Reacher Star Alan Ritchson Starred In A 2018 Zombie Movie That Flew Under Everyone’s Radar

Alan Ritchson is thought for taking part in the unstoppable motion hero Jack Reacher, however his pre-“Reacher” filmography is effectively price diving into, because it consists of a number of neglected gems. The 2018 horror comedy “Office Uprising” is one instance. While the movie is not precisely an underseen masterpiece, it’s price a search for Ritchson followers because it showcases alongside the actor that we do not typically get to see.

When you are taking a better have a look at his profession, Ritchson is remarkably prolific. Now that he is been catapulted to a brand new degree of fame together with his Prime Video sequence, we are able to certainly anticipate to see him branching out into extra areas, making his directorial debut, writing his personal tasks, and starring in additional different roles. Except, he is already performed all of that. In truth, I’ve performed all of it earlier than “Reacher” debuted and started breaking Prime Video records.

Prior to “Reacher,” Ritchson was the secret lead of a blockbuster fantasy movie. He additionally appeared in an neglected MMA movie known as “Above the Shadows” and even made a number of appearances on “American Idol.” What’s extra, Ritchson makes his directorial debut in 2021 with “Dark Web: Cicada 3301,” all of which is to say that his pre-“Reacher” canon is wealthy and different. If none of that piques your curiosity, how about an neglected zombie comedy that the actor noticed at peak depth?

Despite almost ruining his Jack Reacher audition, Alan Ritchson has come to completely embody the itinerant hero from the pages of Lee Child’s well-liked e-book sequence. As the hulking former navy policeman, he’s a stoic, laconic bruiser who prefers to talk together with his fists and by no means stays in a single place for longer than he must. In “Office Uprising,” Ritchson performed the precise reverse as a company drone who imbibes an power drink that turns him right into a raging zombie.

If you are questioning why you have by no means heard of “Office Uprising,” it is most likely as a result of the film was launched on one thing known as Sony Crackle. That platform was renamed Crackle shortly after the movie debuted, and it was shuttered altogether after its proprietor, Chicken Soup for the Soul Entertainment, went bankrupt. So, yeah, not precisely essentially the most prestigious platform on which to make your debut. That mentioned, “Office Uprising” maybe deserved a extra high-profile launch. At least Ritchson deserved a extra outstanding platform on which to showcase his skill to play loopy slightly too convincingly.

“Office Uprising” is directed by Lin Oeding, a martial artist and stunt performer turned filmmaker who beforehand directed Jason Momoa in the 2018 action thriller “Braven.” That motion B-movie was a heck of a number of enjoyable, and “Office Uprising” isn’t any totally different. Although it is a zombie film, it is as humorous as it’s horrifying. The movie follows Brenton Thwaites’ workplace employee Desmond Brimble as he discovers an power drink that is turning his colleagues at a company workplace into violent zombies. Ritchson, who starred alongside Thwaites in “Titans,” performs Bob, the top of the promoting division, who downs a can of the contaminated drink and turns into a part of the murderous hordes.

Alongside Brenton Thwaites and Alan Ritchson, “Office Uprising” additionally options Zachary Levi as Desmond Brimble’s boss, Adam Nusbaum; Jane Levy — who performed one in every of the best “Evil Dead” franchise characters — as his colleague and crush, Samantha; and Karan Soni as his buddy, Mourad Haryana. Desmond, Samantha, and Haryana are the one ones with an opportunity of creating it out alive as their colleagues flip into rabid zombies and their workplace block descends into violence and chaos. But first, they should discover out what the heck is within the drink that precipitated all this hassle to start.

Ritchson is nice in his function because the tweaked-out head of a company division. The appearing on this movie is not at all times nice, but it surely’s attention-grabbing to see the less-than-impressive performances alongside Ritchson’s, which is about as dedicated as they arrive. At one level, a stand-off between Ritchson and Levi results in a full-on freak-out from the previous, who’s slightly too good at that second and completely nothing like his taciturn “Reacher” counterpart.

“Office Uprising” does not have a essential rating on Rotten Tomatoes, however the “Popcornmeter” sits at a wholesome 82%. Meanwhile, the Letterboxd crowd appears to love the movie effectively sufficient, with customers describing it as “fun” and “clever,” although many admit to easily wanting to observe Brandon Thwaites for 88 minutes. If you are a Ritchson fan, the movie is certainly enjoyable. Otherwise, it is not precisely one in every of the greatest zombie movies ever madebut it surely’s an attention-grabbing one nonetheless. You can discover the movie on a number of rental platforms, together with Apple TV and Fandango.