Valentina S. I was quite enthusiastic of watching this movie when I learned of it. The plot reminded me heavily of a similar movie titled Exam. Thus, I was expecting a similarly thrilling emotional and psychological ride. I did not receive it. While the movie was entertaining to watch, I could not be helped but be irritated by some of the most illogical actions the characters took given their seemingly high intelligence. Overall, I could pretty much guess what would happen next and the ending was very very disappointing. I could think of at least three different endings that would have been much more intriguing, plot-twisting and unexpected. To sum up, entertaining for while it runs on the screen, but nothing mind-blowing and leaves you rather frustrated at the end.

Jesse Boland Bunch of "random" people wake up locked in a room, and they are all lying about themselves. Sound familiar? it should this movie seems to come out every few months with a different name, group of people, and relative story, but it is the same movie. Yes, I agree we are all very lucky to have Malcolm McDowell acting, and voicing everything, I just wish more of it was good is all. He plays the Devil, or God, or an omnipotent figurehead of one form, or another all of the time, and we have seen all of those characters enough I think. This movie just does nothing new, and for the most part pulls it's own punches, and comes up very short on the realism, or motive enough for most of these people to even be there. Not a good enough movie for what they had to work with. I did not Enjoy this, and I do not think most people will either. The webs are unraveled, and you no longer care.

formerjedsgirl What would you do to go from being in debt, to having a six figure position? What would you do to make a lot of money? These are the questions asked in Frank Merle's well thought drama, The Employer. We the viewer do not know what the job is; but the five candidates know exactly what is at stake. When the final interview takes place, we see how far some will go just to be the person hired.The concept of The Employer is in the realm of movies like Saw or The Hunger Games. There are five people locked in a room and the only way to get the coveted job is to be the last one alive. All five have been drugged or knocked out cold and wake up in the safe locked room. Some remember the last thing they were doing and some have no idea how they got there. A cell phone is found on one of our main characters, James Harris (David Dastmalchian). They receive a phone call from The Employer to let him know that they cannot call the police and that after each person dies, a code to the door would be given to unlock. Soon, they all realize that they have interviewed for the same position and the ambiguous Carcharias Corporation. One by one we are introduced to the different credentials that each candidate has. Strong. Hard Working. Devious. Cut throat. All of them have a story, and all of them need the job.It stars Malcolm McDowell as The Employer. He is the man who sits behind the desk and interviews the five candidates. McDowell has a natural presence about him. We of course all remember him from his breakthrough performance in Stanley Kubrick's A Clockwork Orange. He is the perfect actor for this film. He has mystery behind his eyes and his portrayal of power is calm and cool. He interviews the five candidates, one by one with precision and repetition. Asking similar questions to them and getting a similar response with a different answer. Merle has done an impressive job of letting McDowell portray power behind the desk. He is a character that does not show power through pointing a gun or using fists. He simply has power with words or a push of a button.Each candidate in the room is unique. James is a hard working shy guy. He believes that if the five in the room can work together and figure it out that nobody has to die. Along with him is the innocent and scared Sandra (Paige Howard; daughter of Ron Howard, sister of Bryce Dallas Howard); she is running away from something. She felt that getting this job would help her to get away from the past. Mike (Matthew Willig) is the man with muscle who wants to be acknowledged for his brain. Billie (Katerina Mikailenko) is the bad ass woman who has some insider information of the Carcharias Corporation. Last, is Keith Caverns (Michael DeLorenzo) who is the antagonizing loud mouth. All have different qualities and Merle shows these qualities during each individual interview.In the locked room is just the five candidates. There are no knives. No guns. No weapons. This is what separates The Employer from a movie like Saw. This is what I found to be the most intriguing. It was the characters and their personalities that would determine who lives and dies. As the film goes along I was surprised to see what items would be used as weapons. A belt, a tie, a high heel, and even a vent plate. Merle brings the animal out of all five humans. All of this for the sake of winning the job. Even after someone emerges there is still the person already working for Carcharias Corporation that may be the last one out. Alan (Billy Zane) has been loyal to the company for many years, but that does not mean he has job security.The Employer is a good film. Merle has a movie here that is a thriller that puts light on America's social situation of job security. There is more that is said when people are battling for a job that would put not only food in your mouth, but boost you a full pay grade. It is not a battle just for current survival, but a battle for potential security. These are things that all can relate to today. McDowell is the actor who gives a solid performance. Paige Howard and David Dastmalchian give performances that will certainly help their acting careers flourish. They show promise in their young careers. Billy Zane gives us somewhat a cameo for his short screen time, but his role proves that your job can never be safe even if you are the best employee at Carcharis Corporation. An intriguing concept and thrilling to watch! The Employer is a winning film!More reviews at AMOVIEGUY.COM

Hunter Johnson Finding a job these days is tough, especially one that actually pays the bills. The search could even be described as a "true horror story" for some; even if you do land an interview, often you can get beat out by a more qualified candidate. Frank Merle, the writer and director of the new horror thriller, "The Employer," takes this idea to a whole new level: in this interview, you either get the job or die…It's a now classic set-up. Five strangers wake up in a locked room. Before long, they realize they have something in common: they have all recently interviewed for a position at the mysterious Carcharias Corporation, and today is supposed to be their final interview. Unbeknownst to them, The Employer (Malcolm McDowell) has a very sinister way of choosing the perfect candidate for the job. You see, at Carcharias Corporation, having a well-rounded resume is only half the battle. What's the other half? It's killing the competition before they kill you first. Last one standing gets the job of their dreams…The great part about a film like "The Employer" is that it takes a familiar premise and gives it its own unique and rather intelligent spin. Yes, pitting people against each other in a locked room has created some pretty grisly horror films, but "The Employer" isn't about the gore; it's about the characters. Merle creates a group of very fleshed out young professionals who have every reason in the world to try to get ahead. It's more fun to get to know the characters first before they're brutally murdered as opposed to watching strangers get hacked up; it makes for a much more satisfying viewing experience.But while Merle crafts characters who are undoubtedly justified in their reasons to despise each other, he also brings out strong performances by five very talented actors. The scenarios he sets up for these interviewees are amplified by their terrific performances. Everyone brings something to the table, and everyone has a secret.James, played by David Dastmalchian, is our Everyman and is wonderfully naïve and hopeful that in this terrifying scenario maybe, just maybe, nobody has to die. It really feels like at any moment Dastmalchian could break out and become a recognizable face for frequent moviegoers, and a film like "The Employer" certainly allows him to show some great range. Opposite him is the beautiful Paige Howard who plays the kind and caring Sandra. It's hard not to root for these two; their chemistry is strong, especially when the going gets tough.Juxtaposed against this optimistic, seemingly level-headed pair are our other three captives: the sexy and ass-kicking Billie (Katerina Mikailenko), the bruising and massive Mike (Matthew Willig) and the loudmouth Kieth (Michael DeLorenzo). Five very different people in one nightmarish interview, "The Employer" creates a tense and unnerving experience that gets to be a real free for all with plenty of twists to keep you guessing who's going to get the job.Which brings us to our last and most important piece of this puzzle: The Employer himself, Malcolm McDowell. As the puppet master of this whole scheme, it's extremely fun to see The Employer get inside of the heads of these characters and find out exactly what makes them tick. It's always fun to see McDowell play a bad guy, but in "The Employer" he's even more dementedly charming than usual. Every time McDowell is on the screen he steals the show, which is understandable given his ultra-talent. He embodies the mission of the Carcharias Corporation and adds a level of mystery and intrigue that we can only hope for a sequel (or two) to expand upon.And maybe that's the real reason this movie was so enjoyable: the fact that it asks more questions than it answers. While Merle's intentions for making this film are unknown, "The Employer" raises a lot of questions not only about its own reality but also our own, and frequently plays with moral questions that we deal with on a daily basis. How often do we see people doing anything to get ahead of the competition, or a massive corporation treating its employees like pawns in its own sinister game? Merle has created a film that is modern, violent and full of nasty twists, "The Employer" grabs you and won't let you go.Lastly I'll leave you with this, the same thing that Merle told me before I watched the movie and the thing that probably intrigued me the most: at the end, only one person walks out of that room alive…Check out our other indie horror reviews at LAHORROR.COM