“Horrible Bosses” is a 2011 black comedy film directed by Seth Gordon and written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein. The movie follows the story of three friends who are frustrated with their jobs and decide to plot to murder their abusive and manipulative bosses.
The movie features a star-studded cast, including Jason Bateman, Charlie Day, and Jason Sudeikis as the three friends, and Jennifer Aniston, Colin Farrell, and Kevin Spacey as their respective bosses. Jamie Foxx also stars as a “murder consultant” who advises the friends on their plan.
“Horrible Bosses” received positive reviews for its witty writing, strong performances, and sharp humor. The movie was a commercial success, grossing over $200 million worldwide.
Overall, “Horrible Bosses” is an entertaining and irreverent comedy that offers a refreshing take on the workplace revenge genre. With its strong cast and clever writing, it is definitely worth a watch for fans of dark comedies.
Cast
The cast of “Horrible Bosses” includes:
- Jason Bateman as Nick Hendricks
- Charlie Day as Dale Arbus
- Jason Sudeikis as Kurt Buckman
- Jennifer Aniston as Dr. Julia Harris, D.D.S.
- Colin Farrell as Bobby Pellitt
- Kevin Spacey as Dave Harken
- Jamie Foxx as Dean “Motherfucker” Jones
- Julie Bowen as Rhonda Harken
- Donald Sutherland as Jack Pellitt
- Lindsay Sloane as Stacy Arbus
The cast also includes several notable comedic actors in supporting roles, including John Francis Daley, Wendell Pierce, and Bob Newhart.
Production
“Horrible Bosses” was produced by New Line Cinema and Rat Entertainment, and directed by Seth Gordon. The screenplay was written by Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein. The film was shot on location in Los Angeles, California, USA.
The movie was released in the United States on July 8, 2011, and was a commercial success, grossing over $200 million worldwide. The film’s strong performances, clever writing, and dark humor were praised by audiences and critics alike.
The production of “Horrible Bosses” was a collaborative effort among talented filmmakers and actors who brought the story to life with wit, humor, and biting social commentary. The movie’s success cemented its place as a modern classic in the dark comedy genre.
Reviews
“Horrible Bosses” received generally positive reviews from both audiences and critics. Here are some examples of reviews for the movie:
- Rotten Tomatoes: The film has an approval rating of 69% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 215 reviews, with an average rating of 6.2/10. The site’s critical consensus reads, “It’s nasty, uneven, and far from original, but thanks to a smartly assembled cast that makes the most of a solid premise, Horrible Bosses works.”
- Metacritic: The film has a score of 57 out of 100 on Metacritic, indicating “mixed or average reviews.”
- Roger Ebert: In his review for the Chicago Sun-Times, Roger Ebert gave the film three stars out of four, praising the performances of the cast and the clever writing. He wrote, “The movie is funny because Bateman, Sudeikis and Day are funny, and because Jennifer Aniston, Kevin Spacey and Colin Farrell are funny. The plot may be cockamamie, but the behavior of the actors is impeccable.”
- Variety: Justin Chang of Variety praised the film’s “razor-sharp timing and snappy one-liners,” calling it “a raucous, sometimes crass but mostly clever farce.”
Overall, “Horrible Bosses” was well-received for its strong cast, clever writing, and dark humor. Its success at the box office and with audiences and critics has cemented its place as a modern classic in the dark comedy genre.
Where are they now?
Here’s an update on where some of the cast and crew of “Horrible Bosses” are now:
- Jason Bateman, who played Nick Hendricks, has continued to act in film and television. He has appeared in movies like “Zootopia” and “Game Night,” and has also starred in the Netflix series “Ozark.”
- Charlie Day, who played Dale Arbus, has continued to act in film and television as well. He has appeared in movies like “Pacific Rim” and “Fist Fight,” and is also known for his role in the TV series “It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia.”
- Jason Sudeikis, who played Kurt Buckman, has appeared in a number of movies and TV shows since “Horrible Bosses,” including “We’re the Millers” and “Ted Lasso.”
- Jennifer Aniston, who played Dr. Julia Harris, D.D.S., has continued to act in film and television. She has appeared in movies like “Murder Mystery” and “Dumplin’,” and is also known for her role in the TV series “Friends.”
- Colin Farrell, who played Bobby Pellitt, has continued to act in film and television as well. He has appeared in movies like “The Lobster” and “Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them,” and is also set to star in the upcoming Batman movie.
- Kevin Spacey, who played Dave Harken, has not appeared in any major film or television productions since “Horrible Bosses.” He faced allegations of sexual misconduct in 2017, which led to his being fired from the TV series “House of Cards” and dropped from several film projects.
- Jamie Foxx, who played Dean “Motherfucker” Jones, has continued to act in film and television as well. He has appeared in movies like “Django Unchained” and “Just Mercy,” and is also a musician and comedian.
Overall, the cast and crew of “Horrible Bosses” have continued to work in the entertainment industry and have remained active in their respective fields.
Fun facts
Here are some fun facts about “Horrible Bosses”:
- The movie was originally going to be directed by Brett Ratner, but he dropped out due to scheduling conflicts. Seth Gordon was later hired as the director.
- The film’s script went through several rewrites and revisions, with screenwriters Michael Markowitz, John Francis Daley, and Jonathan Goldstein all contributing to the final version.
- Jennifer Aniston, who played Dr. Julia Harris, D.D.S., was initially hesitant to take on the role because of its sexually charged nature. However, she eventually agreed to do the movie after Seth Gordon convinced her that it would be a fun and challenging role.
- The scene in which Jason Sudeikis’s character Kurt describes his plan to murder his boss was improvised by Sudeikis during filming. The other actors’ reactions to his description were genuine and unscripted.
- The film’s production budget was $35 million, and it went on to gross over $200 million worldwide at the box office.
- The character of Dean “Motherfucker” Jones, played by Jamie Foxx, was originally written to be a white man. However, Foxx convinced the filmmakers to change the character to a black man and gave him his own twist on the character.
- The film features a number of references to other movies, including “Fight Club,” “The Shawshank Redemption,” and “American Psycho.”
Overall, “Horrible Bosses” was a collaborative effort among talented filmmakers and actors who brought the story to life with wit, humor, and biting social commentary. Its success at the box office and with audiences and critics has cemented its place as a modern classic in the dark comedy genre.
Box office
“Horrible Bosses” was a box office success, grossing over $209 million worldwide against a production budget of $35 million. The film was released in the United States on July 8, 2011, and went on to earn $117.5 million domestically and $91.5 million internationally.
The film’s opening weekend was a strong start, with it grossing over $28 million in its first three days. It held on to the top spot at the box office for two consecutive weekends and remained in the top ten for six weeks.
“Horrible Bosses” was one of the highest-grossing R-rated comedies of 2011, and its success helped solidify its place as a modern classic in the dark comedy genre.
