Director Aaron Fisher Talks About His Horror Dark Comedy Film ‘Corporate Retreat’ That Stars Odeya Rush, Alan Ruck, Sasha Lane, Ashton Sanders, Kirby Johnson, and Rosanna Arquette

Aaron Fisher directs the film ‘Corporate Retreat,’ a savage horror–dark comedy that sends a group of ambitious young executives on a luxury team-building escape—only to strip it down into a brutal, blood-soaked fight for survival. Equal parts vicious satire and survival nightmare, the film skewers corporate culture while unleashing graphic carnage, pitch-black humor, and jaw-dropping twists that ensure nobody’s performance review is safe. In addition to being the director, Aaron also co-wrote ‘Corporate Retreat’ with Kerri Lee Romeo. Learn more about Aaron Fisher’s experience with creating and working on the film in the interview below:

Wendy Shepherd: Who or what persuaded you to write the eye-popping ‘Corporate Retreat’ horror-comedy story?

Aaron Fisher: My father’s experience losing a company he co-founded. I knew it was a rough experience for him. My father is a really nice guy, and my family is close knit, but I wondered what might happen if my dad were a psycho killer? How would he get revenge on his former colleagues for kicking him out of his own company? Might he trap them in a fake corporate retreat so he could torture them to death? Speaking of Christopher Nolan’s new film, it’s almost like the story of Odysseus’ return home. Odysseus murders the suitors (or his fellow colleagues) after trapping them, one by one. In the same way, the fictional CEO Arthur has come back to get revenge.

WS: Alan Ruck, most known for the television show ‘Succession,’ seems perfect for the role of Arthur Scott, was he your first pick for the role? How did you get him involved with the film?

AF: Alan Ruck was a dream choice for Arthur Scott. My producer, Uri Singer, got in touch with his agent, and I got lucky! Alan really loved the script and my first meeting with him was over Zoom. We spoke about the comedy in the film.

WS: Why did you feel there should be a cult tie-in with his character and the story?

AF: I wanted Arthur to have two armed helpers to carry out the torture. Who in real life would do this for him? I thought that if he was really charismatic he might have a cult following.

WS: What were your thoughts about bringing in an unexpected spunky guest, Ginger (Odeya Rush), to the retreat?

AF: Ginger is an outsider. She wasn’t supposed to be on this retreat. In a similar way, Arthur is an outsider, since he was kicked out of this company.

WS: Tell me about the other characters and why you cast the actors for those roles?

AF: There’s a great ensemble cast in the film. I got really lucky to work with such a great and talented cast. Every actor was just super talented and fun to work with.

WS: There is a lot of gore and effects in the film, what made you choose to work with Gary J. Tununicliffe to help fulfill the visuals?

AF: Gary is really great! I wasn’t actually familiar with his work until our producer Uri Singer introduced us in a meeting. In the first meeting with Gary, he was already explaining to me exactly how we were going to do some of the bloodiest scenes in the film with only practical effects. I was immediately convinced he was the right person for the job.

WS: What are some challenges you had to overcome for this film?

AF: Everything! Every part of the film was difficult. I worked as hard as I could. I said that about my first feature film, too. People would ask me what the hardest part of making the film was. And I would always respond, it was every second of the movie. I enjoy the work though. I love working on set, even when sometimes things don’t always go smoothly and it can be stressful. But that’s to be expected. I remember before shooting my first film, my producer told me to “remember that anything that can go wrong on set will go wrong.” And that’s sorta accurate. Random things come up and as a director, you have to be able to roll with the punches. It can be a chaotic environment and you have to be calm, cool and collected like a medical doctor. You have to lead with the mindset that any unexpected situation is ultimately fixable.

WS: Tell me about the filming location, why was this the prime spot for the setting of the ‘Corporate Retreat’?

AF: Well it was right out of Los Angeles, so that helped with getting a great cast. The house was perfect for the film because it had a really nice, huge great room where most of the film takes place. I was looking for a house with a great room with plenty of windows, tall ceilings, and many different ways in which to stage the actors.

WS: What do you hope audiences take away from watching ‘Corporate Retreat’?

AF: I hope that they are inspired to make films themselves!

WS: Thank you for taking the time to talk about your latest film! 

Audiences can watch the trailer below:

Western Film Service originally released ‘Corporate Retreat’ in theaters and it is now streaming on demand in the U.S. and Canada. You can watch on Prime here.

*Aaron Fisher’s head shot is by Theo & Juliet Photography.