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7.2/10
Senior Film Conservator
A definitive 7.2/10 rating for a film that redefined the boundaries of cult cinema. Employees' Entrance remains a cornerstone of transgressive art.
If you like movies that feel like a cold splash of water, sure. It’s definitely for people who enjoy watching 1930s business dramas that aren't afraid to be a little bit nasty. If you want a heartwarming story about the underdog winning, look elsewhere. You will probably hate this if you find Warren William’s brand of smarmy arrogance too much to handle.
Warren William plays Kurt Anderson, and honestly, the man could make a glass of water look suspicious. He runs this department store like he’s the king of a very sad, very profitable castle. Every time he walks into a frame, the air just feels thinner.
Loretta Young is stuck playing the woman who gets caught in his crosshairs. She has this look in her eyes—half-scared, half-determined—that makes you want to reach into the screen and help her out. The way she tries to navigate his 'management' style is just exhausting to watch.
There is this one scene in the office where he’s just looming over the desk, and you can tell he enjoys the power trip way more than the actual business. It’s not subtle. It doesn't need to be.
Sometimes I think about how movies like Bright Eyes feel like a warm hug compared to this. Here, the store feels like a meat grinder. The extras in the background are constantly moving, looking stressed, and it gives the whole thing this frantic, jittery energy.
The dialogue is snappy, maybe a little too snappy at times. Characters fire off lines like they’re trying to win a bet on who can be the most cynical. It works, though. It fits the world of the department store, where everyone is replaceable.
I noticed the way the lighting hits their faces during the late-night sequences. Everything looks sharp and unforgiving. It really captures that feeling of working when the rest of the world has gone home.
Maybe it’s not as polished as some other stuff from that year, like Movie Mad, but it has a bite to it. You don't walk away from this feeling good. You walk away feeling like you need to check your own employment contract. 🏢
Is it perfect? Hardly. The plot twists are a bit mechanical, almost like the writers were pulling levers behind the curtain. But for 75 minutes of watching a shark eat his own office? I’ve seen worse.
IMDb 7.2
1926
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