The Belko Experimient 2016 Movie Scene Tony Goldwyn as Barry Norris about to execute some of his workers

The Belko Experiment [2016]

September 10, 2024

I could’ve sworn I already recommended this movie to you all, writing about it extensively when it came out. However, the cold hard truth is that I did watch it but I forgot to write about it. Maybe because there are so many similar movies out there and they all mushed together into one. We will talk about this odd subgenre a bit later because now we have to get the formalities out of the way. The Belko Experiment is a movie about a group of office workers who have to hunt and kill each other in a huge office building. Why is this happening, we do not know and who are the people ordering this is a mystery as well. But we will find out by the end of the movie during one hell of a big reveal.

Belko blends action, thrills, and horror with black humor to create something that’s going to keep your attention for 85 minutes. Sure, we’ve got these social commentary undertones that were supposed to be thought-provoking but I found them too shallow for that. So, just lower your expectations a bit and you should be fine. The director is Greg McLean, the Aussie butcher who brought us hits like Wolf Creek and Rogue. And the writer is none other than James Gunn of his Guardians of the Galaxy fame. However, we should not forget that he also wrote scripts for both Dawn of the Dead and Slither. With this gruesome twosome, this movie couldn’t have come out bad.

The movie takes place in Bogota, Colombia, the same place where it was filmed. Too bad we won’t see more of it as the entire story unfolds in the Belko Industries office building on the outskirts of the city. Anything is better than the non-descript downtowns we usually get. And you can clearly see and feel that during the opening scene. It features one rather exotic commute. Although I think, in reality, it could’ve been much more dangerous. The cast is pure perfection. John C. McGinley and Tony Goldwyn stole the show here with their excellent performances. Adria Arjona and John Gallagher Jr. were just as good. And I’m sure you’re going to recognize most of the supporting cast.

You can think of The Belko Experiment as a version of The Office where all of a sudden things go horribly wrong and everyone is out to get you. Of course, one of the main elements of the movie is that famous “what would you do in this situation” question. Only this time your options are quite limited, at least in my opinion. These are the limitations imposed by Gunn’s script and the fact he eventually didn’t want to spend a year and a half directing such a violent and intense movie. Greg McLean, on the other hand, was ready, able, and willing. And he did a terrific job as you’ll barely notice the rudimentary character development.

The action was brutal, the running time short and the pacing solid. Plus, do we always need to look for that “deeper” meaning? Can some movies just be movies? I mean, you can always rewatch The Platform AKA El Hoyo. Mi caracol. And it’s not like there won’t be any poignant moments in the movie. The soulless corporate culture fits in surprisingly well within the boundaries of this sick social experiment. The relationship between our two main characters is also quite moving. What I also like about this movie is that escalates pretty early on. Just ten minutes in and the proverbial shit hits the fan.

From that moment on, we’ll be enjoying a potent blend of suspense, action, and mystery. Just to get back to the “deeper meaning” for a second, what would be the right moral choice in those circumstances for you? If you had total control of the situation. Finally, The Belko Experiment belongs to the wave of similar movies featuring relatively the same elements. Not Safe For Work, Mayhem, Office Uprising, and especially The Circle are just some of them. So, if you’re looking for more of the same, do check them out. And if you’re looking for the real deal, do check two movies based on actual events: The Experiment and Experimenter.