Synopsis: Corporate executives on a team-building retreat face a deadly struggle when their leader turns violently against them.
Director: Aaron Fisher
Stars: Alan Ruck, Odeya Rush, Rosanna Arquette, Ashton Sanders
Do I have a meeting tomorrow? Should I fill up my car with gas tonight? What am I doing for lunch tomorrow?
None of these questions has anything to do with Corporate Retreat, but they were all thoughts running through my head while watching what is arguably one of the worst films of 2026. At just 90 minutes, the movie isn’t particularly long, but somehow it still feels like a chore to sit through.
The film follows a group of young “executives” heading to a secluded mansion for a corporate team-building retreat. We’re told these people are successful professionals in their 20s and 30s, but based on the dialogue and decision-making on display, you may find yourself wondering how any of them managed to land executive positions in the first place.
It doesn’t take long before things spiral out of control. The company’s former CEO, Arthur, played by Alan Ruck, returns seeking revenge after being forced out of the business. He traps the group inside the mansion and forces them into a series of deadly challenges designed to make them suffer.
The concept feels like Saw collided with Would You Rather — except without the tension, creativity, or suspense that made those films work.
One of the movie’s biggest problems is that it gives audiences no real reason to care. We never truly understand why Arthur was removed from the company, and before long, the film reaches a point where you stop caring altogether. There’s little emotional investment in either the victims or the villain, which makes the entire experience feel hollow.
As the movie drags on, it becomes painfully clear that Corporate Retreat is borrowing from a formula that countless other thrillers have executed far more effectively. Instead of building suspense or meaningful character development, the film leans heavily on gore and shock value to keep audiences engaged.
Arthur is assisted by two henchwomen, Loa (Sasha Lane) and Ember (Xion Moreno), though the film never bothers to explain why they are so fiercely loyal to him or so willing to participate in his horrifying plans. Director and co-writer Aaron Fisher could easily have devoted some time to developing these characters or establishing meaningful backstory, but the film seems far more interested in bloodshed than in storytelling.
I watched this at home, but part of me wishes I had seen it in a theatre purely to witness how many people would have walked out before the credits rolled. If I hadn’t been reviewing it, I probably would have joined them.
I pride myself on highlighting films that deserve attention. Sometimes, though, the job is about saving people from wasting their most valuable commodity: time. Consider this one of those occasions. I jumped on the grenade for you with Corporate Retreat. Don’t let it be in vain.
Skip this one.
You’re welcome.
Grade: D-
Watch the movie trailer:
