The Promotion
A decent supermarket assistant manager faces an increasingly personal rivalry when a personable Canadian transfer competes for the promotion he was promised.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Mild
- awkward
- sardonic
- grounded
- lazy weekend
- workplace comedy night
What critics said
Critics found sharp workplace wit and sympathetic protagonists, but generally agreed that the film struggles to sustain a consistent tone and ultimately underuses its satirical premise.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Doug's promotion depends on corporate tests and an expanding supermarket workplace, making employment insecurity central to the conflict.
Doug and Richard compete for the same management position while each is presented as a husband and fundamentally sympathetic person.
Richard relies on motivational tapes while both men undergo corporate and personal tests tied to advancement.
The Chicago supermarket and its prospective replacement store contain nearly all of Doug and Richard's professional rivalry.
Films like The Promotion, and why
Office Space
shares workplace satire, awkward professional rivalry, and humane but uncomfortable comedy
The Office
shares deadpan corporate absurdity, ordinary protagonists, and escalating workplace pressure
Employee of the Month
shares blue-collar workplace setting, competitive anxiety, and sympathetic flawed characters
Movie Details
- Director
- Steven Conrad
- Release Date
- 2008-06-06
- Runtime
- 86 min
- Rating
- 5.3 / 10 (275)
Cast
- Seann William Scott
- John C. Reilly
- Jenna Fischer
- Lili Taylor
- Gil Bellows
- Rick Gonzalez
- Adrian Martinez
- Fred Armisen
- Bobby Cannavale
- Masi Oka
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Promotion about?
- A decent supermarket assistant manager faces an increasingly personal rivalry when a personable Canadian transfer competes for the promotion he was promised.
- What is The Promotion like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Promotion as brisk, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is The Promotion violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in The Promotion as mild.
- What did critics think of The Promotion?
- Critics found sharp workplace wit and sympathetic protagonists, but generally agreed that the film struggles to sustain a consistent tone and ultimately underuses its satirical premise.
- Which films are like The Promotion?
- Films with a similar feel include Office Space, The Office, and Employee of the Month.
- How long is The Promotion?
- The Promotion runs 86 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Promotion?
- In United States, The Promotion is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube.
