I watched a really good and unexpectedly enjoyable film last night that’s currently number 4 on Netflix’ top 10 chart.
Windfall (2022)
If you haven’t seen it, it’s a new crime/drama/thriller starring Jason Segel (Forgetting Sarah Marshall), Jesse Plemons (Game Night), Lily Collins (Tolkien) and Omar Leyva (Icebox).
This is what it’s about according to the internet:
“A man breaks into a tech billionaire's empty vacation home, but things go sideways when the arrogant mogul and his wife arrive for a last-minute getaway.”
I’ve found myself thinking about this film all day today. I don’t know why but it’s made a real impression on me.
I do love these minimalist cast films though. I often find that in order for them to work they have to have a good story and strong performances, and this has both.
Credit once again has to be given to Mrs Screen Room Movie Blog for picking this out. I’m a bit of a nightmare for not giving a film a chance unless I’ve seen it advertised, or a certain amount of buzz has been made about it. I hadn’t even heard about this movie until my wife told me about it but I’m really glad I watched it!
Right from the opening credits I was invested. The way the film opens on a single shot of the house that the whole film is set at, for some reason really got my attention. Add to that the interesting score and I just had a feeling I was going to enjoy it.
There are only four actors in the entire movie (three for most of it) but those actors put in such great performances that I was gripped the whole time.
Jesse Plemons steals the show as the obnoxious billionaire who’s held captive in his beautiful Californian holiday home, but Lily Collins who I haven’t really seen in much is totally captivating as his wife.
I’m a big fan of Jason Segel and this is actually the first non-comedy film I think I’ve seen him in. It’s also the first time I’ve seen him play a character like this (essentially the villain, just not in the conventional sense). The movie does have some subtle humour though, largely thanks to Plemons and his character’s no sh#t-giving attitude and Segel’s character’s ineptitude.
Considering the relatively limited setting and time scale that the movie’s set over (roughly 36 hours), it does a really good job of establishing the characters to the point where you know what each one is about and what they’ve been through to lead them to the situation they find themselves in. I think that’s one of the things that made such an impression on me, the way it tells a bigger story without actually getting into all the nitty gritty.
The pace is pretty good and ticks along nicely with something always going on despite so few actors onscreen at any one time. It also has some beautiful cinematography which takes full advantage of the stunning location, Ojai, California which, as it happens is the director, Charlie McDowell’s birthplace.
This is well worth a watch if you like character-based films with a decent story and a little bit of subtle humour. Plus, at just 1 hour 32 minutes long, if by the end you find you didn’t enjoy it, you haven’t wasted too much of your life.
I loved it!
Seen it? Let me know what you think in the comments.
Not seen it? Here's the trailer.
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