Corporate Animals 2019

As the self-assured CEO of Incredible Edibles, Lucy (Demi Moore) spearheads her team’s corporate retreat in the rugged terrain of New Mexico. Her loyal assistants, Freddie (Karan Soni) and Jess (Jessica Williams), are tasked with carrying out Lucy’s vision for a successful marketing campaign, which they do under the watchful eye of their demanding leader. Meanwhile, tensions run high as Freddie and Jess jockey for position in the hopes of landing the coveted VP role.

As the group ventures deeper into the wilderness, Lucy decides to take the advanced hiking route, much to the dismay of their guide Brandon (Ed Helms), who strongly advises against it. The team is further fractured by the presence of Aidan (Calum Worthy), the young and bedazzled intern who has suffered a rather embarrassing mishap, and Suzy (Nasim Pedrad), whose fear of being trapped in the cave becomes an increasingly palpable concern.

May (Jennifer Kim), the newly appointed accountant, struggles to keep her department afloat amidst the chaos, earning gentle prodding from Gloria (Martha Kelly) as she navigates the treacherous terrain. Freddie shares his suspicions with Jess that Lucy is playing them against each other, using their rivalry to keep the company afloat in the face of financial woes.

Just as it seems things can’t get any more intense, disaster strikes in the form of an earthquake, leaving the group stranded and desperate for rescue. Brandon’s ineptitude proves no match for the calamity, and he meets his untimely demise when the only exit tunnel collapses, trapping him inside.

As the group faces the harsh realities of their predicament, tensions simmer just below the surface. Billy (Dan Bakkedahl) seethes with resentment over being forced to relinquish his precious water supply, while May and Suzy find solace in each other’s company as they occupy the private area of the cave.

As day one draws to a close, Lucy’s attempt to rekindle her professional relationship with Freddie takes an unexpected turn when she tries to reciprocate his affections. However, Freddie has had enough of being played and refuses to participate in Lucy’s game, marking a turning point in their tumultuous dynamic.

As Day 2 unfolds, tensions escalate as Gloria unleashes a scathing accusation against Lucy, branding her a complete and utter nemesis. Jess and Freddie swiftly jump into the fray, revealing that Lucy’s most recent account, Vanderson Wealth Trust, has taken a drastic turn for the worse, with the company on the brink of financial collapse. The trio also accuses Lucy of pilfering their creative ideas, citing instances where she had profited from concepts they had initially conceived. Freddie takes a moment to share his own tale of woe, recalling that he was the mastermind behind the innovative concept of edible cutlery, only for Lucy to have previously cashed in on beauty product sales.

Fast-forward to Day 5, and Aidan’s lingering leg injury has morphed into a pungent stench that hangs heavy over the group. The situation is dire: they’ve depleted their food and water supplies, leaving them at the mercy of their surroundings. Freddie’s suggestion that they turn Brandon into sustenance sparks an intense debate, with Lucy firmly opposing the notion of cannibalism. A vote is held, and in a shocking turn of events, the group decides to make Brandon their next meal.

Billy’s discovery of one of Brandon’s missing arms sends shockwaves through the group, leading them to uncover Lucy’s hidden stash of his limb. It becomes clear that she had been secretly hoarding him for personal gain. Suzy drops another bombshell, revealing that she had a brief dalliance with Brandon mere days before the ill-fated office trip. Moreover, it emerges that Lucy never filed the necessary paperwork with the rangers, leaving their absence and whereabouts unknown to the outside world.

As Brandon’s remains are gradually consumed, the group finds themselves in the dark, both literally and figuratively. The battery in their emergency case runs out of juice, plunging them into darkness. Aidan suddenly reveals that he possesses a peculiar lamp that harnesses kinetic energy generated by his own hand motion to produce light. Freddie decides to lead Jess and Billy deeper into the cave system, driven by their collective desire to find an escape route.

Their journey takes them to a hidden underground oasis, where they stumble upon a life-giving source of water. However, when Freddie and Billy quench their thirst, they are suddenly overwhelmed by vivid hallucinations. As their headlamps fade to black, the trio stumbles back towards the cave where their remaining team members await, Lucy’s true nature and intentions still shrouded in mystery.

As the expedition enters its ninth day, Aidan’s condition worsens, his leg ravaged by the onset of gangrene. Amidst the growing despair, Gloria takes it upon herself to draft a will, stipulating that her remains be distributed among the group - with one glaring exception: Lucy. The tension between these two women has been palpable from the very start, their animosity simmering just beneath the surface like a toxic undercurrent. As the days pass, the rest of the team begins to turn against Lucy, their suspicions and resentment boiling over when they discover her true motives. It transpires that she had hired them - all members of minority groups - as part of a cynical ploy to fulfill her company’s affirmative action obligations, courtesy of a generous grant from the commission for minorities. The revelation sparks outrage and fear, as the team realizes they were mere pawns in Lucy’s game.

The situation reaches a fever pitch when a violent altercation erupts, sending Lucy tumbling headfirst onto a jagged rock. Miraculously, just moments later, rescue appears to be at hand. However, Lucy’s true nature is finally laid bare as she reveals her intention to imprison the entire team upon their liberation. Jess, fueled by a sense of justice and righteous indignation, rallies the group, and in a stunning display of solidarity, they unite to exact a brutal revenge upon Lucy.

In the aftermath, when the press arrives to scrutinize their story, the team presents a united front, concocting a fabrication that Lucy met her demise at the hands of a falling rock - while she slept.