As "Downhill" (2020 release; 86 min.) opens, we get to know the Staunton family: Pete and Billie and their two boys have just arrived in the Alps for a ski vacation. The next day after some morning skiing, they head out for lunch on an outside terrace. Then a controlled avalanche goes wrong and comes barreling down the mountainside, straight towards the terrace. Just before it reaches the terrace, panic ensues and Pete grabs his phone and runs, leaving Billie and the kids. After the snow hits the terrace, everyone is okay, but Billie and the kids are in shock. And where is Pete? At this point we are 10 min. into the movie but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from co-writers and co-directors Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who previously brought us the excellent "The Way, Way Back". Here they remake the 2014 Swedish film "Force Majeure", which garnered worldwide attention and acclaim. Eventually Hollywood announced a remake, starring Will Ferrer and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. My big fear was that the remake would be done as a comedy. If you've seen "Force Majeure", you know that it is anything but a comedy. The good news is that "Downhill" is not an outright comedy, although there are certainly funny bits in it. The bad news is that it's simply not a great film, and it outright pales compared to the original. The worst of it is that, whereas the original was a 2 hr. movie looking at the complicated consequences of the avalanche incident, the remake runs short of 1 1/2 hr. and even then it doesn't focus nearly enough on the consequences of the avalanche incident. Instead the movie makes some diversions that go nowhere and are irrelevant to the core of the film. Julia Louis-Dreyfus (as Billie) tries to save the movie, and almost does, giving a terrific performance, but in the end it's not enough. Will Ferrell is horribly miscast as Pete, I mean what were the movie makers thinking? Kudos for the photography, which is eye-candy from start to finish, as well as for the original score, courtesy of Volker Bertelmann (a/k/a Hauschka). Bottom line: "Downhill" is the Hollywood remake of "Force Majeure" that nobody asked for.
"Downhill" premiered at last month's Sundance film festival to ho-hum reaction, and is now seemingly rush-released into theaters. The movie opened wide this weekend and the Sunday early evening screening where I saw this at here in Cincinnati was attended so-so (about 12 people). If you haven't seen "Force Majeure", don't waste your time and money on "Downhill" and seek out "Force Majeure" instead. If you have seen "Force Majeure", there is no point, none whatsoever, to see "Downhill", but hey don't take my word for it and check it out, be it in the theater, on VOD or eventually on DVD/Blu-ray, and draw your own conclusion.
