I lasted 47 minutes. Then, for me, this movie started to get really silly. Up until then, I thought some of the writing was good and I even sniggered in some places, and for that reason I stayed with it for as long as I did. But once the birthday party really started getting weird and gratuitously violent I gave up. Sure the main protagonist is horrible, but what's wrong with him being roasted rather than what actually happened to the character? Could have been plotted differently, and the writing would have been enough to have carried it. But instead this movie was a wasted opportunity to be something at least half decent.
24 Reviews
Being generous!
Australian130 June 2019
Seriously?
skye-richards30 June 2019
Warning: Spoilers
I am all for satirical, dark humour and a character being ironically funny because they are just genuinely an awful human being. Michael Scott (Steve Carell) in The Office (US) is a perfect example of being arrogant but done in such an endearing way that it is hilarious.
It's not that Julian (Justin Leburn) was purposely written to be so awful that your hatred for him drives you to want to know what happens to him like a revenge horror/comedy style movie where you're rooting for his demise. This movie just isn't funny or enjoyable in the slightest which leaves you not caring at all.
Julian (Justin Leburn) is just so badly portrayed that within fifteen minutes of the movie I just wanted to give up. It's like when you go to a high school play and a badly acted villain is so smug and overly unpleasant that it saps the humour out of the whole performance and makes the audience cringe.
Often when this happens there might be a character or two who save the perfomance by being atleast half decent at acting, but none of them were. This movie doesn't provide any comic relief. I felt like I was watching Horrible Bosses meets Julius Caesar but with Asylum Films (Sharknado) level acting and random Cujo references. But not done in a "so bad, it's funny" kind of way, it was just plain frustrating.
My advice - keep away.
It's not that Julian (Justin Leburn) was purposely written to be so awful that your hatred for him drives you to want to know what happens to him like a revenge horror/comedy style movie where you're rooting for his demise. This movie just isn't funny or enjoyable in the slightest which leaves you not caring at all.
Julian (Justin Leburn) is just so badly portrayed that within fifteen minutes of the movie I just wanted to give up. It's like when you go to a high school play and a badly acted villain is so smug and overly unpleasant that it saps the humour out of the whole performance and makes the audience cringe.
Often when this happens there might be a character or two who save the perfomance by being atleast half decent at acting, but none of them were. This movie doesn't provide any comic relief. I felt like I was watching Horrible Bosses meets Julius Caesar but with Asylum Films (Sharknado) level acting and random Cujo references. But not done in a "so bad, it's funny" kind of way, it was just plain frustrating.
My advice - keep away.
Zero stars
ballouvince22 June 2021
A movie should not be reviewed based on politics. That's the rule but of course that is ignored. It's a terrible movie. I thought it was supposed to be horror by the title but it tries to be funny by the body, without description. It fails.
Bold Indie Satire
JGReviews1 April 2020
A Lesson In Cruelty is a bold indie satire. It's one of those comedies that really goes for it where performances are intentionally big and over-the-top, and that's where the laughs come from. The plot involves a jerk of a boss -- something I'm sure we all can relate to -- who has a party thrown for him, but the intention is to actually teach him a lesson. I thought it was a great story and I was immediately hooked. It's an indie film, so it might not have the perfection of a big Hollywood studio film with a gigantic budget, but I was actually really impressed with the film's production value. The lead actor, Justin LeBrun I believe is his name, also gave a very convincing performance. If you're looking for a big and bold film that doesn't hold back, then check out A Lesson in Cruelty.
A -short- Lesson in Cruelty
faradaygrean2 September 2020
Although I found this movie entertaining, it was a little too "on-the-nose" for me.
Justing Lebrun plays a verbally abusive, sexist, racist CEO who has been molded by his father. He is known to be a cheater and liar who belittles and slave drives his employees. He receives an invitation to his own 40th birthday party by his staff and is excited, as he has never had a birthday party because of his father. But, the employees are not there to honor him. Oh, no.
This was a quick watch. Although I enjoyed it I would have like to see a little bit more. William E. Harris has a short part but I would have like to see more from his character. It would have added a little depth to the story. As it stands, mean boss gets payback from employees. A little over and hour. Mediocre dark comedy. I watched it, but I wouldn't choose to watch it again. And I'll probably forget it after submitting this review.
Justing Lebrun plays a verbally abusive, sexist, racist CEO who has been molded by his father. He is known to be a cheater and liar who belittles and slave drives his employees. He receives an invitation to his own 40th birthday party by his staff and is excited, as he has never had a birthday party because of his father. But, the employees are not there to honor him. Oh, no.
This was a quick watch. Although I enjoyed it I would have like to see a little bit more. William E. Harris has a short part but I would have like to see more from his character. It would have added a little depth to the story. As it stands, mean boss gets payback from employees. A little over and hour. Mediocre dark comedy. I watched it, but I wouldn't choose to watch it again. And I'll probably forget it after submitting this review.
Clever, dark comedy and surprising satire.
vroth-8922112 April 2018
Clever, dark comedy and surprising satire. Interesting to have the lead be such an ignoble character. You really want him to get his comeuppance. I enjoy a bit of over the top acting. Love the political innuendoes and the indie vibe. It gives the audience what it wants.
Dark and wild!
Andre26692919 April 2020
"A Lesson in Cruelty" is dark, wild, and funny! The main character is one that you don't feel guilty for hating. Seeing the antics in the film play out made me think of how much I'd love seeing a performance of this movie live in a theatrical production, but the movie in and of itself is rather entertaining and well-produced. Nicely done!
Swimming With Sharks for Today's Audience
turrou-66-9070485 April 2020
Ever had been fed up with your boss? Ever talked to your workmates about what a jerk your boss was and felt like you were trapped? Then this film is for you. A satire based on the fantasy of finally giving jerks what they deserve, A Less In Cruelty does it with great humor and over the top performances that match its satiracle tone. You couldn't get away with pushing boundaries in a studio film like this does, and that's why those of us who love indies will love this film. Great fun if you like a good dark comedy.
Such a fun film!
craigahrens1 April 2020
Such a fun indie film! I enjoyed the fact that they pressed the boundaries (this is one reason why I enjoy watching indie films so much). I thoroughly enjoyed the story. I thought the writing was well done and same can be said for the directing. The film moved along at a nice clip, it didn't drag. The acting was good too. I liked how some of the performances were over the top and it worked! It worked really well. A thumbs up from me on this one!
Fun, over-the-top satire
robertjuster7 April 2020
I enjoyed this fun, way-over-the-top satire. The premise is fun and simple - and A Lesson in Cruelty was well put-together and fantastically acted... especially the lead Justin Lebrun.
Watched this one on Amazon Prime - it's a good fun film for anyone that's ever had a terrible boss!
Watched this one on Amazon Prime - it's a good fun film for anyone that's ever had a terrible boss!
Scathing satire and jet black comedy!
Anmer936 April 2020
Indie comedy's are so hard to get right but this one is a genuine nice surprise, go with it and you'll be rewarded with scathing satire and jet black comedy. Great performance too, especially the loathsome central character.
Funny and also Thought Provoking
kjs11448 April 2020
A Lesson in Cruelty is an ambitions film, and it presents a comedy that is not only very funny, but it also makes the viewer think about issues of power, justice, revenge, fairness, etc. The long party scene is definitely the best sequence in the film. The writing is very strong. I also thought the music was exceptional. This one is worth a watch!
Happy birthday!
glengrefe27 February 2018
A really fun satire!
evelyne-82 May 2020
A Lesson In Cruelty is a really funny satire. I love comedies and especially when they go over the top in extremes to show how silly we can be as humans at the same time making a profound statement. The boss is a jerk and really says awful things to people finally the tables are turned to teach him a lesson. It was so fun and funny with great performances. The lead actor, Justin LeBrun gave a very convincing performance. This is a really fun big and bold film that doesn't hold back. Well done.
Straight Up Comedy For Your Week
GilbertS-855 April 2020
Have you ever had a terrible boss? What kind of lesson would you teach him or her? Well, this movie might answer that question for you.
A Lesson In Cruelty turned out to be a solid, independently made comedy. Or rather a dark comedy. I feel like this is the hardest genre to pull off, and they do it in spades. The opening credits sold me. It's definitely over the top, but they set the stage for this from the beginning. Pretty fun.
A Lesson In Cruelty turned out to be a solid, independently made comedy. Or rather a dark comedy. I feel like this is the hardest genre to pull off, and they do it in spades. The opening credits sold me. It's definitely over the top, but they set the stage for this from the beginning. Pretty fun.
Funny Dark Comedy
buckeyealum-245686 April 2020
Cruelty defined.
harriscalvin-13 April 2020
I enjoyed watching a lesson in cruelty. Director Alex Salazar did a good job directing his actors and crew to deliver some great performaces. All of the actors including lead actor did a great job with their roles. This film really demontrated truly how mean and horrible some people can be in this world. His behavior certainly lead to his employees taking the necessary steps they felt needed to show him the extent of his cruelty. The music, cinematography, & editing were on point.
Dark comedy at it's finest
JCanni683 April 2020
This comedy had me laughing frequently. Never before have I seen a character so over-the-top selfish, egotistical, greedy, misogynist, racist, etc that I found myself amused with the extreme things he would say/do. And that's what makes it so satisfying when things begin to turn against him and his life implodes as a result of who he is. As loveably detestable as he is, the film manages to deliver a redemptive message. Comedy and production value are high.
Not a Movie for the Shy
daveh23326 April 2020
I thought this was a funny, delicious revenge comedy apropos for these times. Mr. Hassole was a great villain, but who also you could see, really had no opportunity to be otherwise. All of his employees were put to the brink, in order to justify the ensuing mayhem. The acting was solid, helped by a director who knows how to work with actors, and the overall production value, editing, camera work was impressive for an indie. Some people don't seem to like this at all, and while I'm not sure I agree with everything, it's just a movie! Pretty balls out at that!
My Favorite Teacher
tlg31712 April 2020
Going through school, my favorite teachers were always the ones that made the subject matter interesting and fun. If A Lesson in Cruelty was a teacher, it would have been one of my favorites. The film tackles big ideas around kindness and revenge in hilarious ways. I hadn't seen Justin Lebrun in anything before, but I was pleasantly surprised by his strong lead performance. He masterfully executes a role that requires both comedy and cruelty. The character he creates in the film made me think of a cross between Ernest and Frank Underwood. Check out A Lesson in Cruelty if you're looking for a laugh that doesn't shy away from asking great questions.
Awesome Satire
derrickfury-876-1273585 April 2020
This is escapist comedy satire gold. The plot is outrageous, the performances are big and bold and the lead actor is unashamedly throwing gasoline on the comedic fires. If your into awesomely over the top and insanely funny movies, this is for you!
the 10 star reviews here are all single use shill accounts. Professional critics labeled this a turkey -- and it is
random-7077811 July 2021
You know a film is a hug stinker when the legit reviewers are all one star and here is a flood of eight to ten star reviewers by single use accounts whos sole activity is giving this a highs score -- and who use lots of the same phrasing and adjectives.
This film is for C students who are crybabies and blame the A student. Made by losers -- for losers.
This film is for C students who are crybabies and blame the A student. Made by losers -- for losers.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
