Logged this and Force Majeure back to back because I watched them back to back, meaning this review will be seen more than my review for FM. I spent a really long time writing up an in-depth analysis of Force Majeure so I'm gonna use this review to redirect your attention to that one. Once again, spent a lot of time on that analysis so go easy on me. Haha thanks!

please please please nobody do this to parasite

STUDIO EXECS: Y’know that brilliant dark comedy Force Majeure? Well, let’s remake that but instead of building upon the complicated marriage dynamics and intelligent study of masculinity laid by Ruben Östlund, we’re gonna hire the directors of The Way Back to make an unbelievably stale Will Ferrell movie.

Hollywood doing what Hollywood does best...

julia louis-dreyfus put in #work but this half-baked american remake doesn't come anywhere as close to the most riveting story set on the side of a bougie ski resort...

that one being when gwenyth paltrow was involved in a hit and run on skis, where she was was sued for $3 million for allegedly running a man down and landing on top of him, causing him to suffer a concussion, brain injury and four broken ribs

and that's what you missed on goop!

Most disappointing of the year.

Watch Force Majeure on Hulu.

At the Golden Globes this year, director Bong Joon-Ho already gave the only review of this film that is necessary:

"Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.”

Downhill is a totally inoffensive remake whose biggest crime is that it has virtually no reason to exist. The film on which it’s based, Ruben Ostlund’s Force Majeure, is easily accessible and unique in its premise and tone. Downhill adds nothing to that film’s legacy other than casting American as the protagonists, lightening the tone a bit(?), and giving us a fantastic Julia Louis-Dreyfus performance (she knocks it out of the park).

It’s fine! But please try to watch the original.

As if this movie wasn’t bad enough, two people were literally having sex in the back of my pretty crowded theater, and we could hear it. Nobody said anything but we could hear it. The whole time.

can Americans do anything by themselves?

DOWNHILL may not be as thematically rich or nuanced as FORCE MAJEURE but I still liked its funnier & entertaining approach to the story of an insecure father who is failing his family & his marriage. Julia Louis-Dreyfus is outstanding & Will Ferrell hasn’t been this good in awhile. Miranda Otto’s horny performance in this was A MOOD.

Julia Louis-Dreyfus being right for 86 minutes

Why is this movie?

Honestly not terrible, even if it’s not on the same level as Force Majeure. Ferrell is solid, Louis-Dreyfus is good, and the score is surprisingly excellent. Miranda Otto’s crass characterization is another matter.

JLD delivers a sublime performance but making this the story of a wife coming to terms with her husband’s mediocrity instead of a man being forced to confront his own (mediocrity) blunts the impact.

Gosh, this one was REAALLLLYYY on the nose compared to its European cousin. Watched it in the first week of a yet fresh break-up, felt like three parts mediocre film-making, with one part riveting emotional material, and just a peppery dash of personal catharsis.

Wow, I didn't expect the comedic American remake of European psychological cinema to be decent.

Watched for a podcast

Gonna have a lot to say about how UGLY this film is

Shut the fuck up

A marriage trouble and family dysfunction comedy that isn’t that funny, isn’t really a comedy and doesn’t have a happy ending has a pretty low potential for enjoyability. So this wasn’t great, despite some decent ideas.

The skiing sequences were nice to watch! Forgot how great that is and that Austrian resort looked killer. 

Always nice to see Zach Woods, and really glad this wasn’t 2 hours.

very..... bad

Downhill, a remake of the Swedish film Force Majeure, explores an act of cowardice. Expect a fair bit of strong language, with uses of "f--k", "bulls--t", "p---y", and more, as well as a lot of sex talk/innuendo. A man sneaks into the bathroom, voicing his intention to shower with his wife. A married woman receives a massage from a ski instructor; he works his hands up her legs, and she kisses him. She then tries to masturbate in a public restroom. There's frequent arguing, scary "boom" sounds and an avalanche, and a man tries to start a fight in a club. A character gets extremely drunk, someone mentions taking "shrooms", and there's social drinking throughout. It stars Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus but isn't really a comedy; in fact, it can't seem to quite figure out what it's trying to say or how to say it.

Have not seen the original, but this film is a work of precision: painful and delightful. 

That being said, it’s all about Julia Louis-Dreyfus’ performance; she’s incredible.

*** english version below ***

Viel zu quatschig um ernstgenommen zu werden und nicht annähernd lustig genug um als Komödie zu gelten. Ich hab überhaupt keine Ahnung welches Genre der Film sein will. Als dann Hulapalu von Andreas Gabalier lief, wollte ich es schon aus machen, bevor mich dann Disco Pogo von den Atzen davon abgehalten hat. Dafür gibt’s nen halben Stern extra.

*****************************************************************

Way too nonsensical to be taken seriously and not nearly funny enough to be considered a comedy. I have no idea what genre the film wants to be. When Hulapalu by Andreas Gabalier was on, I wanted to turn it off before Disco Pogo by the Atzen stopped me. That's half a star extra.

45/100