User reviews

A very trite story. A comedy with few laughs. Lots of familiar faces in an attempt to attract viewers despite the thin plot. It's difficult to imagine anyone watching this movie and feeling it was time well spent. But while I can't recommend this Comedy Central TV movie, it has the distinction of being a long overdue vehicle for Milana Vayntrub ("Lily" in the AT&T commercials).

Vayntrub carries the film (such as it is) with the lead role and does a fine job, coming off as cute, sweet and interesting. She deserves better than "Out of Office." Hopefully, this will lead to other--better--projects for this talented actress.

The cast is ok but the story and script miss the mark.... There are directions in the story that could've been taken to make this a good comedy....same with the script.... Jay Pharaoh has some chops but needs to be pushed further to maximize the talent....it definitely wasn't the worst thing I've ever seen. Vayntrub was much better than expected....the movie just had so much potential that was never realized. It could've used a bit more physical comedy for effect....a couple of scenes just didn't make sense....then there was the ending....its weird to gather a bunch of comedians to do a movie that's not really funny.

Out of Office is a 2022 Comedy Central exclusive film that focuses on the reality of working from home via video chats. The film begins with Eliza (Milana Vayntrub) as she interviews with a technology company via video chat, and despite having no qualifications, manages to land the job by giving the boss horrible relationship advice. The film features an ensemble cast of well-known comedic actors -- Jason Alexander and Cheri Oteri star as Eliza's parents; Ken Jeong and Jay Pharoah star as members of the new company Eliza begins working with; Leslie Jones stars as Jeong's angry wife; and Jim Rash (Community) and Oscar Nunez (who seemed to channel Michael Scott in his role) are in supporting roles. The primary story of the film revolves around Eliza's entry into the company; the awkward connections between all of the employees; as well as a healthy dose of uncomfortableness surrounding the pasts and social lives of some of the characters.

All the comedy in the film is based on the idea of the silliness and distractions that can come from working at home. While there are certainly some laugh out loud moments (typically tied to the antics of Jeong), there are also a lot of jokes that fall flat and feel overly forced. In addition, the awkward dramatic elements (which mostly feature in the last third of the film) detract from the comedy and bring the mood of the film down quite a bit, leaving a less than satisfactory ending.

Overall, the film feels like an extended pilot for a television series that may be a bit too close to The Office to really be successful. It unfortunately also struggles with its identity a bit -- it begins as a typical comedy but ends more as a dramedy.

No plot, bad acting, feels like an overlong sitcom episode or a backdoor pilot for a potential series. The characters do nothing to move it along. Ken Jeong is especially grating and nowhere close to funny in this. Jason Alexander is present, but gets too little time and has nothing to do when he's on screen. Milana Vayntrub of "Lily AT&T" fame is somewhat miscast as the lead, would be better as a supporting character. This suffers from lack of story and bad acting all around. Don't bother watching, it's nothing more than another Comedy Central attempt to get a series and capitalize off a few 'names'.

Why would any company waste even the smallest budget on a movie like this? I mean you wasted people's time instead of entertaining them!

I really don't understand, are they high while commissioning this? From storyline it self to the script or the horrible acting and cast.

I know i sound like I'm smoking this movie but this is the truth, America has to understand that there's a whole world outside of USA where they can get inspired from or even consider when making a movie.

I can't forgive the fact that you made me sit through this thinking that someone might actually pull off an entertaining movie about "working from home" since its such relevant topic these days.

I feel sorry for the money wasted on this.

Eliza (Milana Vayntrub) gets fired. She can't keep a job. Her parents are concerned. She's living with them and they're selling the family home. She gets a new Zoom-based job run by Kyle (Ken Jeong). He has a contentious marriage to Ally (Leslie Jones) and Eliza has all the wrong advice.

This is a Zoom-based comedy that seems to come out of the pandemic. It has no rights to be funny, but Ken Jeong is unrelenting. He's the Michael Scott of this company. It helps that he's paired up with Leslie Jones. That's comedy dynamite. I wouldn't do number two, but number one could be more hilarious if he pees on the neighbor. Emily Pendergast and Chris Gethard are the next funniest. Jay Pharoah is playing the straight man. This is a bunch of sketch comedy people coming together. I want more Ken Jeong and staying with his marriage. That's the comedy with the best potential. The best comedic moments come from Eliza giving bad advice to the couples. The coq au vin is hilarious. That's a fun screwball comedy concept. Eliza should be paired up with Kyle. That's the pairing I want. They would try to save his marriage and maybe the Rocks... the Roqs... the Revers... the Rs.

Nothing like casting a third rate AT&T commercial "actor" on a third rate excuse for a "Comedy" network for a lackluster, disjointed mess of a "comedy" feature. Pretty much right on brand for a once good network that has become so lazy in their programming that it is nearly impossible to tune in at any point in the day and not see tired "The Office" reruns.

This was just an abysmal failure and "Lily" simply cannot act to save her life. She has no more business in a film or show than that talentless dolt who plays Flo in those annoying Progressive ads.

Not a funny moment in the entire thing, despite the fact that it featured the normally funny Ken Jeong. Please do not waste your time with this garbage.

"Comedy" Central should just combine with MTV and VH1 to form one unfunny and unwatchable network.

Nothing about this movie was funny. I don't think I've ever been so bored from a movie. Just kept waiting for it to go somewhere. Or at least be somewhat funny. The comedy is beyond childish. Having had to work from home I can say from experience. That not a single thing about this movie is close to real life work communication. Yes I get it's suppose to be a little far out but this crosses the line. Getting "strikes" on her first day.. etc. Like others have said, it looks as if it was filmed on an iPhone. Watched it twice just to be sure I wasn't judging too hard the first time. But was just as bad. I just can't imagine all the actors sitting there and saying "yep this is great". The AT&T girl was better in the commercials. Which sucked as well. I hope she doesn't think this is her big debut.

I don't understand the negative reviewed. It's a hilarious movie featuring a lot of familiar faces and side-splitting humor. It's an hour and a half of fun and distraction. You will not be sorry that you watched it. Ken Jeong and Leslie Jones steal every scene they're in. Jason Alexander makes some appearances and it's hard not to see an aged George Costanza. The gags and physical comedy are noteworthy as well. It definitely wreaks of the pandemic out-of-office live we were all forced to endure for so long. Some may not like it because it's smartly written with slapstick humor and a limited plot. It focuses on several individual stories co-mingled. Still - it's great. Have some coq au vin and enjoy. ;)

I laughed out loud multiple times. It was cleverly written, quirky, and a fun watch when you need something to pass the time. There were many recognizable faces, whether they had small parts or not, they worked together well.

Definitely better than a lot of the other streaming options lately. I didn't even know if I had Comedy Central, but apparently if you have Hulu Live, you do, so there ya go.

Also really liked the girl that played the lead (Eliza) and didn't realize she was the chick from the AT&T commercials. I'd like to see her in more stuff. Why is it so hard to get to the required number of words when I don't have anything left to say?

The movie is about as good as it's going to get within the first 2 minutes. That's what the whole movie is like. Disjointed, all over the place and just a bit like a long pilot for sitcom on TV. It could very easily just continue on as a series. Maybe one day they will do it. As a movie it's very weak. There is no overall story arc other than vaguely being about the end of a marriage that was so toxic it was better to end it. The lead is a lovely character that brings joy into everyone's life, even a kettle that burns the office space. I liked the movie, it was light hearted entertainment and I think it's watchable but seriously don't expect too much from this. It's a sitcom that goes longer...

The Office US was a tremendous success, the first 7 seasons anyway.

It had a creative juggernaut in the sleeve and a performance juggernaut on the screen. It was also done in simpler times, where the creative process wasn't hindered or even worst, battered, by the PC mob.

However, this show is the opposite of everything that made The Office great. It might be produced by some of the same people, but its worse in every way possible.

Secondly, its a Comedy Central creation... which despite the name, CC doesn't recognize comedy even if it smacks them on the head in broad daylight. They are the worse.

I feel bad for some of the cast members that proved themselves as comedic performers, but without a creative side, it was all doomed to fail.

I saw the ratings. I don't agree. Yes. It was a bit over-the-top but it's a COMEDY or sitcom. Michael Scott was over-the-top.

In a word, the movie was pleasant. It has nothing to do with The Office. The characters liked each other just like in The Office. People are flawed. Relationships are difficult. Because this was a movie, things were expedited. Milana was wonderful. Most of the characters were interesting and there is a desire to know more about each. Again, it's a sitcom and I can't think of any show in this genre where characters aren't a bit unreal at times.

There is potential here. It should be a series.

I had to pinch myself a few time to remember I wasn't watching the last sitcom released. It has so much potential for a tv series. Sort of the office version after covid time. It's fun, light, there so much interesting characters to explore.

The movie is about this new hiree and how she navigate her life both personal and with a new team. She is a solid main character

I spent a really good 1h40 and I don't understand the haters. I've started appreciating things for what they are and not what I wished. So for a low budget movie I found it really good and entertaining. No big actors here, but potential. They all played really well and I can't wait to see them all in other venture.

If you're looking for a compelling plot , then you will disappointed in this film . If you accept this comedy as just that , a comedy, then you will enjoy some good laughs and find this movie to be fun . An A-list cast brings us a familiar but new face to comedy film , Milana Vayntrub . Milana is bubbly and delightful in her role which surprisingly blends well with the cast around her . The characters in this movie are definitely exaggerated but I believe that just adds to the fun of the film .

The premise of the film is something most of us can relate to , especially post pandemic when most companies resorted to remote work. Even though the movie loses some of it's premise by the end , it still provides a satisfying conclusion .

Remember, don't take this film too seriously. Enjoy it casually and you will not be disappointed.

I really enjoyed this! It a very solid character-driven, quirky, small (in a good way) comedy.

This movie's humor comes from a real & relatable place. Being a human is hard. Interacting with other humans can make it easier and more uncomfortable. Now, try doing it all over zoom. The bits are ramped up for effect (of course) but not so much that it feels silly.

The cast is great all around. They commit to the humanity in their characters- which makes the more absurd moments land harder (and funnier). Everyone, even those with less screen time, has a moment that made me laugh out loud.

Given just how much content is out there- it feels like everything tries to be big for the sake of standing out. Big jokes, big plot, big twists - I like that this one felt comfortable living in those smaller, relatable spaces. It didn't make it any less funny or fun to watch.

Last thing- I really appreciated that the overall outlook of this movie is optimistic without being saccharine. Everything isn't tied up in a bow but you walk away feeling good. Haracter-driven, quirky, small (in a good way) comedy.

If you like explosions, car chases, murders, shootings, and dense plots, you can probably pass this movie. It's not in those categories.

If you want to pass a very nice evening that leaves you with a smile at the end of the movie, then yes, this is the movie to see.

Some say there is no plot. LOL. What??? This is not a thriller or a drama. It's a comedy. It has small plots like in real-life situations. It magnifies the little things that make the movie fun ;) It approach some sensitive issues, very lightly. I remember again, this is a comedy not a drama but could go that way if the writers wanted. They preffered to focus on the comedy part. If you love Seinfield, it's impossible not to like this movie.

This is a movie that I recommend to my friends.