Roger Ebert gave the film three and a half stars out of four , calling it " well @-@ cast " and commending it for playing to each actor 's strengths . Ebert gave particular praise to Spacey , labeling him " superb " , and Aniston , judging her performance to be a " surprise " and a return to form , stating " she has acute comic timing and hilariously enacts alarming sexual hungers " . Ebert called Horrible Bosses " cheerful and wicked " . Lisa Schwarzbaum of Entertainment Weekly reacted positively , calling the film " a bouncy , well @-@ built , delightfully nasty tale of resentment , desperation , and amoral revenge " and complimented the casting of the protagonists and antagonists . The A.V. Club 's Nathan Rabin also praised the cast , stating that the picture " succeeds almost entirely on the chemistry of its three leads , who remain likeable even while resorting to homicide " , adding the " acting more than compensates for the film 's other failings . " Rabin singled out Day 's performance as " a potent illustration of how a brilliant character actor with a spark of madness can elevate a ramshackle lowbrow farce into a solid mainstream comedy through sheer force of charisma . " Edward Douglas of ComingSoon.net credited director Seth Gordon with having assembled " the perfect cast " , claiming " the six leads kill in every scene " , but echoed Nathan Rabin 's sentiments that Day is the " real standout " . Douglas summarized the picture as " dark fun that works better than expected due to a well @-@ developed script , an impeccable cast and a director who knows how to put the two together " . A. O. Scott of The New York Times stated " the timing of the cast ... is impeccable " and appreciated that the script did not attempt " to cut its coarseness with a hypocritical dose of sweetness or respectability " . The review concluded that " in the ways that count and even when it shouldn ’ t , Horrible Bosses works . "