Horrible Bosses 3 – When Quitting Isn’t an Option

In the world of cinematic comedy, very few trios are as dysfunctional—and as endearing—as Nick, Kurt, and Dale. After Horrible Bosses (2011) and its sequel in 2014, audiences were treated to two hilariously unhinged stories about workplace revenge, kidnapping, and plans that never go as expected. Now, after a long break, the boys are back in Horrible Bosses 3, the fictional third (and final?) chapter that proves one thing: if stupidity were a superpower, these guys would rule the world.

Blending absurd scenarios, outrageous dialogue, and a few genuinely sharp satirical punches, Horrible Bosses 3 is a welcome return to chaos—and a surprisingly fitting end to the world’s most incompetent crime crew.

Set five years after the events of the second film, Horrible Bosses 3 finds Nick (Jason Bateman), Kurt (Jason Sudeikis), and Dale (Charlie Day) having sworn off business ventures and criminal activity for good. Nick is now working in HR at a health tech company, Kurt manages a hipster barbershop, and Dale has become a reluctant parenting coach (yes, really).

But old habits die hard.

When the three friends attend a corporate “wellness retreat” hosted by a shady new motivational CEO named Skylar Vance (played in this fictional version by Bill Hader), things spiral quickly. The retreat turns out to be a front for a bizarre, cult-like self-help scheme that traps employees into signing lifelong, non-exit contracts.

After confronting Skylar, the trio is framed for embezzlement and workplace sabotage. On the run (again), they decide there’s only one way out: expose Skylar by infiltrating his tech fortress, stealing incriminating evidence, and escaping with their dignity intact. Or... what's left of it.

One of the franchise’s greatest strengths has always been the chemistry between its leads. Horrible Bosses 3 builds on that dynamic with clever callbacks, upgraded idiocy, and more layered chaos.

• Jason Bateman (Nick) remains the sarcastic voice of reason—or at least he tries. Nick’s dry commentary on every disaster helps ground the group, even as he ends up zip-tied to an office chair rolling down a hill.

• Jason Sudeikis (Kurt) is still as cluelessly confident as ever. This time, his obsession with “biohacking” productivity leads to a hilarious subplot involving nootropics, VR goggles, and an accidental hostage negotiation.

• Charlie Day (Dale) is the comic engine, panicking, squealing, and blurting out inappropriate confessions that somehow move the plot forward. Dale might be the dumbest of the three, but his heart’s always in the right place—even when his mouth isn’t.

Supporting characters also return:

• Jennifer Aniston is back as the wild and wildly inappropriate Dr. Julia Harris. Now running a podcast and a “wellness brand,” she offers to help… for all the wrong reasons.

• Jamie Foxx makes a quick but memorable appearance as “Motherf***er” Jones, still offering ridiculous street wisdom—this time involving cryptocurrency scams and escape routes through Costco.

Each film in the series has leaned into workplace satire, and Horrible Bosses 3 takes aim at toxic positivity, startup culture, and corporate brainwashing. Skylar Vance is a perfectly absurd antagonist: all smiles, TED Talk energy, and emotionally manipulative leadership quotes. His villainy lies not in overt cruelty, but in turning employment into a cult-like contract—and expecting his staff to thank him for it.

The script plays this concept for laughs, but the subtext hits hard: sometimes, the worst bosses are the ones pretending to be your friends.

Yes, the formula is familiar—three idiots come up with a bad plan, execute it worse, and somehow stumble their way to justice. But Horrible Bosses 3 finds freshness in its escalation and self-awareness.

The comedy ranges from slapstick to sharp, from crude to clever. Highlights include:

• An escape scene involving a malfunctioning AI security system that thinks Dale is the CEO’s “emotional support human.”

• A fake team-building exercise that becomes a real kidnapping.

• A live-streamed takedown of Skylar that accidentally goes viral during a company Zoom call.

There are even a few surprisingly tender moments—especially when Nick confesses he might miss the chaos, because “it’s the only time we actually do things right—by doing them wrong.”

Horrible Bosses 3 doesn’t try to reinvent the genre. Instead, it embraces its roots: three well-meaning losers with bad instincts and good intentions, trying to take down people who abuse power.

It’s a loud, messy, very funny commentary on how work culture continues to evolve—and how some bosses will always be horrible, no matter how trendy or “mindful” they pretend to be.

Whether this marks the true end of the franchise or opens the door for more misadventures, Horrible Bosses 3 is a satisfying, laugh-packed chapter that reminds us: friendship may not fix everything, but it definitely makes failure more fun.