User reviews

Based on a book, 'The Room' by Swedish author Jonas Karlsson, a dark comedy.

I never found it boring in the least. It depends on your preconceptions going into it I guess? You experience it almost entirely in the head of the protagonist, and his internal monologue. The lead plays this to perfection, though I found myself envisioning Steve Carrell in the role! Its certainly not a thriller, in fact, like (I guess) a typical corporate office environment, its mundane, stifling, repetitive.

So why did I like it? It has you guessing, does the room exist? It has you thinking, why is this man like this? Have I known someone like this, and how did I, and others treat them?

The acting and direction are excellent, you buy into all of the characters as ordinary everyday types. The cinematography and soundtrack are faultless, there is nothing to distract you from the monologue. Its 1 hour 41 minutes occupying the head of a troubled individual, who's increasingly fractious interactions with his fellow workers provides drama and interest enough to keep it interesting.

In off-centre, dark dramedy "Corner Office" (adapted by Ted Cupper from Jonas Karlsson's book 'The Room') Jon Hamm (always strong) is a new employee (under Christopher Heyerdahl alongside the likes of Danny Pudi & Allison Riley (with Sarah Gafon in support)) at a dull, grey, monolithic corporation, which tho contempory feels backwards & Seventies (in a "Wristcutters: A Love Story" stylee). Told from Hamm's perspective it's soon clear he's mentally ill, imagining for example the plush titular office (which no-one else can see) where he gathers his thoughts. Joachim Back delivers a quirkily interesting film in distinctive style... but it won't be to everyone's taste.

In the perspective of Orson it's his refuge from ugliness. In times where children being left increasingly uncared for only to be grown and become a foot soldier in a crusade to quench the corporate desires it's a fertile ground to grow more Orsons. Visuals are perfect to signify the coldness and impenetrable ways of the massive structures where ants rush. A great story that mocks what's accepted as normal. Hopeless staring at a world left behind out there is what's left to do when routine entrapment seemed hopeless. Great meaningful use of audio. Excellent performances by the cast. In this corner office you will be left to choose between alternatives and that's a fun experience.

This is an intelligent film about mental illness in a corporate setting - something most people today can really relate to I think. It is well done and is pretty artistic, but not super artistic or weird or anything like that. Its main character is a very intelligent and effective worker but suffers from some sort of mental illness, perhaps autism, which causes him to get caught up in his own thoughts and imagination, and the delusion that there is a secret corner office where conditions are perfect for doing absolutely perfect work...however his coworkers turn him into a pariah when they notice the signs of mental illness, in spite of the fact that they all have painfully obvious faults and flaws of their own that also bother him but which he doesn't shame them for. The entire movie is narrated by him as he speaks his mind to us, which is pretty interesting and full of intelligent thoughts that I think we can all relate to and will enjoy hearing. And a lot of his thoughts, and the situations he finds himself in are quite humorous....but in a very different and pretty odd way, which makes it quite new and novel, something I loved about it as I've gotten so tired of the same old stuff in movies and TV. Some of the humor is subtle but a lot of it made me laugh out loud. It's not a late night raunchy comedy, quite the opposite: it may seem a bit low key to some, perhaps slow at times, yet it is still very interesting and entertaining. Made moreso by the fact that it is also a bit sad at times, so it is not totally light hearted, but has an emotional message for us. I think this is a comedy film we all really need in this day and age. And also that John Hamm was a really good main character and portrayed his character perfectly. If you can relate to anything I've just said I urge you to watch it. It could make you both laugh and think about your own situation and condition in ways that you will find really enriching.

This is one of the strangest and most unusual movies I've seen in a while. It's definitely thought-provoking but ultimately forgettable as it lacks a really good ending. I liked it though because the movie has a weird, psychedelic vibe that is only found in low budget indie projects. This is absolutely not a comedy and I wonder why they decided to label the film as such. It is more of a mystery tale with dark references to the abstract and meaningless life of a boring workplace. It's also very theatrical and the setting is nicely and abstract designed, just like dull offices can look like. Unfortunately, a point or conclusion is missing and when the movie ends you are left with the same empty space as the non-existing room in the movie. Worth a watch though for people who like weird and stylish movies.

A great movie.

It really had my attention from the very start until the last moment and it left me wondering. Just the type of movie that I enjoy the most. It was intriguing and it kept me guessing, it was a journey.

I see how some people wouldn't like the experience, you have to have a certain mood to like this one, you have to be ready to dive in. It's not a type of movie you would watch with your friends or even family, I guess. After all, it is about loneliness some might say...

It is mostly grey, calm, monotonous, it demands focus and commitment, it is like a study in a way, and most people, won't find that entertaining.

Now for the good stuff, first of all, how good it was artistically! First it catches your eye with that cold concreate, the office, perfect shapes, yet then you hear the soft voice. And then the room - warm and comfy like the voice, because the voice comes from the room from the very start, doesn't it?! It is perfectly executed visually, I'd say. The atmosphere is on point.

The lead is perfectly executed, as well as the manager, but I do feel like other side characters were a bit lackluster and it could've made it better if they were explored and developed a bit more.

One thing that I noticed is that it might be hard to correctly explore the feelings of the protagonist here, it could be hard to back his decisions, as he doesn't seem to be a good guy overall, being egotistic, narcissistic and self-absorbed as he is. All the other characters seem quite flawed too, although quite more simply displayed. It is almost like they are all a puzzle that might fit together to show a picture, yet not really good on their own.

Apart from the obvious exploration of the psychology it's hard to pin point what this movie is really about. First thing that came to my mind was art. To me the protagonist looked like an artist - he had a vision and a way to execute it, it was genius as it was there in plain sight for him and it had great value, yet no one else could see it, until the fruit of it came out. He wanted the admiration, yet he also wanted to keep the fruit all to himself. Eventually it looks like he just wanted peace of mind and understanding. But then he got tangled in the admiration and fruit, and people wanting the process for their gain and fruit as a simple currency. Eventually understanding became to be not an option, so he resorted to the last thing he got left - himself.

It could also very well be the other way around, since the character is so egoistic, I could assume the whole story is about people being so self-absorbed by their own good work and talent, demanding privacy and comfort, ignoring the fact that being good at certain tasks doesn't automatically allow you to ignore morality and other people and just ignore the society overall, just because you yourself decided that. I mean, it sits well with current state of things in modern world, where people are so obsessed with themselves, like everyone is a star in their own movie, all those social networks, steamers, vlogs, etc. People do seem obsessed with themselves a lot nowadays and they sure do seem to think this makes them entitled to make unreasonable demands. Does it really mean, if you have a talent (or even not), you suddenly become entitled to make unreasonable demands, based on something that is real only for you?!

I mean, as you see this movie brings some thoughts up. I liked it.

I want to give a 1/10 rating to the quality of reviews here. Many of the review authors have no idea what they watched, and failed to read between the lines.

It is NOT a movie about autism. Full stop. It's also not a serious movie. It's a satire. It's an absurd, dry comedy. (Notice the comedic actor Danny Pudi?)

The best way I can describe it is that it's a parody of the TV show Severance. The atmosphere & cinematography has the same kind of haunting sterility as that show, but underneath it's silly. The main character's internal narration is that of an UNRELIABLE NARRATOR. All signs point to him actually being insane, incompetent, and his struggle being a farce.

I gave it a 7/10 because I enjoy the originality and it got a few chuckles out of me, but it's kind of a slog due to the pace.

My biggest problem with this movie is that there was no climax or ending twist of any sort. You got exactly what you expected and there was nothing to figure out. It just ends up being exactly what you thought it was, which is basically nothing.

Also I have to say, as a father of a child with autism, this movie actually didn't give me autism vibes at all. The character, to me, didn't seem to portray someone with autism. If ASD was a theme they were trying to talk about in this film, I had no idea until I came here to read the reviews. The film does not specifically mention that the character has autism or use the phrase.

The feeling I got was that he's just a great employee stuck in the rat race (everyone has the same cars) who has a little mental outbreak because the system is crap, not anything to do with autism.

Anyway I felt like I didn't learn anything from this movie. There really was no underlying theme, just the symbolism about the system but no revelation or aha moment. I love this actor but didn't love the film. I felt like it was trying too hard to be weird without actually telling us anything.

Although I am not a professional reviewer, I genuinely enjoyed watching the movie. It does have its flaws, such as being slow-paced and lacking variety and originality. However, what captivated me was the way it depicted real-life workplace dynamics and the relatable gestures it made towards our needs in that setting. As the movie progresses, you become invested in Orson's character and desperately want to believe in him. I must mention that my initial motivation for watching the movie was Jon Hamm, as I admire his acting style, and I was certainly not disappointed. He truly shines in this film, with his absurd humor serving as the driving force behind its entertainment value. His character consistently holds enough strength and charisma to keep you engaged throughout. Additionally, I appreciated the cinematography and editing, as they effectively conveyed the psychological aspects of the story within the confined space of the film. While there may be other similar movies out there, none have managed to capture my interest quite like this one. In my opinion, it is a highly underrated gem.

I liked it, but then I find movies (and other art forms) concerning the act of work, especially office work, quite engrossing. I can understand why it might seem weird and unremarkable to some. Perhaps you need to have experienced office work, especially in a large, soulless space, toiling for a large, soulless organisation, to appreciate some of the nuances and petty frictions on display here. The more I think about the film, the more it chimes with me. It's one man raging against the machine and finding his own way of managing the profound frustrations of being misunderstood and under-appreciated.

An original story that will keep your attention when you realise that it is not really about the secret room but about the protagonist's state of mind. The narration didn't bother me but I expected more interaction with the other office staff. As others have said, this could have been a Twilight Zone episode. The lack of a satisfying ending would not have been out of place in the T. Z. format. It needed an extra scene. I wanted to know what happened to him.

The story, casting and sets were excellent but there is a huge plot hole. Why didn't someone ask him to take a book from the room to prove that he was there?

When Orson (Jon Hamm) takes a new office job, he soon discovers a 'Corner Office', which appears to be furnished in mahogany accents and decorated with a CEO in mind. The problem is that no one else can see this room and to his coworkers Rakseh (Danny Pudi), Carol (Allison Riley), and his boss Andrew (Christopher Heyerdahl), Orson just stands blankly in a hallway.

The film is shot almost entirely in an office building and narrated by Orson. It's a unique take on direction, given there are no flashy special effects or CGI. The acting and the immersion are well done, but the flow is more of a slow burn than anything else.

Worth a once over.

It is...is it the tale of a man who became brilliant while losing his sanity... is it an essay on how to produce brilliance or at least better productivity at low level office work...is it a mission statement for companies to detect mental disorders at the office, offer different approaches on how to deal with it-including giving leeway if productivity is unaffected or even beneficial to productivity before an employee shows up at work one morning and start shooting colleagues ?

Or is this a thesis on how the movie Brazil could've looked like had its budget been slashed by 10.

Not qualified to answer any of dat, still I don't regret my time, felt I just looked thru a crack and saw something interesting but hard to describe, felt the unease one must feel at trying to look past the uneasy until it disappears or hoping it doesn't affect you if left alone... It is a good tale, lightly creepy and Mr Bean charming/annoying well served by a good cast and of course Jon Hamm.

A good 6 for me.

What a disappointment. What is John Ham doing in this?

The character vaguely looks like Ron Swanson, except he's a complete loser. The film has an "office space" vibe (the movie) except it's entirely dull. The characters are incredibly boring. The dialogues are useless, the inner monologues are useless, this entire movie is a complete waste of time and resources.

It wasn't smart, it wasn't fun, it wasn't well written, it wasn't insightful, it wasn't relatable, it wasn't thought provoking, it was just interminable and dreadful. I really wish I hadn't watched it. And what's up with having to write such long reviews?

A tale of absurdity, distance, disaffection and solace "Corner Office" is a glimpse at the comfort people seek through the compartmentalized isolation of the modern corporate world. Orson is an employee in a typical office. Tall, spectacled, withdrawn and strangely inscrutable he's the bonafide oddball who elicits immediate amusement. When he takes constant visits to "The Room", a place situated between the office and the toilet coworkers and the boss react predictably leading to some tense moments considering it's only Orson who believes the room exists. With his brushed-down hair, glasses, moustache, stare from below, slightly bloated features and articulate monotone Jon Hamm's neurotic nerve-wracked Orson is the star of the show as he steals every scene embodying the surreal singularity of this modern day Bartleby. Like most offbeat films there are parts that drag but to viewers with a taste for the different this is well worth the view. A reflective portrayal of alienation in an age of indifference, negativity and self-centeredness "Corner Office" is a dark comedic gaze at society and the comfort zone people desperately seek to survive, whether it exists or not.

I need to write a better review than the 1-star so far, it's really unfair, do they have a problem to settle with the director? From the start I've been taken into that weird inhumane building with that weird guy. It reminds of Andy Kaufman scripts, when a little twist makes normal life become surreal.

The morale has probably something to do with finding your own personal space where you can thrive but the system doesn't allow that and you will be squeezed out even if you are among the best.

The writing is brillant, you are really in the guy's head and brought subtly into his strange mind.

If you like smart movies you will love this one.

This movie delves into the mind of an office worker who is obviously suffering from delusion among perhaps other things. Jon Hamm's acting is excellent as usual and the rest of the cast puts in a solid performance. The film starts with Hamm's character starting his first day at the office and likening it to his first day of school. We immediately realize that he is peculiar as he narrates his thoughts to the audience. The character is relatable as I'm sure most of us have met someone like this throughout the course of our lives. There is suspense as we don't know exactly how the story will play out. As a huge fan of the old Twight Zone, this movie is in the same vein and will entertain fans of the genre. The soundtrack is pleasing and lets off a good focused vibe. What confuses me is these people giving it a 1. For me it's a 6.7 so I rounded up to 7. It's an entertaining watchable movie in an age where checking virtue blocks is more important than having a good plot.

The premise of the film is intriguing and quirky, worthy of an episode of The Twilight Zone, but not enough for a full feature film, let along one that lasts 1.40 hours. The story has been adapted from a book, and I suspect it must have been a very short one.

This is the biggest limitation of this movie: there is not enough "meat" in it. Not enough plot, characters, situations, or character development. In fact many of the scenes seem repetitive, slow-paced and prolonged more than it's necessary.

Another important issue is that the ending is predictable. I could tell how the film was going to end halfway into it. Even though some people will try to extract some deep meaning from it and the story overall, there aren't enough elements to suggest there's a deeper message but to address the alienation of work life.

On the positive side, it's refreshing to see a story that is very different from everything else. Points to that.

I quite liked this movie, although it doesn't seem to be very well known at all. I don't blame them though. Many audience might find it a little more boring as not much actually happens here.

What attracted me? The message it delivers. In the competitive corporate world, or even in the employment market Comfort Zones in an individuals are not quite appreciated. Orson, the lead character in here finds his comfort zone in 'the room' that doesn't exists. As I see it, Andrew; the boss of The Authority comes in here to stop Arson's 'booming progression.' This is what happens in the real world, isn't it?

There are some people who can adjust to the corporate culture, but what happens to the people who cannot?