Welcome back to another review, this time for a brand new critically acclaimed horror movie, Corporate Retreat, ready to stream from all major digital platforms, including Prime Video, Apple TV, Fandango at Home, DirectTV and Google Play, among others.
Now that we got that out of the way, let’s get into the blood and guts of it, pun intended. There will be a few spoilers, but I won’t go too hard on them. So grab your favorite horror snacks and let’s go!
Firstly, I will say though this is categorized as a horror movie, but SPOILER… what horror movie doesn’t have an end of movie jump scare?! So I would actually categorize this as a thriller with some clever laughs and lots of guts. Maybe somewhere between the captive and single set challenge movies of SAW and campy funny vibes (though still murdery) of something like the 1983 film Sleep Away Camp. If you haven’t seen Sleep Away Camp, let me know if you’d like a review. Stay with me though! Let’s talk about the story before you make any assumptions.
Story 8/10
SPOILER… This movie has one of the quickest murders I can remember seeing in a movie which definitely got me to pay attention very quickly. But before and after that first murder, you will find out that you will be following and getting to know a group of ambitious executives, and one very attractive smarty pants woman, not part of the team but who will be a key member of the group, on a luxury team-building escape. This is not unusual, as it something they do, but the various levels of “team building” is a brutal and blood-soaked fight for survival in which each step you learn a little more about about each character, and their limits.
Acting 7/10
Directed by Aaron Fisher (Inside the Rain), let’s take a look at this small cast of only 13 (lucky number) people in which some people we may, or may not, recognize. Alan Ruck, Odeya Rush, Sasha Lane, Ashton Sanders, Benjamin Norris, Tyler Alvarez, Zion Moreno, Ellen Toland, and Kirby Johnson, with Rosanna Arquette, plus Elias Kacavas, and two very short lived guests that are maybe on screen as long as their deaths took, which was very quick. And if that Arquette name sounds familiar, yes, it’s that Arquette.
Overall 7.5/10
For a horror, oops I mean thriller, I was very pleased and surprised on the different levels of threats to reach ascension. Especially since they have to try to pass 7 levels of increasingly horrible team building exercises to reach ascendency filled with blood soaked carnage that even made me flinch!
Conner’s Final Thoughts
And here we are, with my final thoughts. If you made it this far, you survived and will now transcend! Just kidding, but now to be honest with you if you should see this movie. I am still bummed about not having an end of horror movie jump scare, but putting that aside, Alan Ruck’s psychotic and narcissistic character makes this movie very worth the watch! It’s a bit gory at times with its (mostly) practical effects, but I believe in you and you will be glad you watched it. And now I’m sure you’re wondering, who transcended? Does that mean they survived? Well, that’s a spoiler I’ll let you find out. And remember, think twice if you get invited to a corporate retreat!
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