You Think Your Boss Sucks? Meet Buddy.

 Swimming With Sharks (1994) A naïve young man from middle America has his entire world turned upside down when he gets his “dream job”.  He’s working as the studio assistant for a major Hollywood producer who is also the world’s worst boss.

Directed by George Huang 

Starring Kevin Spacey, Frank Whaley, Michelle Forbes, Benicio Del Toro

Why I Liked It – It’s…interesting.

So let’s start with Kevin Spacey.  The first time I remember seeing Spacey (he did some television roles that I might have seen, but they didn’t stick with me) is a Verbal, the strange limping character at the center of “The Usual Suspects”.  Loved that movie, loved him in that role.  That was followed by “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil”, “K-Pax”, “Glengarry Glen Ross”, plus nice work in smaller movies like “L.A. Confidential” and “The Negotiator”, Spacey was a reliable, interesting actor.  Acclaimed in the acting community for his work, winning a Tony and two Oscars, Spacey was even named Artistic Director of the Old Vic theater in London, one of the more prestigious positions in the theater world.

Then 2017 came along with charges of sexual abuse of minors, and sexual misconduct with some adult actors as well.  Lawsuits flew. He sort of apologized, lost his contract with Netflix, and left the public spotlight.  Our understanding of Kevin Spacey changed a great deal.

So here we are again, a performer whose work we have always liked, but who is actually a slimy human being.  What do we do?  “Swimming With Sharks” allows us to split the difference a little.

If Spacey’s behavior offends you (and it should), here’s a movie where his character gets the absolute snot beaten out of him.  So, if it helps, take your wicked fun.

But what about the movie itself?  This will not work for everyone.  It’s a “black comedy”, which in this case means a comedy with dark, even grotesque, events at its center.  “Swimming With Sharks” is all of that and more.  The second half of the movie is violent (that’s the snot kicking part), and it lacks anything even approaching a “Hollywood Ending”.

Spacey is vicious as the malevolent producer Buddy Ackerman.  Foul-mouthed, abusive, sadistic, Buddy is all of that and more.  To call him a shark is to underplay the brutality of the character.  The only upside is that if you survive a year or two with Buddy, your professional star will rise rapidly in Hollywood.  His new assistant, Guy (Whaley),s taking over for Rex (Del Toro).  Rex has completed his time and has a VP job waiting for him at another studio.  Guy’s naivete is the perfect target for Buddy’s cruelty.  The only saving grace is meeting an up-and-coming producer named Dawn (Forbes).  Dawn and Guy have some chemistry that gives a little balance to his life.  But Buddy keeps chipping away at it all.

The first half of this movie is pretty good, with a comedic approach to the grotesque that works well.  The second half has some uncomfortable moments.  It’s consistent with what has gone before, but some of it made me squirm a little.

Then you hit the end.  I’ll let you experience that for yourself.  It managed a very difficult double by being both surprising and disappointing at the same time.

Now the hard part. There’s enough here to keep it from sliding below this level, but I’d put it at the bottom of the range.

Rating – *** Worth A Look