If you’re new to The Rebel MFA Way, welcome! This is an essay in my Trigger Warning Series — where I unpack and dive deep into the intersection of trauma and storytelling of film, tv, and fiction. I love having conversations around these topics, so share your thoughts in the comments!
*Warning — there are spoilers for Mayhem in this article.*
I’m not sure how I missed this film’s release given that I’m obsessed with both Steven Yeun and Samara Weaving. And together in one horror movie?! Yes, please.
While Mayhem was pure fun, there is actually something to be said for trauma line and storytelling.
The Trauma Line
Clearly, Joe Lynch understands workplace trauma. There is plenty of it to go around in this film as I’ll dive into it. But first… can we talk about the fact that when this movie came out in 2017, we were still 3 long years away from the COVID outbreak… yet this virus in this film doesn’t seem so fantastical. There is no doubt in me that some sort of stress-rage-induced virus could exist if it isn’t already.
But in the context of this film, it serves as such a glorious example of a metaphor for our collective stress and tolerance levels. It accurately paints the picture of the pent-up frustration, anger, and other negative emotions that can simmer under the surface in a workplace. When these emotions stay repressed, they can lead to destructive outbursts, mirroring the chaos caused by the virus in the film. In trauma talk we call those pent-up emotions trigger volcanoes because it only takes the slightest thing to push it over the edge.
What I love about this premise and the reason it works so well as a metaphor is because the “truth” comes out in the way people deserve it to. The people at the “top” who have used power and aggression before the virus are not at all prepared for the level of rage and righteousness one feels when they’ve been oppressed or hurt or looked over as a power play. In a way, it evens the score.
And as Brian Tallerico says in his review of Mayhem1:
Not only is “Mayhem” a brutal, visceral gut punch at a time of the year when we typically drown in awards bait, but it feels like a movie designed to tap into a vein of frustration and anger at a corrupt system. Hate your boss? Can’t control your road rage? Want to push your co-workers down a stairwell? Thinking mean things about the President and his cronies? “Mayhem” channels rage at an unfair society and the bullshit that trickles down from the Powers That Be into a paean to uncontrolled anger.
Perhaps that is part of why it spoke to me so deeply. Had I watched it in 2017, would I have felt the same way? I don’t know. But I do know that films (particularly horror films) help those of us who feel trapped beneath system after system of collective bullshit feel seen.
I appreciated Lynch’s approach to letting us know right away who we should be rooting for, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t sneak some moral ambiguity into the mix. For example, we’re totally meant to dislike “The Siren,” played by Caroline Chikezie, and trust me, she’s loathsome. And yet… there is some truth in what she says about having to work twice as hard and as long as men to get where men get in half the time. She briefly mentions the paradox of having to adopt a certain persona to be taken seriously but then called a frosty bitch on the other side of it.
One of my favorite “a-ha” moments happens so quickly, if you aren’t paying attention, you’ll miss it. It’s a super quick exchange between Derek Cho (Steven Yuen) and his friend at the company, Ewan Niles (Mark Frost):
Ewan Niles : Fuck this place! This mess is a blessing in disguise, trust me. You don't want to end up like me.
Derek Cho : What are you talking about? You have everything figured out!
Ewan Niles : No, Derek. This - this - this meditation & this incense, it's all bullshit. You think I like the taste of kale? Come on! I'm fucking dead inside.
Spoiler Alert: I think more people feel like this than we all think. I think this really taps into a collective feeling of helplessness that we then internalize and numb out and try to escape even if it’s by taking that selfie next to the bathtub with #keepingitreal or #selfcare hashtags. But it’s really just a way to convince ourselves that we’re not all dying on the inside a little bit more every day.
Nihilistic way of looking at it? Maybe. But I think that hopelessness is sometimes the secret sauce that fuels creatives to make creations like Mayhem in the first place.
The Storytelling
Oh, my gourd, you guys. This premise! I honestly don’t know why more people aren’t talking about this film on the premise alone. As I mentioned, not only does a rampant, contagious, stress-induced virus seem a bit more feasible now that COVID has entered our lives, but the pure possibility of this type of virus is terrifying. It has that similar anarchist view that The Purge franchise has capitalized on. While this movie alone isn’t “scary,” it is a horror comedy flick, after all, it does serve up some of funnest kill scenes. And again, kudos to Yeun and Weaving for really leaning into their respective roles.
Another aspect I LOVE from this film is that the “heroes” are deeply flawed and imperfect, but also empowering. At the end of the day, we ALL really just want to be recognized for our potential, and in this movie, that’s a strength you have over your power-hungry co-workers who haven’t had to struggle for anything before.
Also, if you are a story nerd like me, you will recognize that Lynch uses a particularly alluring (but hard to pull off) device of breaking the fourth wall. What does that mean? Well, essentially, we (the audience) are the fourth wall and when stories or characters or narrators stop the narration to talk directly to us (the audience) — thus they are breaking through that wall in a moment of self-awareness. Think… Ferris Bueller. He often interjects the story he’s telling to talk to us directly. That is similar to Derek Cho’s character in Mayhem as he constantly breaks the fourth wall. It’s a technique that works when used strategically because if not done smartly, it veers off into confusing, annoying, and frustrating. But Lynch manages to pull it off here.
Okay, lastly, this film is proof that a one-location setting can really work for a story. Most of this movie takes place inside of a corporate building where the “levels” of the building are also a metaphor for the “levels” of workers. It also serves as the “ticking clock” of the story. Derek needs to get to the very top of the building, to the top “boss” of them all, and take him out before the contamination window of the virus closes.
Overall, I think Mayhem hits so many of my boxes. It’s fun while also serving as a metaphor for so much of the collective unrest we feel today.
Want to see what films could be up next for this series? Check out my Letterboxd account → https://boxd.it/pktaA
https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/mayhem-2017