HUMAN RESOURCES Mostly Entertains With A Story About A HELL Of A Job

Posted on January 2, 2023 by chrishammond54 in Film Reviews // 0 Comments

HUMAN RESOURCES

Directed by: Braden Swope

Written by: Braden Swope and Evan Sope

Produced by: Braden Swope, Kendall Huff, Evan Swope

Starring: Hugh McCrae, Jr., Anthony Candell, Sarah José, Tim Misuradze, Michael Kammerer, and Angel Hilton

Synopsis

After starting a job at a creepy hardware store, Sam Coleman uncovers a shocking mystery involving a missing employee. With the help of Sarah, a cynical coworker, Sam plunges into the dark corners of the store and confronts the terrifying forces that lurk just behind the walls.

Distributor: DeskPop Entertainment

Review by Chris Hammond

Looking for employment is difficult and sometimes soul-crushing. When Sam Coleman (Hugh McCrae, Jr.) finally gets a call that offers him a job at Brook’s Hardware Store, he accepts the position without hesitation. The only problem is this store is unique to any other store and Sam must unlock the mystery that lies within it. He meets Gene Knibbs (Anthony Candell) the store’s manager. Knibbs is a very upbeat, personable type of guy. He’s nothing like the business owner Brian Henderson (Tim Misuradze).

He also meets coworker Sarah Browne (Sarah José) who shows him the ropes to his position.
Things go from good to odd quickly as Sam notices the store doesn’t have many customers. This gets addressed as he’s told Black Friday is the day when things are busy.

For an independent film director, Braden Swope does a decent job and keeps the film’s pace moving. Budgetary constraints limit the execution of the story, which is an intriguing one. The cast is very green and possibly this is their first film, but they do a pretty decent job with the direction they’re given. The standout performance goes to Anthony Candell. He seems so natural in his role as the store manager and really draws viewers’ eyes to him on screen.

The special FX is another glaring issue that a bigger budget could rectify. The reveal in the third act would be just that more poignant if the special effects were more in-depth.

Despite some drawbacks, Human Resources is still a worthwhile watch. The story is interesting and there are times when the film shines it just doesn’t happen enough. If the film had a bigger budget and a more seasoned cast, the skies would be the limits for this one.