The Temp (1993)

30% of critics liked it
(20 reviews)
17% of users liked it
(1,431 ratings)

The Temp is yet another installment in the 1990s thriller genre of "the conniving woman who gets back at all who stand in her way to success," as seen in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Single White Female, Basic Instinct, The Crush, The Babysitter, et al. In this rehash of the perennial formula,… More The Temp is yet another installment in the 1990s thriller genre of "the conniving woman who gets back at all who stand in her way to success," as seen in The Hand That Rocks the Cradle, Single White Female, Basic Instinct, The Crush, The Babysitter, et al. In this rehash of the perennial formula, Peter Derns (Timothy Hutton), a marketing executive for a cookie company that has recently been bought out by another firm, is forced to hire temporary help when his regular office assistant, Lance (Scott Coffey) takes paternity leave. Into the breach comes Kris Bolen (Lara Flynn Boyle), whose efficiency saves the day for the clueless Peter. Unfortunately for Peter's associates, her efficiency extends to killing off Peter's regular assistant upon her return to work by arranging an accident with a paper shredder. But Kris doesn't stop there, and Peter begins to notice a high body count of dead employees falling around him. Peter suspects Kris may be the culprit, but since he has just emerged from treatment for acute paranoia, he can't decide if he is imaging things or not. ~ Paul Brenner, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 39 min.
Directed By: Tom Holland
Written By: Kevin Falls
Genres: Mystery & Suspense, Drama

In Theaters: Feb 12, 1993 Wide
On DVD: Apr 16, 2002
Studio: Paramount Home Video

Critic Reviews

Janet Maslin, New York Times
As written by Kevin Falls and directed by Tom Holland, The Temp starts well and runs into trouble about midway through.
James Berardinelli, ReelViews
The Temp is as unimaginative as thrillers get, with a plot-by-numbers script and insipid direction.
Hal Hinson, Washington Post
Some of the movie plays as if it were intended to be tongue-in-cheek, but other parts are played straight, making it appear that Holland and his screenwriter Kevin Falls couldn't make up their minds about what sort of movie they wanted to make.
Sarah Chauncey, Reel.com
Cheesy, despite decent performances
Jamie Gillies, Apollo Guide
The gimmick of The Temp runs dry really fast and is not worth investing the time to see what happens.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
The Temp is a wholly ridiculous little thriller, yet it repeatedly goes above and beyond the 'so bad it's good' realm.
Walter Chaw, Film Freak Central
The Temp manages to involve and entertain in a crafty B-movie way even if what it is is only a fraction of what it promises.
Stephen Rebello, Movieline
If you're in need of a good giggle, go rent The Temp right now.