Allison Eyres

Look, I'm in People Operations / HR and I found this movie so compelling from a parallel of the toxic work environment at a deeper level... Exploring the Chilling Parallels of Workplace Culture in 'The Mill' on Hulu During spooky season, I found myself curled up with Hulu's latest thriller, 'The Mill.' But what I expected to be a conventional horror flick turned into an unexpected critique of modern workplace culture, and I found myself pausing the film to dissect its symbolism with my boyfriend – much to his dismay. A Spoiler-Filled Synopsis 'The Mill' presents us with Joe, an archetype of the modern-day worker bee trapped within the hive of Mallard, a corporation that embodies the toxic workplaces many of us are all too familiar with. The twist? Joe's office is an ancient grist mill sitting in the middle of a dystopian open-air prison cell. His job? To push the mill to meet a seemingly straightforward quota of 50 rotations a day, in what Mallard deceptively dubs an "advanced career training seminar." The Brutal Realities of 'Overachieving' As the narrative unfolds, Joe – and the audience – quickly discover that merely meeting the quota is a setup for punishment. The real expectation is to consistently exceed the quota, as the desperate screams of those who don't serve as a nightmarish motivator. This harrowing metaphor slams home the corporate mantra that 'good enough' is far from acceptable. The Deceptive Game of Expectations Through Joe's interactions with a fellow 'coworker,' we learn the duplicitous nature of this mill's management style. Keep your quota to yourself to avoid becoming the baseline for others' achievements, and never surpass your quota by too much, or it becomes the new normal. It's a stark representation of the unwritten rules in many workplaces: the constant drive to outperform yesterday's best, often at the cost of one's wellbeing. The Hollow Rewards of Hard Work The film also delves into the superficial ways corporations acknowledge hard work: a custom engraved pen, encouraging words, motivational videos – gestures that often ring hollow compared to the relentless demands placed on employees. In Conclusion While my boyfriend might have hoped for a straightforward movie night, 'The Mill' provoked a deep dive into the unsettling similarities between its fictional world and our real-life work environments. It's a film that leaves you with more than just the fear of the supernatural, but a reflection on the all-too-real horrors of the workplace.