After two comedies, it's clear Seth Gordon is good at making . . . documentaries. King of Kong: A Fistful of Quarters was stranger than fiction, milking much tension from the fringe world of competitive classic arcade game players, who were recognizably human, in spite of (or perhaps due) to their obsessive quirks. The characters in Horrible Bosses are defined by their quirks, which are spelled out in boldface. Take the bosses, a "fucking asshole" (Kevin Spacey), an "evil crazy bitch" (Jennifer Aniston), and a "dipshit cokehead" (Colin Farrell). They make work miserable for Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale (Charlie Day). After a few cocktails, the put-upon pals decide to murder their employers, using schemes both convoluted and unfunny. Still, with a cast like this, it would be hard not to mine a few laughs and, poorly paced as it is, it's still better than Gordon's Four Christmases.
