Extract (2009)

63% of critics liked it
(182 reviews)
37% of users liked it
(170,059 ratings)

Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins, and J.K. Simmons star in writer/director Mike Judge's comedy about a flower-extract plant owner contending with an ever-growing avalanche of personal and professional disasters. An employee at the factory has just suffered an… More Jason Bateman, Mila Kunis, Ben Affleck, Kristen Wiig, Clifton Collins, and J.K. Simmons star in writer/director Mike Judge's comedy about a flower-extract plant owner contending with an ever-growing avalanche of personal and professional disasters. An employee at the factory has just suffered an unfortunate accident on the assembly line, but little does the put-upon owner realize that things are about to get much worse. As the injured employee threatens to sue and it begins to look like his company will be bought out, the frazzled owner attempts to catch the culprit responsible for stealing wallets from the coat room and begins to suspect that his wife is sleeping with the gigolo he hired to seduce her. ~ Jason Buchanan, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 30 min.
Directed By: Mike Judge
Written By: Mike Judge
Genres: Comedy

In Theaters: Sep 4, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Dec 22, 2009
Studio: Miramax

Critic Reviews

Joe Baltake, Passionate Moviegoer
'Extract': Mike Judge's Retro Jack Lemmon Movie
A.O. Scott, At the Movies
There are so many good jokes packed in there.
Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News
The entire cast, in fact, seems to be having fun, with Affleck and Koechner cheerfully stealing each one of their scenes.
Amy Biancolli, Houston Chronicle
There are some priceless character turns.
Tom Long, Detroit News
It has all the ingredients for cult immortality and will likely live on long after this year's Oscar winners are forgotten.
Lisa Kennedy, Denver Post
These days, it appears to be a rare gift to do comedy in a way that comes across as smart, but never superior or willfully crass. Bateman has that talent to spare.
Neil Pond, American Profile
Extract doesn't have a memorable message, a moralizing mission or a satirical axe to grind. But if your life needs a little humorous flavoring, pour away.
Alistair Harkness, Scotsman
A decade on from his sublime white collar wage-slave comedy Office Space, director Mike Judge returns to the workplace for this gentle satire.
Allan Hunter, Daily Express
There is a lot of unconvincing, random plot, most characters are deeply unsympathetic and the women are poorly served by underdeveloped roles.
Peter Bradshaw, Guardian [UK]
Has many promising ingredients, yet somehow none of them quite gel.
Christopher Tookey, Daily Mail [UK]
The film is never funny enough, and comes across as dispiritingly mean.
David Edwards, Daily Mirror [UK]
Aside from being not all that funny, Judge's droll-ish observations on the small-mindedness of corporate America never hit the mark while there are too many go-nowhere plot diversions.
Adam Woodward, Little White Lies
Judge knows his game well enough, but too often the jokes feel like seasoning to a premise that is just slightly overdone.
Simon Reynolds, Digital Spy
Extract is the kind of economical comedy that's more about sly grins of acknowledgments and quiet chuckles than rolling in the aisles laughter.
Karen Krizanovich, Radio Times
A bemusing black comedy that is as unfocused as it is unbelievable.
Anna Pollitt, Sky Movies
Bateman is perfectly cast as the understated lead and Kunis works well as divisive eye candy, but it's the supporting actors who really shine.
Matthew Turner, ViewLondon
Mike Judge's latest comedy is never exactly laugh-out-loud funny but it's very enjoyable nonetheless, thanks to strong comic performances and a drily witty script.
Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall
Mixing absurd comedy with understated dialog, Mike Judge spins an amiable farce about marriage and work ethics
Ian Freer, Empire Magazine
Judge really feels for these losers, making this shaggy, unfocused fun.
Neil Smith, Total Film
Judge's latest doesn't linger long in the memory, generating more gentle chuckles than outand- out belly laughs. But it goes down smoothly enough...

Read all 21 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Matt G

I know I'm in the minority, but this movie is very funny to me. Everything about Mike Judge's Extract is delightful. From the story, to the script, to the acting; everything about this movie is a clear example of the way that Judge can put his audiences in a world of pure… More
I know I'm in the minority, but this movie is very funny to me. Everything about Mike Judge's Extract is delightful. From the story, to the script, to the acting; everything about this movie is a clear example of the way that Judge can put his audiences in a world of pure escapism containing outrageous humor. You can furthermore experience the greatness of Extract in Blu-ray, presenting theater quality video, but not so much for the sound department. It may lack in the special features department, but the feature film is delightful enough to Extract that flaw out of the question. Read the whole Blu-ray review at whysoblu.com
Joseph B

Classic Mike Judge. Ben Affleck is actually funny in this one. Worth a watch.
Robert C

This film could have been called "Widgets" or "Thumb Tacks" as the Extracts are merely a weak sub-plot for which this even weaker story is based. Impressive cast + good director does not = good film. Big disappointment.
First L

I happen to like Mike Judge films. No, he's not Woody Allen, but his films are clever and enjoyable in their own way. "Extract" is a little like a Coen brothers film, maybe a "A Serious Man" or "Burn After Reading" (it's even got J.K. Simmons… More
I happen to like Mike Judge films. No, he's not Woody Allen, but his films are clever and enjoyable in their own way. "Extract" is a little like a Coen brothers film, maybe a "A Serious Man" or "Burn After Reading" (it's even got J.K. Simmons in it, for Pete's sake), but one that never goes for the jugular. Jason Bateman plays the bored owner of an extracts factory (vanilla extract, for example) who's not getting any at home and hires a gigalo to attempt to seduce his wife (Kristen Wiig) in order to not feel guilty about cheating on her with the new girl at the factory (Mila Kunis), who is actually a scam artist. While the whole idea of hiring someone to seduce his wife might seem like a bad idea, in his defense, he was on horse tranquilizers at the time, as supplied by his stoner buddy (Ben Affleck). It sort of seems like the set up to some film noir, or at the very least a comedy of errors, but Extract is content to merely amuse, and not strain itself to break any new ground. There are some very gentle shots at the typical american worker as well as small town racism, but for the most part, there's nothing being said here either. Strangely enough, Extract winds up being a light-hearted dark comedy.
Cassie H

Average acting & average laughs, this movie is only ok. Office Space is 150 times funnier than this movie.
Julie B

Sadly, this was a less funny, less engaging version of Office Space set in a factory. With this great cast and director, I had been hoping for another stroke of genius. Le sigh.
Thomas J

Interesting and quirky. Fun but not anything exciting. Jason Bateman and Mila Kunis bring convincing portrayals; where as the rest of the cast is a little too over the top.
Alexis N

Awful! This movie made me hate everything and everyone. It's an everything-goes-wrong kind of film, but not done in the funny Jewish way. Stiller, Allen and Seinfeld have perfected it. Judge fails. I did/do love Office Space though.
Chris W

My grade is probably a bit inflated, but it's hard to ignore my bias toward Mike Judge. He gets workplaces. He gets satire too, even if the stuff on display here is more blunt and low-key than it probably should be. Although it is nowhere near the same level, this film had a… More
My grade is probably a bit inflated, but it's hard to ignore my bias toward Mike Judge. He gets workplaces. He gets satire too, even if the stuff on display here is more blunt and low-key than it probably should be. Although it is nowhere near the same level, this film had a fairly evident feeling of being Coenesque, which I consider to be a really good thing. In their hands, this would have been more of a masterpiece. As it stands, it's a gem, but it's really rough. It leaves a lot to be desired, and the humor is a tad too subtle in places, but I still laughed, and was still very much entertained. As decent as Bateman is, the supporting cast is where its at. Wiig is good, if slightly underused; Judge is his uncredited cameo is funny, as is a riotous Gene Simmons. It is Clifton Collins, Jr, Beth Grant, J.K. Simmons, and (most of all) Ben Affleck and David Koechner who really steal the show. Koechner is really funny, but Affleck manages to edge him out slightly. Everything about Dean is funny and appealing (as a character): his beard and hair, his mannerisms, his outlook on life...he's just this groovy wacked out cat, and it's definitely what Affleck needs to rebuild his still tarnished career. So yeah, this is a hit, albeit a minor one, but fans of any of the cast (even Mila Kunis is actually fairly believable), workplace comedies, deadpan delivery and humor, or Judge should find something to enjoy here.
Brian D

From the Mike Judge of King of the Hill and Office Space fame.Comes another office bound theme movie.I must say i was disappointed with it a little, was not a patch on office space in terms of comedy but this still has some good moments and Jason Bateman holds the whole movie together… More
From the Mike Judge of King of the Hill and Office Space fame.Comes another office bound theme movie.I must say i was disappointed with it a little, was not a patch on office space in terms of comedy but this still has some good moments and Jason Bateman holds the whole movie together with a special mention to ben affleck putting in a fun performance too. Recommanded for all mike judge fans.
Summer W

Quintessential Mike Judge; the film is just quirky enough to be whimsical (borderline slapstick in some parts), yes still serious enough to allow the audience to empathize with the characters bit.
Lewis C

Extract is better than Office Space. That's right, I said it. In fact, I'd say it was a good deal better. It's a much funnier comedy. The cast is awesome, and the story just was more interesting. I know next to nothing about the cubicle life, so maybe that's why I… More
Extract is better than Office Space. That's right, I said it. In fact, I'd say it was a good deal better. It's a much funnier comedy. The cast is awesome, and the story just was more interesting. I know next to nothing about the cubicle life, so maybe that's why I didn't connect with Office Space as well as some others did. But I don't know anything about factories, adulterous wives, pool boy gigolos, or horse tranquilizers, either - and that didn't stop me from enjoying the heck out of Extract Like I said before, it really is funny. I laughed-out-loud more times than I can count. It's not really broad-slapstick type humor, it's the kind of situations that you might see and laugh at in your everyday life. Just a bit more exaggerated. Jason Bateman was the perfect every-man character, Mila Kunis gave her best performance that I've seen, and Kristen Wiig basically stole the while movie. I think I'm beginning to fall in love with that woman. Anyway, Mike Judge still has the skills, and in my opinion he's better than he's ever been before. This is my favorite comedy of 2010, so far.
Manu G

Quite funny lol, it made me squeeze a few laughs but really it's a regular movie not much into it, very simple story with little effort from the actors. Joel, the owner of an extract manufacturing plant, constantly finds himself in precarious situations that steadily worsen by… More
Quite funny lol, it made me squeeze a few laughs but really it's a regular movie not much into it, very simple story with little effort from the actors. Joel, the owner of an extract manufacturing plant, constantly finds himself in precarious situations that steadily worsen by the minute. First, his soon-to-be floor manager acquires a serious injury in a machine malfunctioning accident that subsequently endangers the wellbeing of his company. Second, his personal life doesn't fair much better when he takes the advice of his bartending friend Dean during a drug-induced brainstorming session on how to test his wife's faithfulness. Finally, compounding these catastrophes is new employee Cindy, who happens to be a scam artist intent on milking the company for all its worth. Now, Joel must attempt to piece his company and his marriage back together all while trying to figure out what he's really after in life.
Nate Z

Writer/director Mike Judge's third movie isn't quite as funny or just plain fun as his previous pair, Office Space and Idiocracy. Set in a local factory, we follow the misadventures of the boss (Jason Bateman) as he deals with incompetent employees, looming lawsuits, and a… More
Writer/director Mike Judge's third movie isn't quite as funny or just plain fun as his previous pair, Office Space and Idiocracy. Set in a local factory, we follow the misadventures of the boss (Jason Bateman) as he deals with incompetent employees, looming lawsuits, and a wife (Kristen Wiig) who he feels disconnected with. What Judge has is two competing movies; one of them garners the bulk of the first 45 minutes and proves to be funny. The other gets most of the second half and plays out sloppy and dumb. The more interesting half involves Bateman trying to feel guilt-free about wanting to have an affair, so his friend (Ben Affleck, very funny) hires a clueless gigolo to seduce the wife. This scheme actually works but causes humorous complications, like when the gigolo keeps going back for more. This comedic scenario would be enough for one movie. The other half of the tale involves Bateman trying to sell the company but the buyer is wary of an impending lawsuit due to an accident on the work floor that left a man sans his testicles (so much wasted potential here). Mila Kunis is the sexy con artist behind the scenes, encouraging the ball-less worker not to settle. Obviously Judge had work-related gags he wanted to tackle, but he proves that his real interests lie in the complicated relationship comedy. Extract fumbles forward not knowing what kind of movie its really wants to be, so it settles for hackneyed solutions and abrupt endings. Extract would have been a better comedy completely removed from the workplace. Nate's Grade: B-
Jake .

Extract is not a work of genuis by any means at all, but it is by and large funny and entertaining to watch. My immediate response is to play this film up quite a lot. It is so much better than the other comedies I have seen recently, but at the same time it isn't all that… More
Extract is not a work of genuis by any means at all, but it is by and large funny and entertaining to watch. My immediate response is to play this film up quite a lot. It is so much better than the other comedies I have seen recently, but at the same time it isn't all that notable. I guess, if there was any kind of a overarching point to this movie, it completely sprung wings and flew over my head. There is nothing wrong with a film that simply sets out to amuse either. It just that, at times, Extract seems like it is trying to say something but just cannot spit it out. Still, it extreamely entertaining. One intesting note on the humor though is that its pretty much all drawn from stereotypes. They do not seem nearly as nasty as those in something like Bruno. While they are certainly over-the-top, the film is not nessarily condescending towards the people themselves. Most of characters largely seem to be the type of people one would actually meet. They are also fairly pleasant and human. They have flaws, but at the same time this could very well be you, it could be me. While they are not realistically portrayed, they seem more or less complete and plausible. The story is fairly confincing as well. The actual comedy is completely over the top, and it really stands out. Extract is not the most ingenuis thing I have ever seen, but it does what it sets out to do, it is funny.
Josh L

This is a highly enjoyable film with plenty of funny moments and a brisk running time that goes by quickly. The performances are uniformly good. Ben Affleck is very good as the stoner buddy to Jason Bateman's character, while Jason Bateman seems to be playing the same kind of… More
This is a highly enjoyable film with plenty of funny moments and a brisk running time that goes by quickly. The performances are uniformly good. Ben Affleck is very good as the stoner buddy to Jason Bateman's character, while Jason Bateman seems to be playing the same kind of character he has been playing in his last few roles. Kristen Wiig isn't her typical quirky self, restrained effectively by Mike Judge. David Koechner always turns in a great performance as the annoying neighbor. Don't be fooled by Mila Kunis' significant amount of time in the ads though, she isn't in the film much and doesn't do anything memorable with a very small part. I haven't seen any of Judge's other movies, but if this is anything to go by, I will be checking them out here real soon. Extract is one of the better comedies to come out in 2009.
Chris G

Joel Reynolds (Jason Bateman) is a self made man, hocking his mother's extract recipe into a huge house and nice car. His life has been perfect up until this point, but now his professional and personal lives will begin the downward spiral that he seems to believe is inevitable.… More
Joel Reynolds (Jason Bateman) is a self made man, hocking his mother's extract recipe into a huge house and nice car. His life has been perfect up until this point, but now his professional and personal lives will begin the downward spiral that he seems to believe is inevitable. Mike Judges returns with another work place saga in Extract, but instead of delving into the cubicle set Judge has decided to look at factory work and the ins and outs of running a business from small, to medium and then dealing with problems like a guy getting his nuts blown off. In the span of a few short days Joel has to deal with the little Workman's comp claim, a possible buy out from a larger competitor, the possibility of his wife's (Kristen Wiig) infidelity, his lust for the new temp girl (Mila Kunis) who is more than she seems, and finally having to deal with the neighbor (David Koechner) who can not shut up. Judge captures all of the personalities of a workplace with this film- the bitchy broads who will die there and don't work, the guy that thinks he knows everything, the new guy, and the people who don't speak English. The real difference between this film and Office Space is that the earlier film was more about the office. Sure, we delved into Peter's personal life, but it also went back to the office and the quirks that developed there. Extract is basically Joel's bad week. There's personal conundrums, but they have nothing to do with the job. This film would have been aptly titled "Joel Goes To Hell". It's basically an episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm without Larry David and not as funny. There are some bright spots, though. J.K. Simmons (who is also in everything and for whom I no longer worry about being type cast as a racist committing man-love on Oz) is really great as Joel's partner who doesn't know anyone's name, other than "whositz" and "dingus". This is a guy whose name you may not know, but his face is totally recognizable and I will point out that he is the only cast member that should be carried over to the Spider-man reboot. And we can't forget Gene Simmons as an ambulance chasing lawyer. Let's face it, any movie with Gene gets and extra star. Hell, even Runaway. So if you're going into Extract thinking it's the blue collar Office Space, don't bother. It's an acceptable comedy that really isn't anything special.
_kelly .

I'm too tired of mediocre movies to really write anything about this one. I guess I am like most people - I don't give a fuck about "Extract". Mike Judge you fucked it up. They gave you big distribution and promos on this one, and it's a shit movie. Back to… More
I'm too tired of mediocre movies to really write anything about this one. I guess I am like most people - I don't give a fuck about "Extract". Mike Judge you fucked it up. They gave you big distribution and promos on this one, and it's a shit movie. Back to being an indie for you then. You do better there.
Nicki M

Thought it might be a bit better than it was - it's main problem is the end is a bit flat, but on the whole enjoyed it. Not as good as Office Space, but a good DVD movie (wouldn't recommend going to the cinema to see it).
Luke B

I've been a fan of Officespace for much longer than I am prepared to admit. It makes me feel old. Judge's follow up, Idiocracy, was entertaining, but the premise was funnier than the majority of the film. With Extract, Judge has simplified things and allowed the comedy to… More
I've been a fan of Officespace for much longer than I am prepared to admit. It makes me feel old. Judge's follow up, Idiocracy, was entertaining, but the premise was funnier than the majority of the film. With Extract, Judge has simplified things and allowed the comedy to shine. Bateman is the typical comedy loser, things are bad and in his own twisted way of improving situations, he makes them worse. He's surrounded by a likable and endearing cast of supporting characters, each with their own humourous quirks. The dialogue is wonderful and the situations awkward. Kunis is perfectly cast and it's nice to see Wiig in a bigger role, even if she only shines towards the end. Not quite as observational or cutting as Officespace, but it still has it's moments.