4 stars (out of 5)
Director: Seth Gordon
Cast: Jason Bateman, Kevin Spacey, Charlie Day, Jennifer Aniston, Jason Sudeikis, Colin Farrell, Jamie Foxx, Julie Bowen, Ioan Gruffudd, P J Byrne.
Rating: (R16)
Horrible Bosses (Hoyts) gives us three friends who in different ways all have horrible bosses.
Nick (Jason Bateman) has a boss who uses the lure of a promotion to keep him in shackles. As played by Kevin Spacey, he is a true nightmare.
Kurt (Jason Sudeikis) liked his job until the company was taken over by the owner's son Bobby (Colin Farrell), who is only interested in squeezing out enough money to fund his cocaine habit.
Dale is an assistant to foxy dentist Julia (Jennifer Aniston), who gets her kicks by sexually harassing him. "How is that a problem?" ask his friends (and the audience) but Dale is engaged and besides, he thinks his boss is crazy.
They cope by venting with each other because in this economy, who can afford to leave a job just because the boss is a creep?
One night the beers kick in and killing their bosses sort of seems a reasonable solution.
Before they have time to sober up and reconsider they are talking options with their very own murder consultant M.F. Jones (Jamie Foxx). Naturally, in the way of these things, nothing goes according to plan. What does go to plan is that this movie makes you laugh, a lot.
Best thing: Spacey, Farrell and Aniston are a blast as the horrible bosses.
Worst thing: It is funny but it never breaks free of its Hangover rip-off vibe so the three leads come over as a bit generic.
See it with: A horrible-boss story of your own to entertain your friends with afterwards.
- Christine Powley
