go hand in hand, but here they serve only to compliment each other.
The laughs in the movie, and there are most definitely plenty of them, come mostly from three things: the shocking behaviour of the trio of bosses, our protagonists’ reactions to their behaviour, and their attempts at killing these bosses in retaliation to this behaviour. Of course, all does not go well for our protagonists as they begin to plan out how they will carry out their vicious deeds without getting caught (watching “Law & Order“ helps, apparently).
Naturally, Nick, Dale and Kurt are pretty much incompetent in their first stab at killing anyone, their clear inexperience the source of much hilarity (I’m sure singing and dancing to The Ting Tings‘ “That’s Not My Name” while looking out for your target’s arrival home is not considered very professional for an assassin). And in a way, you do find yourself questioning your support for these characters, what with them casually deciding to become murderers and whatnot. Still, their constant stumbling and ineptitude only makes them more lovable.
What really makes “Horrible Bosses” tick on such a regular basis is the sheer horribleness of the film’s antagonistic bosses. Spacey, Aniston and Farrell are inspired casting, each a perfect fit for their character types, Spacey in particular. They’re such outrageously contemptible characters that you almost immediately root in favour of their demise, momentarily shoving your better-knowing morals to the side, while still wanting more screen-time from them. And I’m confident that writers Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein have had their own horrible bosses in the past and have incorporated their personal experiences into the rib-tickling script; well, aside from the killing aspect, presumably.
Ultimately, “Horrible Bosses” is a hilarious hit of a black comedy, though the comedy could have possibly been slightly blacker (not to give anything away, but there is a grand total of two deaths in the film). Director Seth Gordon has crafted a film that is incredibly entertaining, very funny, very sharp in its comedy, is a fantastic piece of comedic acting and very much earns its R rating (there’s a supporting character called Motherfucker, for the love of God).
8/10
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