SEVERANCE
Year: 2006
USA: Magnolia Pictures
UK: Pathe Distribution
Cast: Danny Dyer, Laura Harris, Tim McInnerny, Toby Stephens, Claudie Blakley, Andy Nyman, Babou Ceesay, David Gilliam, Júli Drajko, Judit Viktor, Sandor Boros, Levente Törköly, Janos Olah, Attila Ferencz, Bela Kasi, Roland Kollarszky, Peter Katona, Levente Lezsak, Nick Greenall, Matt Baker, Steve Dawson, John Frankish, Johnnie Schinas, Leon MacPherson, Arnold Zarom, Laura Bushell, John Cole, Murray Golding, Jamie Higgins, Leanne Lee, Nerys Martin, Stephanie Ratcliff, Cindi Svensson
Director: Christopher Smith
Countries: UK / Germany
USA & UK: 96 mins
USA Rated: R for strong bloody violence, language, drug content and some sexuality/nudity
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong bloody horror and violence
USA Release Date: 1 June 2007 (Limited Release - wider)
USA Release Date: 25 May 2007 (Limited Release - Los Angeles and San Francisco)
USA Release Date: 18 May 2007 (Limited Release - New York)
UK Release Date: 25 August 2006
US Distributor
Synopsis
Working nine to five is a real killer, but teambuilding holidays can be even worse. In SEVERANCE a deadly enemy goes on the rampage and seven colleagues find themselves faced with the chop during their corporate weekend away. Forget office politics, only the smartest will survive this bloody office outing.
Two young women, Olga (Júli Drajko) and Nadia (Judit Viktor), and an out-of-shape man in his 50s, George Cinders (David Gilliam), are running through a forest fleeing in terror from an unknown assailant. Both girls fall into a camouflaged bear pit, but George, in desperation to escape, refuses to help them out. As the girls undress, tying their clothes together to fashion a makeshift escape rope, George suddenly gets caught in a snare. As he hangs upside down from a tree he sees his machete-brandishing assassin close in for the brutal kill...
A coach lurches out of the hustle and bustle of Budapest and heads towards the mountainous border. Aboard are seven employees of the international weapons manufacturer Palisade Defence, global suppliers of innovative weaponry for the past 75 war-torn years. The lucky group are being treated to a team-building weekend at the company's newly built luxury spa lodge by their president, George Cinders.
Watching the latest corporate video presented by George, their individual levels of interest reveal their differing characters: Mr Fix-it head of accounts Gordon (Andy Nyman) is genuinely thrilled to see his boss talking about the future of warfare. Yes-man manager Richard (Tim McInnerny) instructs his severely sceptical assistant Billy (Babou Ceesay) to send George a flattering memo. Cynical salesman Harris (Toby Stephens) deliberately ignores the screen and reads the newspaper, while Jill (Claudie Blakley), the conflicted pacifist of the bunch, can barely disguise her disgust at the crass images on display. High-powered supervisor Maggie (Laura Harris) carries on working obliviously. Meanwhile joker-in-the-pack Steve (Danny Dyer) goes online to arrange some 'escorts' for a bit of private weekend fun.
Suddenly the coach screeches to a halt in front of a tree that blocks the road ahead. Refusing to take the alternative route the driver forces his passengers to disembark, emptying out their luggage on the roadside and leaving them to fend for themselves in the completely alien and spooky terrain. After studying a local map it seems the lodge isn't too far away so they set off into the woods on a supposed short cut. They quickly get lost...