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The Employer is a psychological thriller written and directed by Frank Merle. The film stars Malcolm McDowell as the title character who interviews five candidates for a job at a mysterious, powerful corporation. After a film festival circuit in early 2013,[1] the film was released by Vision Films in the U.S. on June 7, 2013, as an On Demand premiere title, followed by a DVD release on July 2, 2013.[2]
| The Employer | |
|---|---|
_key_art_poster.jpg) Film poster | |
| Directed by | Frank Merle |
| Written by | Frank Merle |
| Produced by |
|
| Starring | |
| Cinematography | Tiago Mesquita |
| Music by | Jonathan M. Hartman |
Production company | Hyrax Entertainment |
| Distributed by | Vision Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 90 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
Plot
editFive highly qualified applicants for a position with the mysterious, powerful Carcharias Corporation wake up trapped together in a locked room without any hope of escape. After exchanging stories about how each of them had been sedated and abducted they receive a phone call from their interviewer, known only as The Employer, who informs them that they have to kill each other; only the last surviving candidate would get the job.
Cast
edit- Malcolm McDowell as The Employer
- David Dastmalchian as James
- Paige Howard as Sandra
- Michael DeLorenzo as Keith
- Matthew Willig as Mike
- Katerina Mikailenko as Billie
- Nicki Aycox as Maggie
- Billy Zane as Alan
Release
editIn October 2012, a near-completed version of film was screened at Shriekfest in Los Angeles, as an Official Opening Night Selection.[3]
In December 2012, the film won the award for Best Thriller at the Illinois International Film Festival.[4] In March 2013, the film won a Special Jury Award at the Geneva Film Festival.[5]
Other festival appearances include the LA Indie Film Festival,[6] and the Big Bear Horro-Fi Film Festival as a Special Invitation screening.[7]
The film was released in the United States by Vision Films, a worldwide distributor of independent films, across all major On Demand platforms on June 7, 2013. A DVD release followed on July 2, 2013.
Reception
editEarly festival screenings received positive reviews. Hunter Johnson from LAHorror.com praised the film's "terrific performances," especially Malcolm McDowell, who he noted is "even more dementedly charming than usual" in a film that's "modern, violent and full of nasty twists."[8] Leo Brady from AMovieGuy.com called the film "an intriguing concept and thrilling to watch," stating that McDowell is "the perfect actor for this film. He has mystery behind his eyes and his portrayal of power is calm and cool."[9] Sean Brickley from Horror News Network gave the film five stars and called McDowell's title character "the most sociopathic Human Relations director the corporate world has ever seen."[10] Christopher M. Jimenez from Sinful Celluloid highly recommended the film, writing "Frank Merle has created a minor masterpiece with spot on performances, great manipulation, and good backstory."[11] Sufi Mohamed from IndieJudge.com gave the film five stars, declaring in his review "this is literally one of the best independent movies I’ve ever seen," as he drew a real-world comparison between the film's themes and the Milgram Experiment.
On May 25, 2013, The Employer won eight honors at the Los Angeles Movie Awards, including Best Narrative Feature, Best Director, Best Actor (Malcolm McDowell), Best Supporting Actor (Michael DeLorenzo), Best Supporting Actress (Paige Howard), Best Original Score, Best Special Effects and the Audience Choice Award.[12]
References
edit- ^ "List of 2013 Los Angeles Movie Award Winners". Retrieved 25 May 2013.
- ^ "Vision Films". Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Shriekfest". Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Illinois International Film Festival". Archived from the original on 17 March 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Geneva Film Festival". Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "LA Indie Fest". Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Big Bear Horro-Fi Film Festival". Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ Johnson, Hunter (30 October 2012). "LA Horror review". Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ Brady, Leo. "A Movie Guy". Retrieved 7 March 2013.
- ^ "Horror News Network review of The Employer". Retrieved 8 May 2013.
- ^ "Sinful Celluloid: What Would You Do?: The Employer (2013)". Retrieved 9 June 2013.
- ^ "List of 2013 Los Angeles Movie Award Winners". Retrieved 25 May 2013.