Horrible Bosses

Right now you can watch Horrible Bosses in Australia on Netflix, and in the UK on Amazon Prime Video and HBO Max Amazon Channel — and it is funnier than its reputation suggests. A tight runtime that never overstays its welcome. Its 7/10 TMDB score, built from 6,859 ratings, reflects a title that consistently delivers. Jason Bateman is the obvious draw, but the whole ensemble earns its laughs. Start it on Netflix whenever you need something guaranteed to land.

Horrible Bosses arrived without much fanfare and built its audience the hard way — through word of mouth. Horrible Bosses gets the fundamentals right first, then finds room to get weird with it. For Nick, Kurt and Dale, the only thing that would make the daily grind more tolerable would be to grind their intolerable bosses into dust. Quitting is not an option, so, with the benefit of a few-too-many drinks and some dubious advice from a hustling ex-con, the three friends devise a convoluted and seemingly foolproof plan to rid themselves of their respective employers... Permanently. The chemistry Jason Bateman and Charlie Day bring to it does a lot of the heavy lifting. It hit screens in 2011. The timing in Horrible Bosses is precise enough that even the throwaway lines land on a second watch. It knows exactly what it is, and does not try to be anything else.

If you need a comedy that actually makes you laugh, Horrible Bosses is a strong candidate. It does not lean on comparisons to make its case. It is a manageable watch, easy to fit into a single evening. Jason Bateman sets the tone, but the supporting cast is where a lot of the best moments come from. A reliable pick for any night you want quality comedy without the homework.