Blog Project 1
The Cultural Mirror of Severance: A Critique of Modern Work and Identity Severance (Apple TV+, 2022) is a perfect example of horror reflecting social fears when processed over time, as it is very much a product of 21st-century fears surrounding employment and human identity. Presented by Dan Erickson and directed by Ben Stiller, Severance works as a psychological thriller and dark workplace satire to achieve a dystopian understanding of what life could be if companies go too far in employee ownership, offerings, and desirable identity and brand construction. Through an examination of the themes of the show, its current relevance, and the narrative structure employed, I will prove how Severance operates not only as a horror narrative but as a cautionary tale about such corporate realities that shape our existences. The premise and context Severance is set in the walls of a company dubbed Lumon Industries, which allows its employees to undergo a surgical p...