Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Graphic
- darkly comic
- bloody
- irreverent
- late night horror marathon
- dark comedy night
What critics said
Critics generally found that the film effectively balances office-life satire with bloody horror, though some considered the Deliverance-meets-The Office comparison misleading.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The team-building retreat is organized by the multinational weapons company Palisade Defence, and colleagues' professional habits shape the comic conflict.
The film opens with a brutal murder set to The Small Faces' "Itchycoo Park" and repeatedly balances nasty horror with workplace humor.
The film is identified as a splatter film and comedy horror, with the retreat group targeted by killers in violent set pieces.
The sales division's colleagues must navigate their existing workplace tensions while trying to survive the mountain killers.
Films like Severance, and why
The Cottage
shares a comedy horror blend, workplace satire, and an ensemble facing violent killers in an isolated setting
Shaun of the Dead
combines office-style character comedy with splatter violence, dysfunctional group dynamics, and escalating survival horror
The Texas Chain Saw Massacre
shares a rural isolation setting, brutal killers, black humor, and a nasty but playful slasher sensibility
The Belko Experiment
mixes workplace satire, grotesque violence, and irreverent horror through a trapped group under extreme pressure
Movie Details
- Director
- Christopher Smith
- Release Date
- 2006-05-19
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (694)
Cast
- Danny Dyer
- Laura Harris
- Tim McInnerny
- Toby Stephens
- Claudie Blakley
- Babou Ceesay
- Andy Nyman
- David Gilliam
- Julianna Drajkó
- Judit Viktor
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Severance about?
- A weapons-company sales team discovers that its Eastern European team-building retreat has become a viciously funny slasher survival test.
- What is Severance like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Severance as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Severance violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Severance as graphic.
- What did critics think of Severance?
- Critics generally found that the film effectively balances office-life satire with bloody horror, though some considered the Deliverance-meets-The Office comparison misleading.
- Which films are like Severance?
- Films with a similar feel include The Cottage, Shaun of the Dead, The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, and The Belko Experiment.
- How long is Severance?
- Severance runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Severance?
- In United States, Severance streams on Amazon Prime Video, Philo, Amazon Prime Video with Ads, Magnolia Selects Amazon Channel, Monsters and Nightmares Amazon Channel.
