{{COI |date=May 2024}} {{Use mdy dates|date=February 2026}} {{Infobox film | name = The Employer | image = The Employer (2013) key art poster.jpg | alt = Malcolm McDowell as The Employer | caption = Film poster | director = Frank Merle | writer = Frank Merle | producer = {{Plainlist| * Frank Merle * Tiago Mesquita * Ross Otterman }} | starring = {{Plainlist| * Malcolm McDowell * David Dastmalchian * Paige Howard * Billy Zane }} | cinematography = Tiago Mesquita | editing = | music = Jonathan M. Hartman | studio = Hyrax Entertainment | distributor = Vision Films | released = {{Film date|2013|06|07}} | runtime = 90 minutes | country = United States | language = English | budget = | gross = }} '''''The Employer''''' is a 2013 American psychological thriller film written and directed by Frank Merle. The film stars Malcolm McDowell as the title character who interviews five candidates for a job at a mysterious, powerful corporation. After a film festival circuit in early 2013,<ref>{{cite web|title=List of 2013 Los Angeles Movie Award Winners |url=http://thelamovieawards.com/2013_Winners.html|accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref> the film was released by Vision Films in the U.S. on June 7, 2013, as an On Demand premiere title, followed by a DVD release on July 2, 2013.<ref>{{cite web|title=Vision Films|url=http://www.visionfilms.net/Details.aspx?id=5dee48fd-7cc4-e111-adc0-000c2955671b|accessdate=7 March 2013}}</ref>

==Plot== Five highly qualified applicants for a position with the mysterious, powerful Carcharias Corporation wake up trapped together in a locked room without any hope of escape. After exchanging stories about how each of them had been sedated and abducted they receive a phone call from their interviewer, known only as The Employer, who informs them that they have to kill each other; only the last surviving candidate would get the job.

==Cast== * Malcolm McDowell as The Employer * David Dastmalchian as James * Paige Howard as Sandra * Michael DeLorenzo as Keith * Matthew Willig as Mike * Katerina Mikailenko as Billie * Nicki Aycox as Maggie * Billy Zane as Alan

==Release== In October 2012, a near-completed version of film was screened at Shriekfest in Los Angeles, as an Official Opening Night Selection.<ref>{{cite web|title=Shriekfest|url=http://www.shriekfest.com/|accessdate=7 March 2013}}</ref>

In December 2012, the film won the award for Best Thriller at the Illinois International Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web|title=Illinois International Film Festival|url=http://www.illinoisinternationalfilmfestival.com/film.html|accessdate=7 March 2013|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130317181556/http://www.illinoisinternationalfilmfestival.com/film.html|archivedate=17 March 2013}}</ref> In March 2013, the film won a Special Jury Award at the Geneva Film Festival.<ref>{{cite web|title=Geneva Film Festival|url=http://genevafilmfestival.org/film_detail.php?id=34|accessdate=7 March 2013}}</ref>

Other festival appearances include the LA Indie Film Festival,<ref>{{cite web|title=LA Indie Fest|url=http://laindiefilmfest.com/schedule/features/the-employer/|accessdate=7 March 2013}}</ref> and the Big Bear Horro-Fi Film Festival as a Special Invitation screening.<ref>{{cite web|title=Big Bear Horro-Fi Film Festival|url=http://www.bigbearhorrorfilmfest.com/|accessdate=7 March 2013}}</ref>

The film was released in the United States by Vision Films, a worldwide distributor of independent films, across all major On Demand platforms on June 7, 2013. A DVD release followed on July 2, 2013.

==Reception== Early festival screenings received positive reviews. Hunter Johnson from LAHorror.com praised the film's "terrific performances," especially Malcolm McDowell, who he noted is "even more dementedly charming than usual" in a film that's "modern, violent and full of nasty twists."<ref>{{cite web|last=Johnson|first=Hunter|title=LA Horror review|date=30 October 2012 |url=http://lahorror.com/2012/10/29/la-horror-review-the-employer/|accessdate=7 March 2013}}</ref> Leo Brady from AMovieGuy.com called the film "an intriguing concept and thrilling to watch," stating that McDowell is "the perfect actor for this film. He has mystery behind his eyes and his portrayal of power is calm and cool."<ref>{{cite web|last=Brady|first=Leo|title=A Movie Guy|url=https://www.amovieguy.com/The_Employer.html|accessdate=7 March 2013}}</ref> Sean Brickley from Horror News Network gave the film five stars and called McDowell's title character "the most sociopathic Human Relations director the corporate world has ever seen."<ref>{{cite web|title=Horror News Network review of The Employer|url=http://www.horrornewsnetwork.net/article7559.html|accessdate=8 May 2013}}</ref> Christopher M. Jimenez from Sinful Celluloid highly recommended the film, writing "Frank Merle has created a minor masterpiece with spot on performances, great manipulation, and good backstory."<ref>{{cite web|title=Sinful Celluloid: What Would You Do?: The Employer (2013)|url=http://www.sinfulcelluloid.com/2013/06/would-would-you-do-employer-2013.html|accessdate=9 June 2013}}</ref> Sufi Mohamed from IndieJudge.com gave the film five stars, declaring in his review "this is literally one of the best independent movies I’ve ever seen," as he drew a real-world comparison between the film's themes and the Milgram Experiment.

On May 25, 2013, ''The Employer'' won eight honors at the Los Angeles Movie Awards, including Best Narrative Feature, Best Director, Best Actor (Malcolm McDowell), Best Supporting Actor (Michael DeLorenzo), Best Supporting Actress (Paige Howard), Best Original Score, Best Special Effects and the Audience Choice Award.<ref>{{cite web|title=List of 2013 Los Angeles Movie Award Winners |url=http://thelamovieawards.com/2013_Winners.html|accessdate=25 May 2013}}</ref>

==References== {{reflist}}

==External links== * [http://theemployermovie.com/ Official website] * [https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1863203 ''The Employer''] at the Internet Movie Database

{{DEFAULTSORT:Employer}} Category:2013 films Category:2013 English-language films Category:American psychological thriller films Category:2013 American films Category:2013 thriller films