History Film / TheBelkoExperiment

Gunn was inspired to write the film's screenplay in 2007, with the main premise [[BasedOnADream coming to him in a dream]]. Although the film was greenlit with Gunn attached to also direct, he ultimately turned down the opportunity and moved onto other projects. In 2014, a producer from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer called Gunn expressing interest in making the film; while he was too busy working on ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' to direct it, he agreed to produce it while being given full creative control.

* ActualPacifist: [[spoiler: Raziya, the Muslim woman, witnesses a bunch of Belko employees (including Vince) stomp one of Barry's gunmen to death (in self-defense, no less) and can only scream for them to stop.]]

* ApologeticAttacker: [[spoiler: A completely heartbreaking one from Vince to Raziya right before he shoots her.]]

* DecoyProtagonist: More like "Decoy Final Girl".[[spoiler: Dany Wilkins was genre savvy enough to survive the majority of the game by hiding and avoiding Barry and his crew. The movie builds it up that she might survive the game but made the mistake of getting on an elevator, which led to her getting shot by Barry.]]

* EvenEvilHasStandards: [[spoiler: Nobody approved of Wendell stabbing Evan for cardinal sin of throwing the armory keys down the stairs. Terry is downright horrified and even Barry is shown to be visibly annoyed.]]

* GentleGiant: Vince Agostino is friendly guy and accommodating boss who takes time to teach new hire Dany the ropes. On more than one occasion used his great strength to move someone to safety; like a wheelchair bound lady. [[spoiler: Unfortunately, by the final stage he completely flips his gourd.]]

* HeroOfAnotherStory: [[spoiler: The ending shows 39 other people that won their own "game."]]

* LaserGuidedKarma: [[spoiler: Lonny accidentally kills Bud in a fit of panic when he just trying get Lonny to calm down. Then Lonny gets accidentally killed by Dany when he desperately tries to force her to keep quiet about whole mess.]]

** [[spoiler: Leandra was among the most cynical of the group, yet when she had a pleading Terry (whom earlier came within a hairbreadth of shooting Mike AND her) on the ground and every right to split his head open, Leandra shows Terry mercy.]]

* GenreSavvy: Mike immediately realizes that the scenario is so illegal that there is ''no'' way they will ''ever'' let any of them go, even if they "win". [[spoiler:He's right.]] He is also the only one that noticed something off about the security personnel.

Then one day, after all the employees arrive to work, a voice on the intercom gives a simple order: two employees must be killed in the next half-hour, or there will be "repercussions". The employees' shock and disbelief at the request turn to horror when the extents of the repercussions are made clear, after which everyone is then locked in the building and forced to participate in a deadly game of kill-or-be-killed.

* WhatYouAreInTheDark: One could argue this is the whole point of the experiment.

* ActualPacifist: [[spoiler: Raziya, the Muslim woman, witnessing a bunch of Beliko employees including Vince stomp one of Barry's gunmen to death (in self-defense no less) can only scream for them to stop.]]

''The Belko Experiment'' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was released on March 17, 2017.

->''"All employees... lend me your full attention."''

Then one day, after all the employees arrive to work, the loudspeaker gives a simple order: ''"Kill three of your co-workers, or we will kill six others."'' Everyone is then locked into the building and forced to participate in a deadly game of kill-or-be-killed.

Gunn was inspired to write the film's screenplay in 2007 [[BasedOnADream after having a dream about the main premise]]. Although the film was greenlit soon after with plans for shooting to take place in Brazil with Gunn directing, he ultimately turned down the opportunity. Gunn then moved onto other projects, after which a producer from Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer called him expressing interest in making the film; while he was too busy working on ''Film/GuardiansOfTheGalaxy'' to direct it, he agreed to produce it while being given full creative control.

* ClusterFBomb: Several characters drop a few here and there, but Marty takes the cake. Every other sentence out of his mouth contained the f-word even before things got real.
* CharactersDroppingLikeFlies: 80 characters and 79 need to die within 88 minutes of movie. Deaths are ''very'' common.

** A woman Raven gets scared, picks up a fork to protect herself and goes into a fighting stance. Barry calmly walks over to her and gives her much needed hug while gently taking the fork from her hand.

* CruelAndUnusualDeath: Lots. Heads exploding by implanted bombs, face smashed with an axe, hacked to death with cleavers, crushed by an elevator...

* DownerEnding: [[spoiler: Mike survives but many of his friends and co-workers including his girlfriend are dead and the experiment isn't over as he and many others who survived are once again forced to compete in another round.]]

* FaceHeelTurn: Several either due to panic, desperation, or just raw pragmatism. Some quicker than others.
* {{Foreshadowing}}: [[spoiler:During Mike's fight with Barry, they knock over an introduction voice over Powerpoint of Belko Industries, which mentions its forty offices. When Mike ends up becoming the final survivor, the ending reveals that ''indeed'', there are forty survivors of the experiment]].

* OnlySaneMan: Mike, out of all the Belko employees he is most rational. When the "experiment" is first announced, Mike immediately attempts get everyone to calmly evacuate building. The majority thinks it's just some kind of prank, which Mike admits it likely is but still insist on leaving just be on the safe side.

* TheReveal: [[spoiler:Mike survives out of all his office workers after he kills the heads. But the screen at the end shows that '''''FORTY''''' other people did the experiment too, a majority of them covered in blood and holding weapons. And then [[SequelHook the voice over mentions that "Round 2" will begin now]]]].
* RoaringRampageOfRevenge: The [[spoiler:sole survivor manages to kill all the guards and scientists running the experiment as revenge for what they did.]]
* SadisticChoice: Kill 30 of your coworkers yourself, or we kill 60.
* SanitySlippage: Barry, who goes from the most collective to [[spoiler: flat out doing an execution in the lobby and then just goes on a killing spree when Belko orders that anybody with a high kill count will survive]].

* SequelHook: The film ends with the reveal that [[spoiler:Belko is a huge corporation with many, many locations... all of which were performing the same experiment. A voice over states that "round two" has commenced, implying that all of the survivors are going to be placed in another experiment, not let free as promised.]]

* ShootTheShaggyDog: Dany, the new hire on her first day, is built up throughout the film as a possible FinalGirl, as she's survived various situations and has had several scenes devoted to her sub-arc, [[spoiler: only to be killed nonchalantly by Barry as soon her elevator door opens.]]

* TheStoner: Marty. Heck, his debut scene is him smoking a joint in the bathroom. Once the situation takes turn for the worse, however, he exhibits behavior akin to getting high with mushrooms instead of marijuana.
* StupidEvil: [[spoiler:The ending borders on ''stupidest evil'' and crosses with TooDumbToLive. Mike is the sole survivor, and is brought before the {{Entitled Bastard}}s responsible for the murders of his coworkers and ''told to do a questionnaire'' on the experience? It doesn't end well for them. They're [[NonActionBigBad easily disarmed and dispatched]].]] [[spoiler:Of course, they're just the decoys for the real masterminds. But still exceptionally stupid.]]

* ThereCanBeOnlyOne: [[spoiler:"Game" three is that only the one with the most kills gets to leave.]]

* TrailersAlwaysSpoil: In a sense. The poster? [[spoiler:It depicts the final kill before the final survivor is released.]]

* WaterSourceTampering: Marty, unable to comprehend that the game is ''actually happening'', believing that they are all hallucinating due to "something" in the water.

* WouldHitAGirl: Women are killed just as indiscriminately and brutally as the men.

A 2016 horror-thriller film written and produced by Creator/JamesGunn, and directed by ''Film/WolfCreek''[='=]s Greg [=McLean=], ''The Belko Experiment'' premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival, and was released on March 17, 2017.

Belko Industries is a non-profit organization that facilitates American companies in South America. Eighty Americans work at the Belko offices in Bogota, Colombia. It's a normal, corporate job.

Then one day, the loudspeaker gives a simple order: ''"Kill three of your co-workers, or we will kill six others."''