The Belko Experiment

In this psychologically provocative horror-thriller, some 80 of Belko Industries' American employees have been relocated to a factory in Bogota, Colombia. One morning—on a day that local personnel have been sent home by heavily armed security guards—an ominous announcement on the intercom informs the workers that they will be participating in a ruthless game and “in eight hours, most of you will be dead.” Understandably alarmed, they quickly discover that all of the doors and windows of their high-rise building have been blocked by metal shutters, so there's no escape. And then they are told to pick several of their co-workers to die—with the warning that failure to comply will result in more people being killed remotely by a tracker microchip that has already been embedded at the base of each employee's skull “for security reasons” (supposedly in case of a hostage situation). To no one's surprise, a Lord of the Flies mentality quickly takes over. Systems middle-manager Mike Milch (John Gallagher Jr.), who is sexually involved with co-worker Leandra (Adria Arjona), urges everyone to work together to try to find a solution. In contrast, COO Barry Norris (Tony Goldwyn), along with creepy Wendell Dukes (John C. McGinley), opts for sacrificing the weakest and least essential among them as the terror escalates. Directed by Greg McLean, this is a relentlessly chaotic film that is saddled with stereotypical characters, a cliché-riddled plot, bleak predictability, and violent carnage. Not a necessary purchase. [Note: DVD/Blu-ray extras include a “Rules of the Game: The Secrets” behind-the-scenes featurette (10 min.), deleted scenes (5 min.), a “Lee Hardcastle's Survival Tips” stop-motion segment (3 min.), and a photo gallery. Bottom line: a solid extras package for a disappointing film.] (S. Granger)