Cinema Review - Horrible Bosses

Horrible Bosses recently hit the big screen and with such a stellar cast, including the likes of Jason Bateman, Jason Sudeikis and Charlie Day it was clear to see from previews that this was going to be a big contender for one of the best comedies of the year. With support coming in the way of Kevin Spacey, Colin Farrell and Jennifer Aniston, star power was there in abundance so it was just down to whether the storyline and gags could live up to expectations.

We find ourselves following the lives of three single men, each in their thirties, working for bosses they absolutely despise. Nick's (Bateman) boss Dave Harken (Spacey) is an harsh and evil individual who is harsh with time keeping and is blackmailing Nick into staying in the job he is currently in. Kurt (Sudeikis) on the other hand had the perfect boss until he had a heart attack and now his son (Farrell) has taken over the work empire, which unfortunately means Kurt has to now work for a boss who snorts cocaine all day and has an endless supply of prostitutes loitering in his office, he's a tool. Finally Dale (Day) has a very different boss (Aniston), a woman who is sexually harassing him non-stop, begging him to be unfaithful to his fiance and give in to his desires.

Three men with three very different bosses pushing them to the end of insanity. There is only one way to resolve their problems, the bosses must be killed. So our three guys head out to the roughest area imaginable to find their hitman to hire and soon come across one 'Motherfucker' Jones (a hilarious Jamie Foxx). Jones aids them in strategies to get the bosses killed in return for their hard earnt cash, something which produces some of the funniest scenes in the film. 


With the knowledge of their hitman solidified in their minds it is now up to the three men to take the initiative and rid their lives of the one thing that is holding each of them back. Will they have the balls to commit the perfect crime each or will they continue to live meaningless lives under the weight of their evil bosses?


Clearly from the previews this film was never going to be one of those where the funniest parts are shown in the trailer. With a lead trio in the form of Bateman, Sudeikis and Day you instantly have a winning combination. Then couple that with a supporting trio of Spacey, Farrell and Aniston, and you are laughing (literally). With names such as these on the roster you know you are going to get bang for your buck and the gags and laugh-out-loud moments just keep coming in what is definitely one of the funniest films to be conjured up in 2011.


It's hard to say who the stand out act is amongst the immense talent but a special mention must go out to uniquely talented Charlie Day. If you have ever watched It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia then you know what you are going to get with Day, and if not then you are certainly missing out. The guy delivers all his scenes with such hilarity that it is no surprise that he is now taking the jump to the big screen. Hopefully there will much more Charlie Day coming in future films. Additionally, a cameo appearance from Ioan Gruffudd must be noted too, with Wales' favourite actor unleashing a cringeworthy and unexpected scene which will have you splitting your sides, not to miss!!


Film rating: 4 out of 5 stars


The lowdown: Horrible Bossess, with its amazing cast and different storyline succeeds where other comedies have failed in producing a barrel load of laughs and an engaging plot with some good twists along the way. Much better than the Hangover 2 and certainly on a par with Bridesmaids.