A man (Jason Segel) who is never mentioned – and neither are the other two great characters – wander around a beautiful holiday home in the desert. He drinks orange juice, throws the glass far out on the property when he’s done. He just sits and enjoys the fresh air. He starts to get a little more serious about the business at hand when he calls through an office and finds some money hidden in a book. The man was about to leave with a Rolex and some money when the owner (Jesse Plemons) arrived with his wife (Lily Collins). They are terrified to see the invaders and a relatively tame hostage situation unfolds. This is not exactly “Dog Day Afternoon.” It is clear that the man is not in this for violence, and the CEO homeowner is trying to persuade him at all what he should do. He will need more than what was in the office to get away, which is why they’re actually calling the CEO’s assistant to send money to the holiday home. This takes about 36 hours – a lot of time for things to go wrong.
The sail downplays its natural optimistic charisma in the “windfall” in a way that does not quite work. No insult to the range of the actor, but I wanted a version with a slightly more desperate and dangerous house invader than the one we have here, especially since this story ends. However, the way McDowell and Sail approach this type of approach allows Plemons to steal the show as the most confident person in the room. He is only announced as CEO, and he nails the kind of arrogance that comes from massive success without chewing on the backdrop. The CEO is convinced that this can not be accidental. Why did the guy think no one was there? And the CEO knows that he may be on a number of enemy lists, no matter how much downsizing he has done to afford a place like this. Does the robber have a personal grip?
Plemons brings his character such a fascinating energy that he really keeps the film together. So much so that when he disappears for a long night’s conversation between Collins and Sail, the film begins to unravel. It never recovers after that scene. Definitely not in his latest beats that I just did not buy. Part of the problem is that “windfall” never reaches the slow burn it needs to earn the conclusion. It does not build tension as much as running water in an interesting way. So when it explodes, it feels like all of a sudden. Even though that may be the point. We never know when a decision will blow up in our face – decisions as drastic as choosing to touch a house or marrying the wrong person come with an inherent danger to everyone, CEOs and those he cut off.
On Netflix today.
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