Office Space

Peter Gibbons is a disenchanted software company worker who spends his days in a cubicle maze, going through the motions while dreaming of something better. After trying a radical hypnotherapy session, he wakes up with a newfound carelessness for office rules and a fierce urge to live on his own terms. He stops pretending to enjoy the endless meetings and petty rituals, and his blunt honesty unsettles colleagues and managers alike. As Peter experiments with a freer attitude, he and a few coworkers begin to question the point of their soulless jobs and the culture that keeps them there. He discovers that rebellion ripples through office, turning tasks into choice and sparking a questionable scheme with bosses.

Directed by Mike Judge, Office Space is an original screenplay by Judge. Released in 1999, the film lampoons white collar life with sharp humor and a keen eye for the absurdities of corporate culture. Its bite remains fresh decades later.

Over time the film spawned a wave of quotable lines and visual gags, from the red stapler to the infamous TPS reports. It helped define a template for workplace comedies that mix realism with surreal energy. Its lines and visuals still surface in memes about office life and corporate greed.

Critics saw it as a blunt yet affectionate critique of corporate bureaucracy and the grind of modern work. It resonates with anyone who has felt trapped by paperwork and meetings, offering a brisk, hopeful case for autonomy, friendship, and small acts of defiance. Its sharp humor still lands today.

The film did not rack up major nominations on its initial release, but it has earned a lasting reputation as a cult favorite that influenced later comedies about work and office life. It remains a touchstone for generation X and beyond. It is often cited in lists of influential comedies.