I think it deserves more than it's current rating of 5. This is a very tight, well directed & acted one-location thriller that can hold it's own against thrillers that had a much larger budget. The actors in this were all fantastic especially the two leads - "Tom" and the exceptionally creepy "hitman". I do love a well acted bad guy!! :) There isn't a lot to say about this flick. It has a fairly simple plot that isn't tremendously original but it's done so darn well it doesn't matter. Could have used a bit more action and maybe more character development but it's nevertheless well worth watching. Delightful! Far better than the eerily similar recent release "Free Fall"
38 Reviews
Decent action/espionage piece Tom has his hands full.
face-819-93372611 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
This is a decent little espionage/thriller not so much Die Hard but smart, and most of the technical stuff is done right. You have a story about Tom who is having himself just the worst day at work, and you get a fair bit of back story filler with an understanding of the office itself, and the fact that Tom is very familiar with the layout, and how to get around quickly. The meat of the story like most of these evil corporation stories has flaws all through out, and there are things that Tom should pick up on and he just doesn't, and there are some things that I was hoping to actually see that they did mostly right. HID obviously paid a good deal into this movie, and other than Tom's card not getting any reaction from the readers later in the movie (that can not happen unless the card is broken, the reader will always see something otherwise) the set up was perfect, and it almost makes me think this is a sales video made just for them. I did Enjoy the main story, and was able to forgive a few phone things that they tried to make work that didn't, though the running around was close to being convincing, there were a couple of times that they have Tom run down the wrong hallway, and get back to the bullpen. In the end I do recommend this as a rainy day afternoon filler film that will entertain you, and might give you a few heart racing moments, then you will just forget it. Not the worst movie, mostly just middle of the road stuff though.
Jesse of Jesse.ca
Jesse of Jesse.ca
Solid little thriller
Seth_Rogue_One25 August 2014
A solid little thriller which I'm sure I will watch more than once
It would have gotten a higher rating if I didn't feel like the ending lacked some punch and there were some dumb moments in the movie
But the acting is stellar and the characters are pretty interesting
It's very short, after 72 minutes the credits starts, but that just means that it never gets any time to get boring so that's a plus this time
Plot is above average, and the budget seems to be on the smaller scale but they really made the best of what they had to deal with
I can't really say too much without spoiling it but it's a place-bound thriller in the likes of Phone Booth and similar movies, I wouldn't be surprised if it got it's cult-following either
It would have gotten a higher rating if I didn't feel like the ending lacked some punch and there were some dumb moments in the movie
But the acting is stellar and the characters are pretty interesting
It's very short, after 72 minutes the credits starts, but that just means that it never gets any time to get boring so that's a plus this time
Plot is above average, and the budget seems to be on the smaller scale but they really made the best of what they had to deal with
I can't really say too much without spoiling it but it's a place-bound thriller in the likes of Phone Booth and similar movies, I wouldn't be surprised if it got it's cult-following either
Guess who the real bad guys are...
Irie21216 April 2016
Warning: Spoilers
The setting is high-rise with a huge law firm on an upper floor. A name partner (Christian Clemenson, fine as always) has two big clients overwhelming his staff as the movie opens: Denning Pharmaceutical, fighting a crippling lawsuit; and Mrs. Gambizzi, a Mafia wife turned snitch. The action takes place in the course of about 24 hours. After the office closes, while Mrs. Gambizzi is quietly meeting with Mr. Name Partner, an assassin heads into the high-rise building. Simply called The Killer, he is played with mesmerizing menace by JJ Feild- - a British actor who hasn't gotten anything like the attention, or roles, he deserves.
The Killer is not happy to discover that the office isn't quite as empty as he'd been lead to believe. As he coolly disables the elevator and outside access, he has to execute several people. As he wheels one body off in a handy ergonomic chair, he phones someone and speaks in ambiguously specific terms about the head count: "Three, plus the one we talked about."
The audience is not really left to wonder which of the four corpses is "the one," because it's easy to assume that Mrs. Gambizzi was the target of a mob vendetta.
But was she the target? In what I think is a very clever twist, that question raises the film well above the gangster level. The Killer has an opponent, a young paralegal (Max Minghella) who had been fired that very day, but, on his way out of the building with his box of belongings, he observed a suspicious briefcase-hand-off in the lobby, so he turned around and followed the suspicious recipient back up to the law offices. A quick-thinking, quick-moving young man, he is the solid center of this tense and tightly constructed thriller, which has more than a few moments when BAM! an edit jolts you in your seat, which the music has kept you at the edge of.
Director Joe Johnston and the writers (Adam Mason and Simon Boyes) leave enough unsaid to allow the audience to begin to wonder if the relentless, cold-blooded Killer really was sent by the Mafia, or was it the other client, Big Pharma? And when that knife-edge question dawns on you, the tension is suddenly, thrillingly doubled because you're faced with this question: which of those two entities is more powerful and dangerous?
The Killer is not happy to discover that the office isn't quite as empty as he'd been lead to believe. As he coolly disables the elevator and outside access, he has to execute several people. As he wheels one body off in a handy ergonomic chair, he phones someone and speaks in ambiguously specific terms about the head count: "Three, plus the one we talked about."
The audience is not really left to wonder which of the four corpses is "the one," because it's easy to assume that Mrs. Gambizzi was the target of a mob vendetta.
But was she the target? In what I think is a very clever twist, that question raises the film well above the gangster level. The Killer has an opponent, a young paralegal (Max Minghella) who had been fired that very day, but, on his way out of the building with his box of belongings, he observed a suspicious briefcase-hand-off in the lobby, so he turned around and followed the suspicious recipient back up to the law offices. A quick-thinking, quick-moving young man, he is the solid center of this tense and tightly constructed thriller, which has more than a few moments when BAM! an edit jolts you in your seat, which the music has kept you at the edge of.
Director Joe Johnston and the writers (Adam Mason and Simon Boyes) leave enough unsaid to allow the audience to begin to wonder if the relentless, cold-blooded Killer really was sent by the Mafia, or was it the other client, Big Pharma? And when that knife-edge question dawns on you, the tension is suddenly, thrillingly doubled because you're faced with this question: which of those two entities is more powerful and dangerous?
Good entertaining movie
joyteachem18 November 2014
There are so many tasteless crap big budget movies that not only do not entertain me but I can't even stomach watching them! Unbelievably they not only make into theaters but make money too!
With that in mind I give this film high marks for doing the job of entertaining me. It was not made up of a bunch of over the top special effects which in my opinion typically make a movie insultingly unbelievable to the point taking away from the entertainment value (with the exception of sci-fi when it actually be called for and needed)
This one was filled with suspense and had a reasonable level of action to go with the plot. It screams for a sequel but it sounds to me like it did not impress a lot of people so I am thinking it will be one more disappointment in that department joining a long list of other movies that were half told stories obviously written with the ideal that there should be MORE to come!
I am so disappointed with the crappy comedies and gore films that audiences seem to eat up (I am hoping these audiences are mainly adolescent/teens that just don't know any better yet?) ...because it so seems like the more moronic or over the top ridiculous something is, the more likely it is to financially succeed and spawn a parade of sequels that are even worse! trash franchise for the lowlife and teen audiences?
Well... I can not "beat em" but I certainly am not about to "join em" !
With that in mind I give this film high marks for doing the job of entertaining me. It was not made up of a bunch of over the top special effects which in my opinion typically make a movie insultingly unbelievable to the point taking away from the entertainment value (with the exception of sci-fi when it actually be called for and needed)
This one was filled with suspense and had a reasonable level of action to go with the plot. It screams for a sequel but it sounds to me like it did not impress a lot of people so I am thinking it will be one more disappointment in that department joining a long list of other movies that were half told stories obviously written with the ideal that there should be MORE to come!
I am so disappointed with the crappy comedies and gore films that audiences seem to eat up (I am hoping these audiences are mainly adolescent/teens that just don't know any better yet?) ...because it so seems like the more moronic or over the top ridiculous something is, the more likely it is to financially succeed and spawn a parade of sequels that are even worse! trash franchise for the lowlife and teen audiences?
Well... I can not "beat em" but I certainly am not about to "join em" !
Producers are too cheap for better actors
ario-3411924 August 2021
I like Johnston very much. He doesn't direct many films, but I like most of them. This one also showed promise and was built up nicely, but I couldn't reach halfway because this kid Minghella killed my mood. A colleague (which was nice to him and probably a friend) was murdered in front of him, and that's his reaction? Then he found his actual friend dead, and that's the best face he could come up with? And those are only two examples out of tons of others. The guy can't act if his life is depending on it and he's cast as the lead, whatever Johnston was on at that time, I want it. Or, more likely, the producers were too cheap. I mean, really, there is zero recognizable name among the cast. You could at least put some money on the leading male and female actors, for marketing purposes at the very least. But nooo, it has to be the cheapest possible. Well, this is what you get.
surprisingly quirky little thriller...well done
r_goodwin31 May 2014
Here we have a much used premise of killer in building chasing innocent but very inventive office worker.Done may times before but even with the relatively short running time of just over an hour,this movie packs a lot of punches.Good story,tension.bang up to date technically and a joy to watch.And of course well acted throughout.Check it out if you like fast paced,well made jumpy thrillers. Similar in a lot of ways to a previously unknown thriller called RUN with a young Patrick Dempsey being chased by hit men,but always one step ahead by quick thinking and improvisation.You don.t need gratuitous violence,a bucket full of profanities and OTT action to create a quality thriller.Not Safe to Work is a perfect example of this!
The Ending ruins the film
c-conley9014 November 2015
Warning: Spoilers
A pretty good thriller, unfortunately let down by a lame finale/ending. A hit-man is killing people working late at a massive law firm and it's up to a recently fired worker played by Max Minghella to stop him. And uncover a secret conspiracy involving a omnipresent pharmaceutical company?
I know, what the hell? A drug company is bigger than the government according to the ending of this movie, bigger than the police. It's hilarious. Most of the movie was a normal thriller involving hit-man JJ Felid doing his best Christopher Walken impersonation, prowling around the office building murdering coworkers of Minghella.
I can see why this movie was shuffled from release in 2012, not just that the movie is 75 minutes long, but the ending is complete nonsense and leaves me going what?
And it made me think, is there a whole reel of this movie sitting somewhere that got cut out by Universal that had the complete resolution of this thing on it.
Poor Minghella who was actually a notable actor from things like Social Network, The Ides of March, The Internship, Syrianna, Art School Confidential, Horns had to star in this. And the big claim to fame on the DVD box was that Jason Blum produced it, which is true, but I don't think he's too proud of it, considering the DVD had zero special features and was just slapped on there.
Oh and that one girl who plays Max's girlfriend might be familiar to people who remember her from Fifty Shades of Grey playing Dakota Johnson's friend.
Joe Johnston makes a movie that actually succeeds in being worse than Jurassic Park III, so well there's that. It's not awful, awful, but it's pretty one note, and the ending makes me go huh. I can't state that enough.
I know, what the hell? A drug company is bigger than the government according to the ending of this movie, bigger than the police. It's hilarious. Most of the movie was a normal thriller involving hit-man JJ Felid doing his best Christopher Walken impersonation, prowling around the office building murdering coworkers of Minghella.
I can see why this movie was shuffled from release in 2012, not just that the movie is 75 minutes long, but the ending is complete nonsense and leaves me going what?
And it made me think, is there a whole reel of this movie sitting somewhere that got cut out by Universal that had the complete resolution of this thing on it.
Poor Minghella who was actually a notable actor from things like Social Network, The Ides of March, The Internship, Syrianna, Art School Confidential, Horns had to star in this. And the big claim to fame on the DVD box was that Jason Blum produced it, which is true, but I don't think he's too proud of it, considering the DVD had zero special features and was just slapped on there.
Oh and that one girl who plays Max's girlfriend might be familiar to people who remember her from Fifty Shades of Grey playing Dakota Johnson's friend.
Joe Johnston makes a movie that actually succeeds in being worse than Jurassic Park III, so well there's that. It's not awful, awful, but it's pretty one note, and the ending makes me go huh. I can't state that enough.
A low budget thriller that is pretty much what you expect
krachtm15 November 2014
The plot: On the day that he is fired, an idealistic paralegal witnesses a professional killer murder one of his former coworkers at a legal firm.
I guess the setup isn't too original, but that's fine with me. I'm always up for a thriller in which a witness is hunted down by a hit-man. The plot is vaguely topical, and it should appeal to those who rail against "big pharma". The setting is law firm engaged in legal action against a giant pharmaceutical company, and there is occasional commentary about corruption in the pharmaceutical industry.
There are a number of minor problems with the film, but I don't think any of them make it unwatchable. If you're more interested in entertainment value than originality, and you're forgiving of plot holes, I think you could do worse than this. The ending has received a bit of criticism here, but I thought it was perfectly fine. However, if you're the kind of person who wants every single plot element fully resolved, I can see how that would annoy you.
There isn't any gore, nudity, or excessively harsh language, and the violence is fairly restrained. There isn't really all that much atmosphere, but Mindhella and Feild do a decent job. For a direct-to-video thriller, I'd say it's about what you might be expecting: flawed but watchable, unoriginal but entertaining.
I guess the setup isn't too original, but that's fine with me. I'm always up for a thriller in which a witness is hunted down by a hit-man. The plot is vaguely topical, and it should appeal to those who rail against "big pharma". The setting is law firm engaged in legal action against a giant pharmaceutical company, and there is occasional commentary about corruption in the pharmaceutical industry.
There are a number of minor problems with the film, but I don't think any of them make it unwatchable. If you're more interested in entertainment value than originality, and you're forgiving of plot holes, I think you could do worse than this. The ending has received a bit of criticism here, but I thought it was perfectly fine. However, if you're the kind of person who wants every single plot element fully resolved, I can see how that would annoy you.
There isn't any gore, nudity, or excessively harsh language, and the violence is fairly restrained. There isn't really all that much atmosphere, but Mindhella and Feild do a decent job. For a direct-to-video thriller, I'd say it's about what you might be expecting: flawed but watchable, unoriginal but entertaining.
Unrealistic
browserok17 August 2022
I'll be brief, but I could go on and on if I wanted to waste too much of my time on this flop.
A paralegal getting only $12 an hour in 2014. Where does this guy work, Mississippi? Getting bossed around by secretaries? Really? If there would be any inequity existing between the two positions, it would be the paralegal who has seniority. Settling a wrongful death case for 10K funeral expenses. The attorney would be sued for malpractice... unless they're in Mississippi, maybe. Like I said, I could go on, but why? This first 15 minutes wherein these scenes occur are enough to disqualify this flick's credibility. I know it's just a movie, but NO.
A paralegal getting only $12 an hour in 2014. Where does this guy work, Mississippi? Getting bossed around by secretaries? Really? If there would be any inequity existing between the two positions, it would be the paralegal who has seniority. Settling a wrongful death case for 10K funeral expenses. The attorney would be sued for malpractice... unless they're in Mississippi, maybe. Like I said, I could go on, but why? This first 15 minutes wherein these scenes occur are enough to disqualify this flick's credibility. I know it's just a movie, but NO.
Much better than its current IMDb summary would suggest.
planktonrules12 May 2014
"An office worker is trapped inside the building where a killer is on the loose." This is the summary for Not Safe for Work that is on IMDb. Nothing more is given about the plot and I assumed this film was sort of like a Halloween or Friday 13th movie with some maniac chasing a poor guy about the building trying to kill him. Fortunately, this is NOT what this film turned out to be and the plot is MUCH more complex and satisfying than just some maniac murdering folks. Instead, it's a pretty good little film—one that is not all about gratuitous violence. In fact, several times the film did have people killed but the director, Joe Johnston, chose not to show the violence in all its nastiness— something I really appreciated. Instead, this film is also about WHY all this was occurring instead of just about the killing—a smart decision in my opinion.
The film is told from the viewpoint of Tom (Max Minghella)—a lowly paralegal at a HUGE law firm. Because Tom is ambitious, however, he's gotten on the bad side of his bosses. They just want him to shut up and do his job. His desire to rise above the masses of paralegals gets him fired early on in the film. However, as he's leaving the RBE law firm for, supposedly, the last time, he notices something strange—a hand off between two folks in the lobby. In other words, as one guy is leaving the building, another brings him an attaché case and 'accidentally' leaves it behind and the guy entering picks it up and proceeds up the elevators to the firm. That's certainly odd and Tom follows to see what's happening. Once there, he's shocked to see it's MUCH more serious than he thought, as he sees this man with the briefcase shoot one of the office workers in cold blood. Fortunately, the place is just about empty and the body count is low and perhaps that is why the man is there at that time. Regardless, Tom is scared to death but cannot leave as well because the killer somehow has managed to disable most of the electronics in the building. The killer's very systematic and he clearly is NOT some random maniac—some sort of conspiracy is clearly afoot. So how is poor Tom to survive—especially when the killer realizes that there is someone else in the office?
Not Safe for Work turns out to be a very taut and well executed thriller that is much more like Die Hard than Friday the 13th! The direction is very nice and the acting quite believable and I do recommend you see it. I especially appreciate the rather dark conspiratorial angle about the film and the ending that is a bit reminiscent of the old Warren Beatty film The Parallax View.
My only complaint, and you may not notice or care (since I am an obsessive detail person when it comes to film plots), but at one point in the film another woman is shot and killed by the killer. However, she tried to fight back and tried to shoot the guy a gun hidden in her purse. The killer did not know that Tom was hiding in the room. So after the killer left the room, why didn't Tom bother to get the gun from the dead woman?!?! This is the sort of thing that doesn't ruin the film but makes me wonder how they missed this. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens a lot in films and it's a cliché I really dislike.
Despite my small rant, see the film. It's worth your time and is awfully good and just goes to show you that you don't need mega-stars and mega-budgets to make a good film.
The film is told from the viewpoint of Tom (Max Minghella)—a lowly paralegal at a HUGE law firm. Because Tom is ambitious, however, he's gotten on the bad side of his bosses. They just want him to shut up and do his job. His desire to rise above the masses of paralegals gets him fired early on in the film. However, as he's leaving the RBE law firm for, supposedly, the last time, he notices something strange—a hand off between two folks in the lobby. In other words, as one guy is leaving the building, another brings him an attaché case and 'accidentally' leaves it behind and the guy entering picks it up and proceeds up the elevators to the firm. That's certainly odd and Tom follows to see what's happening. Once there, he's shocked to see it's MUCH more serious than he thought, as he sees this man with the briefcase shoot one of the office workers in cold blood. Fortunately, the place is just about empty and the body count is low and perhaps that is why the man is there at that time. Regardless, Tom is scared to death but cannot leave as well because the killer somehow has managed to disable most of the electronics in the building. The killer's very systematic and he clearly is NOT some random maniac—some sort of conspiracy is clearly afoot. So how is poor Tom to survive—especially when the killer realizes that there is someone else in the office?
Not Safe for Work turns out to be a very taut and well executed thriller that is much more like Die Hard than Friday the 13th! The direction is very nice and the acting quite believable and I do recommend you see it. I especially appreciate the rather dark conspiratorial angle about the film and the ending that is a bit reminiscent of the old Warren Beatty film The Parallax View.
My only complaint, and you may not notice or care (since I am an obsessive detail person when it comes to film plots), but at one point in the film another woman is shot and killed by the killer. However, she tried to fight back and tried to shoot the guy a gun hidden in her purse. The killer did not know that Tom was hiding in the room. So after the killer left the room, why didn't Tom bother to get the gun from the dead woman?!?! This is the sort of thing that doesn't ruin the film but makes me wonder how they missed this. Unfortunately, this sort of thing happens a lot in films and it's a cliché I really dislike.
Despite my small rant, see the film. It's worth your time and is awfully good and just goes to show you that you don't need mega-stars and mega-budgets to make a good film.
Remarkably effective film
jdeureka18 July 2014
Visibly low budget & minus wham-bam special effects, Not Safe For Work relies instead on acting and story. This is a very effective film.
Have you noticed how there is a new generation of worry, fear, threat concerning the power of corporations and big business in our collective lives? Most effectively, in Margin Call (10+), but elsewhere across a broad spectrum of movies US & otherwise. Not Safe For Work is a significant contribution to this contemporary genre: Don't Trust Business.
The two key male leads in this story are specially strong, most significantly the villain -- aka "The Killer" -- played by J. J. Feild, who exhibits a powerfully creepy calmness in voice and body language. His evil -- the banality of evil -- signifies the rot at work in the world of business itself. Max Minghella, playing the key office worker, has a true Jack Lemmon charm as the wily office schmo who's not such a looser after all.
This story happens to be about US business. But corporations & capitalism being what they are nowadays in our global, post-Cold War world; this business tale could be about China, Brazil, Germany, or Whathaveyou. Like a fine police procedural by Ed McBain, this plot is easily transferable to most other modern cultures.
Finally the fact that the heroes escape and yet do not (if you haven't seen it, I don't want to spoil the plot for you) shows how serious is its moral and political intent. Not Safe For Work is an intriguing incrimination. How can one escape from where business life is now? The answer is left deliciously hanging in Not Safe For Work. Yes, folks, we are unsafe. Try to find a way out. Just try.
Have you noticed how there is a new generation of worry, fear, threat concerning the power of corporations and big business in our collective lives? Most effectively, in Margin Call (10+), but elsewhere across a broad spectrum of movies US & otherwise. Not Safe For Work is a significant contribution to this contemporary genre: Don't Trust Business.
The two key male leads in this story are specially strong, most significantly the villain -- aka "The Killer" -- played by J. J. Feild, who exhibits a powerfully creepy calmness in voice and body language. His evil -- the banality of evil -- signifies the rot at work in the world of business itself. Max Minghella, playing the key office worker, has a true Jack Lemmon charm as the wily office schmo who's not such a looser after all.
This story happens to be about US business. But corporations & capitalism being what they are nowadays in our global, post-Cold War world; this business tale could be about China, Brazil, Germany, or Whathaveyou. Like a fine police procedural by Ed McBain, this plot is easily transferable to most other modern cultures.
Finally the fact that the heroes escape and yet do not (if you haven't seen it, I don't want to spoil the plot for you) shows how serious is its moral and political intent. Not Safe For Work is an intriguing incrimination. How can one escape from where business life is now? The answer is left deliciously hanging in Not Safe For Work. Yes, folks, we are unsafe. Try to find a way out. Just try.
Sad Climax
jiju1022 July 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Another sad ending movie, entire movie is elevated very well until it turn in to an end. They keep the suspense material even after movie finishes. I am personally hate this kind of suspense or the movies not giving a proper finish.
A very big law firm is going after a very large pharmaceutical company. Tom (JJ Feild) is a paralegal working on the case. He is secretly dating Ann (Eloise Mumford) so the story doesn't become too linear or boring. Tom gets fired and on his way out espies an odd suitcase exchange. He follows the man (Max Minghella) to the 34th floor only to secretly watch him engage in sabotage and then a murder. The film is then consumed with a cat and mouse game that takes place on one floor in an office building. If watching two grown men hiding under a cubicle desk makes your top ten list of entertainment, go for it. Tom forced himself into the situation and could have taken the stairs out at any time. I never felt the intensity. For me the office cat and mouse game was boring and "the twist" was nothing to write home about.
A very big law firm is going after a very large pharmaceutical company. Tom (JJ Feild) is a paralegal working on the case. He is secretly dating Ann (Eloise Mumford) so the story doesn't become too linear or boring. Tom gets fired and on his way out espies an odd suitcase exchange. He follows the man (Max Minghella) to the 34th floor only to secretly watch him engage in sabotage and then a murder. The film is then consumed with a cat and mouse game that takes place on one floor in an office building. If watching two grown men hiding under a cubicle desk makes your top ten list of entertainment, go for it. Tom forced himself into the situation and could have taken the stairs out at any time. I never felt the intensity. For me the office cat and mouse game was boring and "the twist" was nothing to write home about.
Every Lawyer Has a Price
claudio_carvalho1 June 2014
The ambitious legal assistant Tom Miller (JJ Feild) works at the Rosen, Byres and Emmerich Attorneys at Law and secretly dates the gorgeous clerk Anna (Eloise Mumford). His company has presently two major cases: Hartcourt vs. Denning Pharmaceutical, against a powerful corporation, and Gambizzi Case, against a mafia family. On the eve of the judgment of the Hartcourt case, Alan Emmerich (Christian Clemenson) releases all the employees early in the afternoon and he also fires Tom for snooping around the Gambizzi case. When Tom is leaving the building with Anna, he sees a man leaving a suitcase on the floor and another man wearing a suit taking the suitcase and going to the 34th floor of the building. Tom decides to follow him and soon he discovers that he man is actually a hit-man. Soon Tom is trapped on the floor with the killer since his access card is deactivated. Who hired the hit-man?
"Not Safe for Work" is a low-budget thriller that works reasonably well. The beginning is too rushed, with little explanation about the cases that the company is working. The mouse and cat game between Tom and the killer has few moments of tension, and a total lack of humor. Unfortunately the conclusion is predictable. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Negócios Mortais" ("Mortal Businesses")
"Not Safe for Work" is a low-budget thriller that works reasonably well. The beginning is too rushed, with little explanation about the cases that the company is working. The mouse and cat game between Tom and the killer has few moments of tension, and a total lack of humor. Unfortunately the conclusion is predictable. My vote is six.
Title (Brazil): "Negócios Mortais" ("Mortal Businesses")
Routine but rather well made office building tension
secondtake16 December 2014
Not Safe for Work (2014)
A straight up office building thriller. Yeah, like that's a genre already—well, it feels like it. Isn't that what "Die Hard" was? This one tones it down and it becomes practically believable. Almost too believable, so that it's a bit routine after awhile, even if you're still on the edge of your seat.
So imagine you're the last one to leave the office—almost last—and the elevators stop. And then you see someone with a gun, and the computers go nuts, and the lights flicker. So you have a nightmare, trapped, no way to contact help. Even your cellphone ends up, of course, in the hands of the bad guy.
And what a bad guy he is, a seemingly cool customer with no qualms killing anyone for any reason. What's a little blood when a pharmaceutical company has a lawsuit on the fritz? And so it goes, running through offices and hiding behind desks.
Can this last for a couple hours? Almost! It works on some level. It doesn't work on a lot of other levels, for sure, like caring very much about anyone. (This is where both Bruce Willis and the script of "Die Hard" have something special going on, whatever you think of that Hollywood blockbuster.) Here, you more or less know what's going to happen, and then by the end you are sure. But getting there isn't half bad. Half, at least.
A straight up office building thriller. Yeah, like that's a genre already—well, it feels like it. Isn't that what "Die Hard" was? This one tones it down and it becomes practically believable. Almost too believable, so that it's a bit routine after awhile, even if you're still on the edge of your seat.
So imagine you're the last one to leave the office—almost last—and the elevators stop. And then you see someone with a gun, and the computers go nuts, and the lights flicker. So you have a nightmare, trapped, no way to contact help. Even your cellphone ends up, of course, in the hands of the bad guy.
And what a bad guy he is, a seemingly cool customer with no qualms killing anyone for any reason. What's a little blood when a pharmaceutical company has a lawsuit on the fritz? And so it goes, running through offices and hiding behind desks.
Can this last for a couple hours? Almost! It works on some level. It doesn't work on a lot of other levels, for sure, like caring very much about anyone. (This is where both Bruce Willis and the script of "Die Hard" have something special going on, whatever you think of that Hollywood blockbuster.) Here, you more or less know what's going to happen, and then by the end you are sure. But getting there isn't half bad. Half, at least.
Sooo Slow, Sooo Boring and Solo Unfunny
rackhamuni091 July 2015
Warning: Spoilers
It's billed as a Comedy Drama and as I always do with new programmes, I watched the first episode. The pace of the episode was so slow that I felt it actually stopped a few times. It was billed as a comedy but the writers forgot to put any funny lines into the script. With gratuitous drug taking, stealing and drinking its just like any new programmes from first time Writers, Producers etc who think they know what the people want but miss by a country mile. There's no real back story so we don't care who the characters are and why they're being moved to the Northampton branch of the business and their attempts to get back to the Head Office in London. There is constant use of F**k and a few times C**t is used by both male and female characters. I thinks the Writers are going for the shock factor with all the swearing, as they believe that it's what younger people want to hear but even they don't like the over use of the F word and most people, both young or old, actually hate the C word. I'll consider watching episode 2 too see if it improves but I don't hold out much hope.
The Firm Meets The Office Meets Die Hard !!!
kupcr21 July 2020
I found this to be a really suspenseful film and thoroughly enjoyed it. I wasn't too disappointed how the plot was laid out. The character of Thomas Miller, played excellently by Max Minghella, is the movie's protagonist and keeps you guessing every step of the way. The music matches the emotional feeling of the plot. The whole movie ties it all together to the end. Actor JJ Feild is one of those actors who can pull out an antagonist role in terminator (he looks stiff like a robot) or Bond like movies (his nice suit). Every scene has its own sub sequence that shows a good story-writing. Sadly, Eloise Mumford's Anna doesn't have a large part in this, but she's carried through by Minghella's acting. Actor Christian Clemenson and Molly Hagen are supporting actors.
What is this, really?
jrarichards9 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
As the clever/not clever title clears (with some having not got it at all), we see that there are just 50-something minutes for this 2014 film from Joe Johnston to do its thing, and that is a bit of sinking feeling.
On the whole things tend to stay sunk.
Bizarrely, there are moments when we have the impression that this is a "whacky world of the law firm" + "small cog in a big corporate machine" kind of film, as there is a kind of "light" segment in there, even though things start seriously enough with a mass shooting at an office, and get dark once again soon enough.
How do those two incompatible tones get mixed in together? And how do two main stories get mixed in together, in such a way that an organised crime case the firm is dealing with is allowed to look like the dominant, when actually things are more about Big Pharma?
Might be a clever strategy? No, not a bit, as - in such a short movie - the real message that corpo will stop at nothing - is absolutely diluted down to near-zero.
Basically, then a series of pretty fatal misjudgments in putting the story together, even if Max Minghella as Tom does OK, and JJ Feild as the killer is also acceptable in the role.
The one level at which this works - ever-so-slightly - is that of the familiar everyday place of work becoming nightmarish after hours, though still offering an advantage to those who have worked there for longer and know the quirks and foibles of its system, as well as the corners, nooks and crannies where a person might hide or find respite if necessary.
But sadly, even this idea does not really get the exposure it deserves.
Given the claustrophobic circumstances, and the relevant enough topic, it seems to me that a low-budget movie worth something could have been made out of this. I'm therefore afraid that it's more reasonable to blame bad calls from the makers than it is financial constraints.
On the whole things tend to stay sunk.
Bizarrely, there are moments when we have the impression that this is a "whacky world of the law firm" + "small cog in a big corporate machine" kind of film, as there is a kind of "light" segment in there, even though things start seriously enough with a mass shooting at an office, and get dark once again soon enough.
How do those two incompatible tones get mixed in together? And how do two main stories get mixed in together, in such a way that an organised crime case the firm is dealing with is allowed to look like the dominant, when actually things are more about Big Pharma?
Might be a clever strategy? No, not a bit, as - in such a short movie - the real message that corpo will stop at nothing - is absolutely diluted down to near-zero.
Basically, then a series of pretty fatal misjudgments in putting the story together, even if Max Minghella as Tom does OK, and JJ Feild as the killer is also acceptable in the role.
The one level at which this works - ever-so-slightly - is that of the familiar everyday place of work becoming nightmarish after hours, though still offering an advantage to those who have worked there for longer and know the quirks and foibles of its system, as well as the corners, nooks and crannies where a person might hide or find respite if necessary.
But sadly, even this idea does not really get the exposure it deserves.
Given the claustrophobic circumstances, and the relevant enough topic, it seems to me that a low-budget movie worth something could have been made out of this. I'm therefore afraid that it's more reasonable to blame bad calls from the makers than it is financial constraints.
A great low-budget thriller film, that has nothing to be jealous of.
helencmm13 May 2019
A great thriller/suspense film that I found randomly and I never regretted for watching it. The plot is very unique, and I really liked the fact that they were trapped in the office. The protagonist was very clever. Personally I found no holes. The villain was clever too, I liked his acting skills. I also liked the plot twist. It was very cool. At some parts I was afraid of the fact that the killer could catch the protagonist. Which means that it was in a good level suspenseful. The ending could be better, so my rating for such a film is pretty much high. Higher than big-budget productions, that are full of holes and they have nothing smart to give you. Many of them are box office bombs too and are too mainstream, thing which I hate.
P. S. I really liked the American accent of Max Minghella (although I do prefer listening to him while he speaks in his native, English accent).
P. S. I really liked the American accent of Max Minghella (although I do prefer listening to him while he speaks in his native, English accent).
starsSOMEBODY HAD TO DO SOMETHING
nogodnomasters3 May 2018
Warning: Spoilers
A very big law firm is going after a very large pharmaceutical company. Tom (Max Minghella) is a paralegal working on the case. He is secretly dating Ann (Eloise Mumford) so the story doesn't become too linear or boring. Tom gets fired and on his way out espies an odd suitcase exchange. He follows the man (JJ Feild) to the 34th floor only to secretly watch him engage in sabotage and then a murder. The film is then consumed with a cat and mouse game that takes place on one floor in an office building. If watching two grown men hiding under a cubicle desk makes your top ten list of entertainment, go for it. Tom forced himself into the situation and could have taken the stairs out at any time. I never felt the intensity. For me the office cat and mouse game was boring and "the twist" was nothing to write home about.
F-bombs. No sex or nudity.
F-bombs. No sex or nudity.
fantastic thriller...
rajathantony13 May 2014
Fantastic...go and see it... the plot revolves around an intern working in a law firm where he notices unusual turn of events at the time of his dismissal from work. He further investigates to know why and how.. This is a movie which will keep you at the edge of your seat. This movie is indeed an intelligent movie made with good script and direction. Its filled with twist and turn and with no spoilers..no blood shed of a sort.. quick canny and worth watching.. The script indeed knows the targeted audience and I would recommend every one who is a fan of thriller to see it ... this movie will be in my records...Go and watch it..
Die Hard - LITE
jaxbubba12 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
Director Joe Johnston has built a career on big adventure movies like "The Rocketeer", "Jurassic Park III" and "Captain America: The First Avenger", but he opted for something a little different with his latest film, "Not Safe for Work". A low budget indie thriller produced by Jason Blum (Paranormal Activity), the story revolves around an office worker (Max Minghella) who is trapped inside an office building after hours with a killer on the loose.
Tom Miller (Max Minghella) is a paralegal for a huge law firm who stumbles upon incriminating evidence while researching information for an upcoming trial. His discovery of evidence leads to his immediate termination. However, while leaving his office building for the last time, Tom witnesses a very suspicious occurrence which forces him to return to his work space.
The events that follow unfurl much like a "Die Hard" film; however, with only 1/100th the budget, and 1/1000th the "Bruce Willis" factor ... But still completely captivating nonetheless.
Tom becomes trapped in his office building with a demented killer (J.J. Field). As Tom rushes to protect those employees working late, he soon discovers that his legal firm has been hiding sinister secrets that could put thousands of lives at risk. This film comes from the same producers of "Paranormal Activity" and "Insidious". A really nice psychological thriller where an ordinary office becomes the twisted killing ground for a psychopathic killer.
This movie was quietly moved from a theatrical release to a direct-to-DVD / VOD title, which usually proves to be a bad sign. However, I found this low-budget indie film to be totally riveting, and quite entertaining. Definitely worth seeking out, and definitely worth the cost of renting.
See more of my reviews at https://www.facebook.com/TheFarisReel
Tom Miller (Max Minghella) is a paralegal for a huge law firm who stumbles upon incriminating evidence while researching information for an upcoming trial. His discovery of evidence leads to his immediate termination. However, while leaving his office building for the last time, Tom witnesses a very suspicious occurrence which forces him to return to his work space.
The events that follow unfurl much like a "Die Hard" film; however, with only 1/100th the budget, and 1/1000th the "Bruce Willis" factor ... But still completely captivating nonetheless.
Tom becomes trapped in his office building with a demented killer (J.J. Field). As Tom rushes to protect those employees working late, he soon discovers that his legal firm has been hiding sinister secrets that could put thousands of lives at risk. This film comes from the same producers of "Paranormal Activity" and "Insidious". A really nice psychological thriller where an ordinary office becomes the twisted killing ground for a psychopathic killer.
This movie was quietly moved from a theatrical release to a direct-to-DVD / VOD title, which usually proves to be a bad sign. However, I found this low-budget indie film to be totally riveting, and quite entertaining. Definitely worth seeking out, and definitely worth the cost of renting.
See more of my reviews at https://www.facebook.com/TheFarisReel
A short in betweener and a straightforward nothing to complicated thriller.
peterp-450-29871631 May 2014
Warning: Spoilers
A trifle of an opinion for this trifle of a movie. Without realizing it, I was watching a 70-minute film. It ended before I knew it. I found it remarkable that the introduction was so short and it didn't take long before Tom Miller got stuck on a floor in a pharmaceutical company with a killer. A thriller (with really almost no thrills) without bells and whistles.
Yet some respect for Joe Hohnston who in the past directed films like "Jumanji", "The Rocketeer", "Jurassic Park III" and "Captain America: The First Avenger", and then he finishes a simple low-budget straight-to-DVD movie. And also with a production company which released films like "Paranormal Activity", "Oculus", "Insidious" and "The Purge". A sticker on the DVD cover with these data on it and you have a guaranteed amount of film fans who expect a gem. I am convinced that a large part of them will be disillusioned.
So Tom Miller is a novice clerk who works in the legal department of a large pharmaceutical company. He's trying to prove himself and writes on his own initiative a note about a mafia family. However, this is not appreciated by everybody and he is fired at the end of the day. (We are only 5 minutes far in the movie). When he arrives in the lobby with his personal belongings in a cardboard box, he witnesses a briefcase exchange between someone who leaves the building and a second person who looks like a businessman. Of course, he decides to follow the man and he eventually ends up on the same floor where he had just left and he realizes after a time he's stuck on this electronically sealed floor.
What we get is a kind of "Die Hard" hostage in an office but without a lot of action, gunfights and comical and entertaining dialogs. It's a cat and mouse game where all the characters are mostly running and creeping around back and forth. Only JJ Feild, as the cold-blooded killer, made an impression in terms of acting. Until the last moment, he remains admirably calm and he gives the impression to have situation completely under control. The rest of the company just put on a mediocre acting show.
Is it such a bad movie ? No not really. I found it fascinating to watch. As long as you don't expect some pronounced action, thoughtful dialogs and sophisticated put together storyline, it'll increase your appreciation level. I don't know if it is intentional, but there really are no explicit or gory murder scenes. The short playing time is another plus. That way you won't get the opportunity to get annoyed about certain things.
Conclusion: A straightforward low-budget thriller with very few surprises or twists, but still enjoyable in a certain way.
More reviews at : http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be/
Yet some respect for Joe Hohnston who in the past directed films like "Jumanji", "The Rocketeer", "Jurassic Park III" and "Captain America: The First Avenger", and then he finishes a simple low-budget straight-to-DVD movie. And also with a production company which released films like "Paranormal Activity", "Oculus", "Insidious" and "The Purge". A sticker on the DVD cover with these data on it and you have a guaranteed amount of film fans who expect a gem. I am convinced that a large part of them will be disillusioned.
So Tom Miller is a novice clerk who works in the legal department of a large pharmaceutical company. He's trying to prove himself and writes on his own initiative a note about a mafia family. However, this is not appreciated by everybody and he is fired at the end of the day. (We are only 5 minutes far in the movie). When he arrives in the lobby with his personal belongings in a cardboard box, he witnesses a briefcase exchange between someone who leaves the building and a second person who looks like a businessman. Of course, he decides to follow the man and he eventually ends up on the same floor where he had just left and he realizes after a time he's stuck on this electronically sealed floor.
What we get is a kind of "Die Hard" hostage in an office but without a lot of action, gunfights and comical and entertaining dialogs. It's a cat and mouse game where all the characters are mostly running and creeping around back and forth. Only JJ Feild, as the cold-blooded killer, made an impression in terms of acting. Until the last moment, he remains admirably calm and he gives the impression to have situation completely under control. The rest of the company just put on a mediocre acting show.
Is it such a bad movie ? No not really. I found it fascinating to watch. As long as you don't expect some pronounced action, thoughtful dialogs and sophisticated put together storyline, it'll increase your appreciation level. I don't know if it is intentional, but there really are no explicit or gory murder scenes. The short playing time is another plus. That way you won't get the opportunity to get annoyed about certain things.
Conclusion: A straightforward low-budget thriller with very few surprises or twists, but still enjoyable in a certain way.
More reviews at : http://opinion-as-a-moviefreak.blogspot.be/
A sleeper of a thriller
Wizard-821 October 2019
Warning: Spoilers
Despite being handled by a major Hollywood film distributor (Universal Pictures), this thriller bypassed a theatrical release and was instead released straight to DVD. Which is a real shame, because despite its low budget and lack of star power, it is quite well done for the most part, being much better than many big budget movies with famous actors. It may have got a little inspiration from "Die Hard", but it takes the idea of being pursued in an office movie in enough original directions so that its premise feels fresh enough. The no-name cast does very well, in part generating a sympathetic and believable protagonist and a villain who is creepy and deadly while not being unbelievably outlandish. The movie is very well directed, never once showing its low budget, and managing to generate a number of suspenseful and exciting sequences that at the same time you could believe could very well happen in real life. There isn't one boring bit at any time, even before the dire situation rears its ugly head. And at a running time of just 74 minutes, the movie certainly doesn't outstay its welcome.
One little quibble I had with the movie, however. I understand why the sprinkler system in the building was not working, but why didn't the hero just pull a fire alarm to alert the authorities as to what was happening in the building?
One little quibble I had with the movie, however. I understand why the sprinkler system in the building was not working, but why didn't the hero just pull a fire alarm to alert the authorities as to what was happening in the building?
Worths one time watching
samanisogand2 May 2020
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
