USA Film Festival review: Drones

by Aaron Malofsky of Skytram Express

Despite the film's shortcomings, every viewer will identify with some of the social predicaments highlighted in this office farce.

Perhaps we don’t know what’s lurking behind our office cubicles. Directors Amber Benson (Tara, Buffy The Vampire Slayer) and Adam Bush’s new picture, Drones, attempts provide to a fresh satirical take on corporate office life. But this film only manages to capture a few clever and truly comedic moments to surpass moviegoers expectations.

Brian (Jonathan Woodward) is your average office worker who has worked at Omni Link Corp. for six years without a raise and becomes subdued by his mundane work life and social situation. He spends his days socializing photocopying, stapling and chatting with a very peculiar office supply colleague, Ian (Samm Levine). The 30-something office worker’s life is hit with a bombshell when he learns his friend is an alien with very dark intentions for earth. Meanwhile, his budding romantic relationship with co-worker Amy (Angela Bettis) is tempered by the revelation that she is not necessarily humane! The directors try to achieve a unique balance of dramedy by blending in quirky quips and a few zany bits throughout the movie, which is filmed entirely at the office location.

Both Amber and Benson admit there were constraints based on their small film budget. “We had to be creative. Lots of people worked for free ... to be extra office drones,” Benson said. But both directors insisted that having special effects such as alien costumes and spaceship models would have inhibited some of the humorous elements of the picture. One of the more hilarious moments of the film was when Brian tries to give a disastrous corporate power point presentation that might expose some of his coworkers true identities.

The film appears to suffer from an identity crisis. Themes of corporate isolation and romantic tensions in the workplace appear to be recycled from other television sitcoms. But credit is deserved for pulling off a production that will garner an official DVD release this fall. Woodward steals the show with his superb delivery and priceless mannerisms. He could very well be the next Bill Murray “start-up kit.” Despite its shortcomings, every viewer will identify with some of the social predicaments highlighted in this office farce.