‘Severance’ (2006) Is A Stark Reminder That Corporate Team Building Exercises Can Be Literal Hell – Retro Review

Ah, Team Building Exercises. During my five year tenure at a corporation, I can honestly say that nothing, NOTHING, was more torturous that than those horrific hours spent “bonding” awkwardly with my co-workers. So when the talented director of Creep (the 2004 version with Franka Potente), Christopher Smith, made Severance, a horror film about the subject, it quickly became one of my all time favorites. Fifteen years haven’t dulled its shine, and it remains as wicked and funny as ever.

Synopsis:

During a team-building retreat in the mountains, a group of sales representatives are hunted down one by one.

Work sucks, let’s face it. But there’s something about working for a corporation that just really blows. You almost never get to meet the people at the top you are toiling endlessly for, and you sure as hell are never going to be as rich or as successful as them. What you can do is bust your ass 60-80 hours a week and get a lousy trip to a hellhole Eastern European country out of it. That’s what happens to everyone at the WMD company in Severance. Good times. To top it off, thanks to pot smoking Steve (a hilarious Danny Dyer: Doghouse), the entire group has gotten kicked off of the bus taking them to the luxury resort hosting their team building exercise. The co-workers then finds themselves hoofing it with their suitcases in the correct direction. Um, they hope.

One of the great strengths of Severance is its characters. Leading the pack is no nonsense Maggie (Laura Harris: The Faculty), the aforementioned Steve, peevish team leader, Richard (Tim McInnerny: Black Death), and sweet, dreamy Jill (Claudie Blakley: War Bride). Much like all corporate (and work) relationships, they aren’t really friends and don’t particularly like one another. This makes their fight for survival all the more awkward and desperate. The strained relationships of the first half of the film nicely set up the second half where the co-workers fight for their lives. And gorehounds can rejoice as the special effects are terrific and still look great today.

At least at the end of my stint in corporate hell, I ended up with Waterford Crystal candlesticks and NOT being hunted for sport. So… perspective.