DVD Review - “Severance”
GRADE: B-
“Severance” is “Hostel” meets T.V.’s “The Office”. It is a gory, horror comedy hybrid that works on many levels. The last few horror movies I have seen have been pretty terrible; “Halloween”, “Hostel 2″, “The Hills Have Eyes 2″. “Severance” was made for fans of the horror genre much like other recent gory comedies such as; “Shaun of The Dead”, “Black Sheep” and “Fido”. I like these little pieces of cinematic junk food, but nothing compares to the dark comedy horror classics of the past like Sam Raimi’s “Evil Dead” series and Peter Jackson’s “Dead Alive”.
When the president of a high-profile international-arms supplier takes his six best employees to an Eastern European mountain retreat, their team-building getaway turns into a life-or-death game of kill or be killed. The trip takes a turn for the worst when a deadly enemy infiltrates the retreat with the singular goal of ensuring that no one gets out alive. The hilarious and gory action will leave you laughing out loud and then screaming with revulsion.
The way the film combines humor and horror is skilled and the script is smarter than average for the genre. There are some down right gruesome images in this film, but most are followed by a hilarious sight gag or joke. If you can get over the intense gore you will enjoy the great balance of shrewd comedy writing with pulse pounding chasing scenes. “Severance” isn’t high art or a cinema classic, it is a silly horror movie with bite and wit.
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