“Bullets are for cowards,” the Bull says to the angry lawyer about midway through the movie Mayhem.
And, the movie lived up to that one statement in this horror comedy that is most definitely not suited for younger audiences or the faint of heart.
Just about every piece of office equipment is used as a weapon as a virus sweeps through a corporate law office, leading people to lose their inhibitions and act on pure impulses. Luckily, the building is only quarantined for eight hours, but the chaos that ensues in that time is unimaginable.
The movie follows the quest of one lawyer who is fired minutes before the quarantine begins, and his unlikely sidekick, a woman who was in the building to meet with the lawyer to save her home from foreclosure.
The duo battle their way to the top of the tower, trying to get to the top executives to save their livelihoods, encountering hitmen from the top executives, who attempt to keep them from reaching the board of directors and the top executives. But, their efforts are thwarted, and the lawyer, Derek Cho, eventually reaches the top, minutes before the quarantine is over.
In the end, the hero saves the day, but a wake of bloodshed and murder follows him on the journey.
Mayhem is packed with good comedic moments, and some wildly hilarious references and jokes. It adds just the right amount of gore, without making the audience squirm too much in discomfort.
At any point, I felt like Cho was going to wake up from this chaotic dream, but he never does. I kept expecting the anarchy to stop, and turn out to be some kind of cliche daydream this lawyer is having at his desk.
This movie might provide some kind of release for people who work in office buildings, tapping into the id of a disgruntled employee, or it might just be a fun over the top story that channels rage in an unfair society for some.
There are quite a few parts that are over the top and unbelievable, but generally Mayhem stays on point for gruesome dismemberment.
For staying on point and giving me the chills I didn’t know were possible from every day office supplies, I give Mayhem nine out of 10 popcorns.
