The Ax (2005)

Bruno loved his job as a middle manager at a paper company, but optimistically views being laid off as an opportunity. After two years of searching for a comparable position, optimism turns to desperation. His wife works two jobs, and their marriage slowly deteriorates as their hold on the middle class slips away. Bruno concocts a grimly audacious plan to identify and kill his fellow job applicants so that he is the only qualified person left.

Genres: Comedy, Crime, Drama, Thriller

What to watch after The Ax

• Amen. (2002) — Costa-Gavras directed both
• The Aura (2005) — Same feel: dark, thought-provoking
• State of Siege (1972) — Costa-Gavras directed both
• Z (1969) — Costa-Gavras directed both
• The Butcher (1970)
• I Hired a Contract Killer (1990)