A virus spreads through an office complex which
causes those affected to act out their worst impulses ACTION/COMEDY/HORROR
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Mayhem (2017)Directed by Joe Lynch
Written by Matias Caruso Starring Steven Yeun, Samara Weaving, Steven Brand, Caroline Chikezie, Kerry Fox, Dallas Roberts, Mark Frost, Claire Dellamar, Andre Eriksen |
Of all the Joe Lynch films I have yet to see, Mayhem is the one that I’ve constantly been recommended. Featuring Steven Yeun, fresh from The Walking Dead, and current scream queen Samara Weaving, the talent was there. Add in some good-natured humor on corporate office life and you got a film I should have seen a while back. But, alas, I took a while to watch this one. And now that I’ve finally seen it? Well, I’ll put it like this. I’m actually mad at myself for taking so long to watch such an enjoyable horror comedy.
The plot is simple. A virus is causing people to give in to their most basic, primal urges. Destruction, violence, and sex. A simple premise which is used to great effect throughout the runtime of the film. The humor that I mentioned earlier is on point. Every joke made about the monotony of office life lands. The other thing is the glorious amount of anarchic violence. Mayhem doesn’t hold back and it’s an amazing sight to behold. Now, none of this would work so well if it wasn’t for the performances. Both Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving are more than up to the task. They give amazingly unhinged performances and provide much of the film’s humor. Like Weaving, I hope to see Yeun in more genre films in the future. Mayhem is a lot of fun. I’ve been noticing that in a lot of Joe Lynch’s film. He is clearly a fan of the genre who also likes to have a ton of fun with his films. With actors who are more than up for the material and several funny moments, Mayhem just may be Lynch at his best. I can see why I’ve been recommended this one for so long. I’m looking forward to what else Lynch has up his sleeve in the future. |