Quartile rating: 6.5/10 · 1 rating
A virus spreads through an office complex causing white collar workers to act out their worst impulses.
Mayhem is a gleefully violent genre exercise that wrings decent fun from its office-satire premise — workers losing all inhibitions thanks to a rage virus makes for a solid genre hook. Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving have genuine energy and chemistry, elevating what could be a forgettable B-movie. The cinematography is functional at best, leaning on handheld chaos without much visual wit or style to distinguish it. The premise is clever but not entirely fresh — it borrows liberally from The Belko Experiment and Cooties territory — giving it a middle-of-the-road novelty score. The ending deflates somewhat, resolving the corporate revenge arc in a rushed, unsatisfying way that squanders the momentum built up. Overall a competent, entertaining genre piece that doesn't fully capitalize on its satirical potential.