Ever wish your boss were dead?

Rating: 7/10 (5 July 2011)

For Nick, Kurt, and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers...permanently. There's only one problem: even the best laid plans are only as foolproof as the brains behind them. -- (C) Warner Bros
As many Hitchcock films have shown us (like STRANGERS ON A TRAIN, DIAL M FOR MURDER, and VERTIGO), even the best laid plans have loopholes. No matter how perfect the plan seem to be, there's usually some incidental human error involved that messes everything up. HORRIBLE BOSSES takes this concept with a dark comedic twist, and it works really well! Even with the mean-spirited feel of the film that has been so common among comedies these days, the film successfully contains consistent laughs through and through, which already puts it above 75% of comedies released in the past several years.
The film works because of the TERRIFIC cast, with Charlie Day standing out the most. While he only had a supporting role in GOING THE DISTANCE, he has a much bigger role here, and he steals the freaking show! He does everything in here to get some big laughs from the audience, and he doesn't disappoint. I can easily see him in a starring role within the next few years. I also enjoyed Jason Sudeikis' antics as the sex-addicted friend. However, I didn't think Jason Bateman was any special. He's just Jason Bateman.
It's great to see Jennifer Aniston in a different role, although she's still in a comedy. It was refreshing to see her with a sexy, skanky attitude (matched with her darker brunette hair) compared to her several previous "good girl" roles. Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell also seemed to have tons of fun playing baddies as well. With a short screen presence, Jamie Foxx continues the pattern with delivering some good laughs.
Story-wise, HORRIBLE BOSSES has its shares of ups and downs. The upside is that you really don't know how the film will end. I thought I knew where it was going, but then a plot twist came up to surprise me which took the film in a completely different direction. The downside is that the film contains some plot contrivances that were really hard to swallow and an all-too-convenient, abrupt ending to top it all. I didn't want it to end so soon.
With those minor flaws, HORRIBLE BOSSES is not only better than "horrible," it's a lot better than "horrible." In fact, it's quite good -- a dark comedy that delivers some really great laughs due to the excellent cast that manages to give it their all into making a good film. In the end, HORRIBLE BOSSES, while not amazing, is better and more memorable than most modern comedies these days.