By: Mariah Thomas
Photo By Alexander Chinnici
Horror, as a concept, lives in our daily lives even if we don’t realize it. The anthology film Grind takes a brilliant approach, bringing those daily horrors to the center of our minds. The frustrated delivery driver who is given very specific instructions that determine his livelihood. A woman finds herself smack in the middle of an Multi-Level Marketing (“MLM”) scheme and left to question everything around her. What happens when workers unionize to finally stand up to the evil corporation they work for? Some of the these quandaries are explored in this film. Grind takes a reflective look at the reality of no matter how hard you “grind” at your job, things don’t always work in your favor and the goal post continues to be moved.
Told in four mini stories, Grind is an compilation of vignettes that showcases the fears and concerns of the working class from the horror genre point of view. First up, Sarah (Jessika Van) is brought into an MLM leggings scheme by her friend Molly (Courtney Pauroso) who has worked her way up the pyramid as a top seller. When Sarah doesn’t meet her daily quota, strange things begin to happen and she gets a visit from The Founder (Barbara Crampton) who quickly puts her back on track. This story eventually transitions to follow a delivery driver named Benny (Vinny Thomas). Faced with a horrific and questionable delivery, Benny must follow very specific instructions. Until he can meet the customers exact request he is stuck in a Groundhog’s Day-esque time loop repeating the delivery. This leads the film into the work of content moderation. Joel (Christopher Rodriguez-Marquette) accepts a job under the false pretense of a higher salary and other work benefits. Only after accepting and knowing he needs the health care benefits does he learn from his boss Andy (Rob Huebel) that he will actually begin working on the fourth floor. He later finds out the system is designed to actually prevent anyone from working their way up. The final story continues with boss-from-hell Andy as he catches wind of a union meeting taking place at a coffee shop under his control. He sends the workers a horrific surprise – they must battle to make it through the night.
What makes Grind a great film is how well each story stands on its own. There is a reality component that many, if not all, viewers can relate to with this movie. Though circumstances are on a higher scale being in the horror genre, it is still an accurate representation of how the viewer may feel in similar situations. Christopher Rodriquez-Marquette, Jessika Van and Vinny Thomas all had standout moments that left me in awe. From Joel’s breakdowns to the humor Van brings in through Sarah and scares felt in Thomas’s section, this film had my attention the entire time.
Splitting up directing and writing together, Brea Grant and Ed Dougherty are a powerful working duo. There is a seamless flow to each story that shows the careful crafting process that took place in the writing stages. Grant directed the MLM and Delivery portions and there is a whimsical horror edge to her directing style. From glitter to blood, her attention to color further brought the film to life to me. Dougherty took on directing the Content Moderation and Union meeting portions. What I enjoyed most about these, outside of the story itself, were these very creative shots that always put the viewer in the room with the characters. Almost in a point-of-view fashion, interesting angle choices make the viewer feel as if they are directly in the film. Chelsea Stardust also had a hand in directing, taking on the task of directing the metaphorical cherry on top. The film opens with a look into Andy’s shipping company and the fears of getting things out on time.
Grind is a film not scared to make the obvious digs at specific corporations and offer a space to showcase how many really feel about their jobs. To continuously work and then to have the goal post moved and accept you are working towards nothing is a reality all too many face. If you are someone who enjoys the tone of “Black Mirror,” but also digs content that does not shy away from its themes and message, Grind is a film that I would highly recommend.