Windfall movie review

MOVIE TITLE: Windfall

This dramatic home invasion movie is now available on Netflix.

RATING: R

LENGTH: 1 hour 32 minutes

IN A NUTSHELL:

A man breaks into a tech billionaire’s vacation home, but things go sideways when the arrogant mogul and his wife arrive for an unexpected getaway.

The film is directed by Charlie McDowell with writing credits by Justin Lader, Andrew Kevin Walker, and even Jason Segel.

THINGS I LIKED:

The cast is absolutely fantastic and includes Jesse Plemons, Jason Segel, and Lilly Collins. Needless to say, the acting is terrific and they all do their best to pull off this script. They have all been crushing it lately.
I liked the supportive musical score that helps build tension.
Interesting camera angles and cinematography.
The story takes place just inside and outside a home, so the film plays like a three-act stage play. I enjoy small-space, confined stories because they really let you focus on the characters.

THINGS I DIDN’T LIKE:

The movie is being called a thriller, yet the pacing definitely doesn’t feel like one. A lot of “nothing” happens for a long time. There is some suspense, but then the slow pacing kills the momentum.
My biggest complaint is that the trailer makes the movie look like it’s going to be a quirky comedy with whimsical drama but it is not that.
The film definitely has political and social commentary that might annoy some viewers. For example, the rich, white guy is considered to be the jerk and undeserving of the money. The poor guy is designed to make you root for him, even though we really don’t know his backstory or anything about him. In fact, his character is named “Nobody” on the cast list. And because every movie nowadays features female empowerment, the woman in the story is shown to be the smartest and most important.
Some viewers have compared this to a Hitchcock film. I can see why the comparison exists, although I don’t think it comes close.
It seems like a tech billionaire would have a much nicer house with better security, right?