Dark Secrets on the Corporate Bus Ride from Hell

When office camaraderie turns into infernal reckoning, Team Bonding takes us on a claustrophobic and sharply written journey into the souls of the damned—literally. In this exclusive interview, screenwriter Michael K. Ede opens up about the twisted inspiration behind his horror-comedy script, the challenges of writing reprehensible characters, and why no one should get too comfortable with their co-workers.

What begins with a meme and a wicked sense of humor becomes a subversive narrative that traps a corporate team on a bus to hell, exposing their darkest secrets and unforgivable sins along the way. Ede doesn’t just flirt with taboos—he leans into them, crafting a story that is equal parts shocking, hilarious, and deeply human. And perhaps most chillingly, he does it with a smile.

What inspired you to write Team Bonding, and what themes or ideas were you hoping to explore?

I was sending memes back and forth to a close friend of mine as I follow an account on Instagram of kids hurting themselves in various ways (don’t worry, the parents that post these say the kids were fine afterward lol), and I sent him one of a kid driving a motorized car through a fence with him on it and we both laughed so hard. My friend texted me saying we are going to hell for laughing at these and it triggered a switch in me. What if we did? Would we know? Also… what if I put this story into a corporate setting and confined everyone to a bus? Do people really know their co-workers? Their dark secrets? Once I got this idea the script basically wrote itself lol.

What was the biggest challenge you faced while developing this screenplay?

I was worried about the content. In order to ensure this story played out the way I wanted it to, I needed to ensure the characters on board the bus were truly bad people—racists, adulterers, murderers… so this meant the dialogue would need to be somewhat upsetting to some to make the ending satisfying.

Can you share any unique or memorable experiences during the writing process?

I remember sending my mother the final draft of this script and she called me immediately after reading it and said: “Michael, you can’t say words like that in scripts!” and I was like: “Mom, they’re bad people who went to HELL for doing so!” She laughed as she realized this was why I needed to use the tough dialogue. I was worried about the content and how festivals/contests would take it, but this script has been a finalist in many and even won a few… so I think the readers understand.

How do you approach creating suspense and fear in your scripts?

For me, I try to write scenarios and scenes that people could see themselves in and really try to drive home how real people would react.

Are there any specific films, writers, or personal experiences that influenced Team Bonding?

I really couldn’t find anything like this before, which was very appealing to me. But I also love that corporate horror hasn’t been played out in film and, in my eyes, has been underutilized, which makes this story prime for the making.

What do you hope audiences will take away from this story once it’s produced?

The characters are great! I think actors will really want to sink their teeth into them. Also, I’m really hoping the ending isn’t spoiled until the very end. Most of my readers didn’t catch where the story was headed and that’s what I was hoping for. Even dropping a fun joke early on as a hint, but it wasn’t being picked up by most readers and came off as a throwaway line.

What’s next for you? Are you currently working on new projects or exploring other genres?

I have a few other screenplays on the go (as always). Just finished a fan fiction TV pilot that’s making the festival rounds and already pulling a few wins in, so I’m excited about that. I don’t own the copyright for that one, so it was mainly a labor of love and hopefully the right people read it and see that I can write in someone else’s world easily. But… there is also a big top-secret project I have my hands full with currently and can’t wait to share with the masses because I know it’s going to be huge! Also a few festival/convention appearances in 2025. So stay tuned.

Lastly, we’d love to include ways for our readers to follow your work. Could you share how people can connect with you on social media or via other platforms?

Readers can find me on Instagram under the name @bahhumbugguy where I post everything screenplay-related. Also, I have a dozen of my screenplays currently available for sale on Amazon at great pricing—including Team Bonding and others, spanning genres like horror, comedy, sci-fi, and western. Just go to your local Amazon site and search “Michael K Ede” and you’ll find them there. Don’t forget to follow both my IG page and Amazon Authors page to get the latest updates on screenplays and live appearances in 2025. Stay creepy all!