After college, there comes the real world, a world of horrible bosses; or so it would seem. In the 2011 black comedy film, Horrible Bosses, released in theatres on July 8, 2011, three friends realize that
their respective bosses are making their lives miserable. So what are the options when it comes to horrible bosses? Since quitting is apparently not a top choice, murder seems to be the next logical one. To normal people, that may not make much sense; but to Nick Hendricks, Dale Arbus, and Kurt Buckman it’s the perfect plan. But as we all know, in a comedy, there’s no such thing as the perfect plan.
Hendricks (Jason Bateman), Arbus (Charlie Day), and Buckman (Jason Sudeikis) are friends who all hate their bosses. Hendricks’s boss, Dave Harken, played by Kevin Spacey, is an emotionally-abusive president of a financial firm who dangles the possibility of a promotion to Nick. However, by definition of a horrible boss, obviously Hendricks does not gain a promotion, mainly because Harken never intended to give him one. Instead, Harken takes the promotion himself. And so we have horrible boss number one.
While Hendricks is busy handling working for his boss, Arbus has his own troubles, while working as a dentist’s assistant. His boss, Dr. Julia Harris (Jennifer Aniston), is constantly sexually harassing him, while threatening to falsely tell his fiancée that he is having an affair with her. The only way to keep her from telling, Harris demands that Arbus sleep with her. Sounds like a problem, especially if you’re engaged. And so we have horrible boss number two.
Lastly we have Kurt Buckman, who originally enjoys his job, but that soon ends. If it didn’t, it wouldn’t have been much of a movie. After the death of his original boss, the son takes over the chemical company. In this case, the apple couldn’t have fallen farther from the tree. Bobby, played by Colin Farrell, is a cocaine-addicted man who wants nothing more than to gain as much profit for himself from the company no matter who it hurts. It could mean the end of the company, a company Buckman loves. And so we have horrible boss number three.
Three horrible bosses, three friends, and one idea; their lives would be much better and they would be much happier if their bosses were no longer around. Originally looking for a hit-man (Jamie Foxx), the friends hope to hire someone to do the job for them. However, this hit-man quickly becomes their “murder consultant” and suggests that the three friends kill each other’s bosses to hide any motive, while making the deaths look like an accident. Sounds like a flawless plan; what could go wrong? The answer to that question is everything.
If you’re looking for a fun comedy, then this is the movie for you. Everything that could possibly go wrong goes wrong, making for some very funny scenes. It’s a well-cast film, with actors playing characters that fit their particular strengths. It’s a relatively simple story, but you do not need a complicated plot line to enjoy a movie. The movie is relatively lighthearted, despite the fact that the main characters are conspiring to murder three people. It’s not the best movie ever made, but it’s worth seeing if you are looking for something to brighten up your day.
