Anthology Horror Comedy Grind (OVERLOOK) Seeks to Grit Through the Pain of Capitalism Despite Its Horrors
Title: Grind
First Non-Festival Release: TBD
Director: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty, Chelsea Stardust
Writer: Brea Grant, Ed Dougherty
Runtime: 104 Minutes
Starring: Barbara Crampton, Gigi Saul Guerrero, Rob Huebel
Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here
This film’s review was written after its screening at the Overlook Film Festival in 2026.
While the modern economic system of capitalism isn’t new to most of us, it is relatively new in the context of humanity. Regardless, every person experiences the chilling effects of unfettered growth and capital at the expense of what really matters: actual, living human beings. Something every tech CEO and bought-and-paid for politician doesn’t want you to realize is that it doesn’t have to be this way.
Anthology horror comedy Grind seeks to demonstrate the absurdity of our recent fealty to capitalism over the course of four interconnected short stories all related to a powerful company known as DRGN. In “MLM” a woman must hit her sales goals or else face the wrath of hilariously life-altering curses stuck to her due to consistent failure. A man is faced with an impossible time loop in his quest to deliver his latest customer’s food in “Delivery” while “Content Moderation” sees a man tortured with hours upon hours of violent, sexual, and otherwise disturbing videos for a social media company. Lastly, “Union Meeting” takes on the pains of collective bargaining at a company that has no desire for you to gain power.
A well-intentioned workplace horror comedy anthology, Grind uses high concept stories and sickly-sweet satire in its efforts to excoriate the worst excesses of capitalism.
Kicking off with a firm denouncement of pyramid schemes, “MLM” ensures the tone of Grind is introduced with consistency and style. Absurd to a fault, the comedy of “MLM” is as wacky as its horror. With the need for alternative and secondary sources of income, the hustle mentality of “MLM” is dangerous in both how ambition can shape someone for the worst or how the constant pressure to perform leads to burnout. This is depicted with uneven results in “MLM,” which puzzlingly resolves without much fanfare. It definitely elicits some chuckles though.
The most frustrating short, “Delivery,” gets stuck in a time loop that really dives into the ways in which these delivery service apps like DoorDash torture their employees. Affable enough, the horror of “Delivery” comes through the increasingly dangerous set of hoops that drivers are forced to make for the exchange. It goes to some interesting places but feels inconsequential in the end.
The strongest short of the collection, “Content Moderation” details the mental toil that social media can take on a person. Despite being forced to confront the worst of humanity every day, “Content Moderation” demonstrates the ways in which these entry level tech workers are used and abused. The string of disturbing videos, and the ensuing mental health effects afterwards are enough to make anyone think twice before clicking on that funny looking link. A clear satire of Meta, the short digs into the glee at which executives subject their workers and customers to harm. It drags a bit as it reaches its odd ending but “Content Moderation” manages to balance horror and comedy with solid results.
Taking on a Starbucks-like establishment, “Union Meeting” closes Grind out in a confusing burst of energy. Featuring one of the more inspired antagonists of the film, Grind gets sloppy and fun with its twisted take on unionization. This short certainly delivers some amusing workplace situational humor but is otherwise fine. Its politics are a little uneven and the utilization of its gimmick is surprisingly light, leaving the quirky creature feature feeling empty overall.
Grind benefits from its small directorial team, which allows for consistency in the anthology film, for better or worse. Each short is bright, flowery, and altogether silly featuring hammy performances amongst the wide ensemble cast and underwhelming attempts at humor. The politics are great even if the shorts themselves aren’t impactful.
The hit-or-miss comedy of Grind and its nearly absent horror makes for some head-scratching moments in an otherwise fine anthology. Without any true highs or lows, the relatively even set of shorts deliver surface level commentary on the crimes of capitalism. Cutesy acting, production design, and humor ties it all together. If you’re on Grind’s wavelength, it’ll work for you.
Overall Score? 5/10
