Connect with us

The Belko Experiment is Bloody and Brilliant

Published

7 years ago

on

The Belko Experiment is one of the most gripping and brilliant movies to hit the big screen in years. Writer James Gunn and director Greg McLean have take the rather simple concept of an office building under siege and turned the idea on its head to the point where it is no longer recognizable.

            The plot is simple enough. Belko Industries is a non-profit that specializes in transitioning American workers to South America. Because of that they are located on the outskirts of Bogata, Columbia, the inside might feel like an American office but everyone there is essentially still a stranger in a strange land. For insurance reasons Belko has put a chip inside each employee’s head. If they were to every get kidnapped they would be able to track them right away and save them. All of that sounds completely logical and any employee would probably submit to it without questioning.

The day begins more or less normally for the office until a mysterious voice comes on the intercom to let them know that the entire company has two hours to kill two people. If two people aren’t killed than more will die in their place. The building goes on lockdown and that’s where the real fun begins.

McLean has gathered together some of the best character actors in the industry and every single one of them packs a punch. These are experts in their craft literally going head-to-head with each other for survival. It would be beautiful to watch it weren’t so unnerving.

By trapping everyone inside and raising the stake to a literal do or die situation everyone’s true nature comes to light. Like an ultra-violent “Lord of the Flies” it isn’t long before alliances are created and the cost of a friend’s life becomes a topic of debate. The enforcers are led by Tony Goldwyn and John C. McGinley while the peacekeepers are led by John Gallagher Jr. They represent the two ends of the reaction spectrum. In between are those who choose to pretend the whole incident is simply in their heads and those who run and hide while the others fight.

The microcosm that Gunn has created ends up being the perfect outlet for the current state of the world. It isn’t long before violence for a reason becomes violence for the sake of violence. The tension is doubled with the knowledge that every single person on screen has a chip in their head that could go off at any moment. No one is safe. There is no shelter.

This is Gunn’s Cabin in the Woods. You can tell him playing around with a genre he loves and twisting and turning the expectations created by hundreds of movies before it on its head. Just when the audience has it figured out another surprise comes out of nowhere leaving you gasping.

The Belko Experiment won’t be for everyone but everyone should see it. More than any other film of its kind Belko gives real insight into human nature under extreme circumstances. You may leave the theater in shock, but better because of it.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading

Events

Paramount+ Reveals Official Main Title Sequence for the Upcoming Series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES

Published

13 hours ago

on

July 26, 2024

By

During the TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES panel earlier today at San Diego Comic Con, Paramount+ revealed the official main title sequence for the series. The sequence is composed by EMMY® nominee, Matt Mahaffey, known for his work on Sanjay and Craig, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles: The Movie and much more. 

From the studios of the Mutant Mayhem film, the all-new Paramount+ original series TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES explores the adventures of everyone’s favorite pizza-loving heroes as they emerge from the sewers onto the streets of NYC. Leo, Raph, Donnie and Mikey are faced with new threats and team up with old allies to survive both teenage life and villains lurking in the shadows of the Big Apple. The series is produced by Nickelodeon Animation and Point Grey Pictures.

TALES OF THE TEENAGE MUTANT NINJA TURTLES is executive produced by Chris Yost (The Mandalorian, Thor: Ragnarok) and Alan Wan (Blue Eye Samurai, Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles [2012 Series]). Production is overseen for Nickelodeon by Claudia Spinelli, Senior Vice President, TV Series Animation, Nickelodeon, and Nikki Price, Director of Development and Executive in Charge of Production.

In addition to the upcoming new series, stream all things Turtles on Paramount+.

Continue Reading

Events

Comic-Con 2024: Those About to Die Activation

Published

16 hours ago

on

July 26, 2024

By

Continue Reading

Events

DISNEY+ CASTS DANIEL DIEMER AS FAN-FAVORITE ‘TYSON’IN SEASON TWO OF “PERCY JACKSON AND THE OLYMPIANS”

Published

16 hours ago

on

July 26, 2024

By

 in Hall H at San Diego Comic-Con, Rick Riordan and Disney+ revealed that Daniel Diemer (“Under the Bridge”) will star as fan-favorite cyclops “Tyson” in the epic adventure series “Percy Jackson and the Olympians.” Diemer joins Walker Scobell (Percy Jackson), Leah Sava Jeffries (Annabeth Chase) and Aryan Simhadri (Grover Underwood) as a series regular. The Disney+ Original series from Disney Branded Television and 20th Television will start filming its second season next week in Vancouver.

Season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is based on the second installment of Disney Hyperion’s best-selling book series titled “The Sea of Monsters” by award-winning author Rick Riordan. In the new season, Percy Jackson returns to Camp Half-Blood one year later to find his world turned upside down. His friendship with Annabeth is changing, he learns he has a cyclops for a brother, Grover has gone missing, and camp is under siege from the forces of Kronos. Percy’s journey to set things right will take him off the map and into the deadly Sea of Monsters, where a secret fate awaits the son of Poseidon.

Diemer stars as Tyson – a young Cyclops who grew up all alone on the streets, and finds it difficult to survive in the human world.  Shy and awkward, with a heart almost as big as he is, Tyson soon discovers that Poseidon is his father, which means Percy Jackson is his half-brother… and that Tyson may have finally found a home. 

Diemer recently starred in the Hulu limited series “Under the Bridge” based off the critically acclaimed book of the same name and a tragic true story of a missing teen girl in Vancouver in 1997. He will next star in the indie “Thug” opposite Liam Neeson and Ron Perlman for director Hans Petter Moland. Daniel was recently seen as the lead in the indie “Supercell” opposite Alec Baldwin and Skeet Ulrich and the lead in the film “Little Brother” opposite Phil Ettinger and JK Simmons. Daniel can also be seen in the Netflix series “The Midnight Club” and recently starred as the male lead in the breakout hit Netflix feature “The Half Of It” from producer Anthony Bregman and director Alice Wu. He is a graduate of Victoria Academy of Dramatic Arts in Vancouver.

Created by Rick Riordan and Jonathan E. Steinberg, season two of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is executive produced by Steinberg and Dan Shotz alongside Rick Riordan, Rebecca Riordan, Craig Silverstein, The Gotham Group’s Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Bert Salke, The Gotham Group’s Jeremy Bell and D.J. Goldberg, James Bobin, Jim Rowe, Albert Kim, Jason Ensler and Sarah Watson.

The first season of “Percy Jackson and the Olympians” is available on Disney+

Continue Reading

Trending

Copyright © 2012 - 2024 That's My Entertainment