--- title: "Office Space" year: 1999 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/office-space" fi1m_id: "office-space" imdb_id: "tt0151804" tmdb_id: 1542 wikidata_id: "Q1044523" fi1m_score: 80 critics_score: 68 critics_reviews: 6 published: "2026-09-14" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:14.639241+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Office Space (1999) Directed by Mike Judge · 1h 30m · MPA R · Comedy ## Identity Office Space - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/office-space - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** office-space - **IMDb ID:** tt0151804 - **TMDB ID:** 1542 - **Wikidata ID:** Q1044523 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0151804/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/1542, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1044523 **Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 68 from 6 reviews *In a sentence:* Gary Cole makes unemployment look like a sensible career choice > Mike Judge’s *Office Space* is a sharply observed workplace comedy, with Gary Cole and Stephen Root making small humiliations painfully funny. The thin plot loses force in the final third, but the people are worth staying for. ## Synopsis White-collar workers chafe against office routines, petty management and the frustrations of jobs that seem to offer little beyond more work. As employees push back, office politics and relationships become the subject of a comedy that also takes in romance, restaurant etiquette and troublesome technology. Ron Livingston plays Peter, alongside Jennifer Aniston as Joanna, David Herman as Michael Bolton and Ajay Naidu as Samir. Gary Cole plays Bill Lumbergh, while Stephen Root is the much-put-upon Milton. Mike Judge writes and directs a story about the everyday indignities of working life. ## Review Mike Judge understands how little an office needs to do to make its employees miserable. A tiresome routine, a petty manager and the knowledge that the same thing awaits tomorrow will do. *Office Space* is a funny, observant comedy that trusts those everyday grievances for most of its 90 minutes, and we recommend it with a reservation about the thin story. Judge’s screenplay is strongest when work itself supplies enough trouble without much plot getting involved. Ron Livingston keeps Peter’s dissatisfaction quiet enough to be recognisable, giving the film room for louder grievances around him. David Herman’s Michael Bolton and Ajay Naidu’s Samir make that frustration feel shared across the workforce. The joke about Bolton’s name is slight, but Herman gives the annoyance enough conviction to sustain it. Jennifer Aniston’s Joanna is agreeable company in the romantic scenes, though those scenes are less sharply observed than the workplace relationships. Gary Cole is especially good as Bill Lumbergh, making managerial pettiness feel capable of occupying an entire working day. He need not turn the boss into a monster; the small aggravations are quite sufficient. We laughed at Milton’s discomfort, then regretted it. Stephen Root makes his mistreatment feel so ordinary that laughing starts to feel like joining in, and Judge lets that discomfort persist alongside the jokes. Tim Suhrstedt’s cinematography keeps the cubicle setting plain enough for the performers’ discomfort to hold our attention. Edward T. McAvoy’s production design gives those frustrations a credible home, with the office technology contributing to the irritation. The effect is satisfyingly mundane. These are surroundings in which a small inconvenience can seem enormous, especially when there is no prospect of leaving for several hours. David Rennie’s editing serves the deadpan humour well, giving the characters’ exasperation time to register. The individual encounters feel more assured than the way they fit together, and the momentum weakens as the story needs to go somewhere. John Frizzell’s score is a modest asset, supporting the comedy without becoming its main source of energy. The performances supply that, even when the screenplay is asking them to carry a little too much. That becomes a problem in the final third, when Judge has less to offer than the precision of his early observations promised. The plot is too thin to sustain the interest generated by the people, and the romantic material does not fully compensate. The cast remain engaging, but the film starts to run out of useful things for them to do. The loss of comic force is noticeable even within a 90-minute running time. Workplace comedy can settle for an assortment of eccentrics and a shared dislike of the boss. Judge gets further by noticing how routine and petty authority wear people down, though he struggles to give those workers an equally interesting story. Cole and Root keep the complaints personal enough to matter. Watch it after a trying day, with someone who will not spend the next hour explaining that their office is worse. *Fi1m score 80, published 14 September 2026.* ## What the critics say Most critics respond warmly to Office Space, with praise centred on its recognisable account of corporate pettiness and the routines that wear office workers down. The reviews favour the sharp observation and deadpan humour, finding the frustrations of low-level employees convincing enough to give the absurdity some bite. Characterisation also draws praise: the beleaguered Milton stands out, while the broader cast helps make the workplace complaints feel specific rather than merely familiar. The disagreement concerns how well those observations sustain a whole film, and the spread is wide despite the positive majority. The Hollywood Reporter praises the comedy but finds the plot thin, while Radio Times enjoys the offbeat jokes and finds the final third disappointing. Empire is the sharp dissenter, dismissing the comedy as shapeless and its premise as poorly developed, with Stephen Root’s Milton the sole exception. For the more enthusiastic critics, the accuracy and humour are enough. ## Straight answers **Is Office Space worth watching?** *Office Space* is worth watching for anyone who has ever sat through a pointless meeting, and we scored it 80. Mike Judge’s workplace comedy is funniest when petty management and tiresome routine supply the trouble, with Gary Cole and Stephen Root outstanding. The thin plot loses force in the final third, but the people carry it. **How long is Office Space, and what is it rated?** *Office Space* runs 1h 30m and is rated R by the MPA in the US. It is a comedy film. **Where can I watch Office Space in the US?** *Office Space* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is Office Space, and is it suitable for children?** *Office Space* is neither violent nor frightening, but its 15 certificate reflects adult language and workplace humour aimed squarely at grown-ups. The comedy is about small humiliations rather than anything alarming, so the squeamish have nothing to fear. Children would find little in it; teenagers with an eye on their first job may recognise more than they would like. **How does Office Space compare to The Apartment?** *Office Space* is the lighter and shorter of the two, a deadpan comedy about routine and petty bosses, where [*The Apartment*](https://film.one/film/the-apartment) is a sadder, more romantic film about compromised loyalties. Billy Wilder’s is the richer and better-made picture, though it takes its time in the second half. Choose Judge for laughs after a trying day, Wilder for something that lingers. **What should I watch after Office Space?** After *Office Space*, try [*The Apartment*](https://film.one/film/the-apartment) (1960, Fi1m 91): Office politics and compromised loyalties, with more romance and a deeper sadness. Then [*Playtime*](https://film.one/film/playtime) (1967, Fi1m 88): Modern workplaces become elaborate obstacles in a comedy that rewards looking around. ### Reviews we read (7) - **Los Angeles Times**, Kevin Thomas (85/100, inferred): Thomas praises the sharp and funny film as a zesty live-action debut that works as both a white-collar romantic comedy and a crisp satire of corporate realities. He singles out the shrewd observation, inspired humor, and deftly defined characters throughout the cast. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-mn-office-space-review-19990219-story.html) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (85/100, inferred): Ebert calls the film a comic cry of rage against the nightmare of modern office life and its crushing routines. He singles out the sharp, believable satire of cubicle culture and memorable characters like the beleaguered Milton. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/office-space-1999) - **Variety**, Joe Leydon (80/100, inferred): Leydon finds the satirical comedy about white-collar wage-slavery frequently uproarious and dead-on accurate with its barbs. He notes the deadpan absurdism and accessibility that should appeal especially to office workers. [Read](https://variety.com/1999/film/reviews/office-space-1200456616/) - **The New York Times**, Stephen Holden (75/100, inferred): Holden describes the film as a moderately savvy satire that distills the pettiness of office life through its portrait of a middle-management boss. He highlights the relatable frustrations of low-level corporate workers rebelling against the system. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/1999/02/19/movies/film-review-one-big-happy-family-no-not-at-this-company.html) - **Radio Times**, Jason Caro (3/5): This unconventional satire of work relationships and office politics is one of the oddest studio comedies in years, with quirky humour from the creator of Beavis and Butt-head. Offbeat jokes cover references to Michael Bolton and Superman III as well as swipes at restaurant etiquette and office technology, though it is not for all tastes and the final third disappoints. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-0ue07q/office-space/) - **Empire**, Ian Nathan (20/100, inferred): The film is a shapeless comedy of little merit that fails to capitalise on its promising office satire premise. The only standout element is the performance of Stephen Root as the abused Milton. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/office-space-review/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Michael Rechtshaffen: The critic calls Office Space an extremely funny white-collar satire that will strike a familiar chord with office workers everywhere, praising its askew characters and performances. The main complaint is that the thin plot struggles to sustain feature length. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/office-space-review-1999-movie-1086336/) ## Details - **Director:** Mike Judge - **Director:** Mike Judge - **Screenplay:** Mike Judge - **Cinematography:** Tim Suhrstedt - **Editor:** David Rennie - **Music:** John Frizzell - **Production design:** Edward T. McAvoy - **Costume design:** Melinda Eshelman - **Producer:** Michael Rotenberg, Daniel Rappaport - **Cast:** Ron Livingston as Peter; Jennifer Aniston as Joanna; David Herman as Michael Bolton; Ajay Naidu as Samir; Diedrich Bader as Lawrence; Stephen Root as Milton; Gary Cole as Bill Lumbergh; Richard Riehle as Tom Smykowski - **Runtime:** 1h 30m - **Certificate (MPA):** R - **Release (the US):** 19 February 1999 - **Genres:** Comedy - **Budget:** $10 million - **Box office:** $13 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_fG_zLbBeU ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, uhd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-14.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RS, SE, SG, SI, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## If you liked this - *The Apartment* (1960), Fi1m 91: Office politics and compromised loyalties, with more romance and a deeper sadness. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-apartment.md) - *Playtime* (1967), Fi1m 88: Modern workplaces become elaborate obstacles in a comedy that rewards looking around. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/playtime.md) - *Clockwatchers* (1997): Temporary office workers find friendship while their employers barely acknowledge their existence. - *The Death of a Bureaucrat* (1966): Cuban bureaucracy supplies the obstacles in a darker comedy of administrative futility. - *Severance* (2022): Corporate control turns sinister, with office rituals made stranger and more unsettling. --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/office-space