The Belko Experiment (2017)

“The Belko Experiment” stars John Gallagher Jr., Tony Goldwyn, Adria Arjona, and John C. McGinley.  Released on March 17, 2017, the film is about a group of employees who are forced to participate in a game of kill or be killed by an unknown voice.

The film is directed by Greg McLean, who also directed films such as Wolf Creek, Rogue, and The Darkness.  Some of you may not be familiar with this latest R-rated horror feature.  To put it in my own perspective, let’s just say it’s something that you don’t want to watch with your fellow employees during your lunch break.  Releasing on the same weekend as Beauty and the Beast, this film will try its best to serve as counter-programming in case Beauty sells out like crazy, because you know, kids would rather see  a young woman falling in love with a beast than watch a bunch of people murder each other in an office building.  McLean’s last feature, The Darkness, made my least favorite 2016 films list mostly because it felt like I was watching a Lifetime movie…with supernatural beings.  While I wasn’t interested in his filmography, the concept itself was enough to grab my attention.  With the help of producer/writer James Gunn, the guy who delivered us Slither and the Guardians of the Galaxy films, McLean does his part in giving his audience an entertaining, R-rated blood bath.  Unfortunately, it’s not enough to warrant a recommendation to those outside of its target audience.

Pros:
Decent performances from the cast.

The deliverance of its concept was well-handled.

Solid effects despite its low budget.

Cons:
Weak screenplay.

The film favors R-rated violence over storytelling, especially in the third act.

The characters were either uninteresting or stupid.

Final thoughts: While it does have its entertaining moments, “The Belko Experiment” tries desperately to become the next Battle Royale, but winds up leaving a bloody mess on the floor.  With its underwhelming screenplay, weak storytelling, and uninteresting characters, this experiment is neither a failure nor a success.  It’s along the lines of being…OK.  On the plus side, it is an improvement over McLean’s last film, The Darkness, but not by much.  If you don’t really care that much about the characters and just want to see them get killed off by some office supplies, then it’s worth a watch.  Everyone else who does, you’re better off seeing Logan again.  If you're not a fan of bloody violence, then it's probably better if you leave this one alone.

C-