Downhill Movie Is Less Funny Than It Should Be

I really like Will Ferrell and Julia Louis Dreyfus. The trailer for this 2020 comedy, drama movie Downhill promised some much-needed laughs. I wanted to write a movie review for Downhill glowing with praise. Instead, because of my disappointment in the whole purpose of the film, I’m left to simply say this one is a fail. As usual, this film has a trailer that does nothing to highlight the strong dramatic undertones of the storyline. Instead, it focuses on almost every funny part the film includes. You could even be persuaded into thinking Downhill is a family-friendly or date night movie choice. I can assure you it’s not. A lot of the plot points will be relatable for some. Especially those in relationships wondering where the time has gone and those fighting against their lot in life.

Will Ferrell plays Pete and throughout the 86-minute runtime does nothing to endear his character to anyone. He is unlikeable in his very essence. A husband and father who ignores his family and overlooks their basic requirements. He is the type of dad who chooses the Ibiza-esque side of the ski resort over the family-centric facility while towing two young boys on a family holiday. His underlying personality is a vessel to point out this is not the life he intended to have. It’s not a funny haha movie. Downhill is a movie that wants to be funny but is not.

Will Ferrell & Julia Louis Dreyfus in the Downhill Movie

Julia Louis Dreyfus is cast in the role of the long-suffering wife, Billie. Happy with the pretense that everything is fine. But in one dramatic moment, she realizes her husband is not just a miserable jerk. While the family is seated on the balcony at a restaurant, an avalanche comes rushing toward them. As it gets closer and closer, Billie tries to protect her children. Pete reaches for his phone and high-tails it out of there. No one is hurt and the avalanche turns out to be a controlled safety measure for the resort itself. For Billie however, an epiphany about the state of her marriage has well and truly begun.

Do Julia Louis Dreyfus and Will Ferrell work as a believable team? Yes absolutely. Together they are great. Despite the heavy-handed application of offering the message to live every day like it’s your last, they are really good together. Cinematography is clean and crisp, allowing tiny specks of a marriage at breaking point to peek through the gaps. But the fault here lies in two typecast comedy performers who have been placed in the wrong movie. Sure, Ferrell has featured in a few more seriously toned endeavors but they never pretended to be comedic. It’s as though the filmmakers didn’t understand what they were doing so they made a depressing film and tried to take the edge off.

Force Majeure (2014) VS Downhill. Is the Downhill Remake Better than the Original

For many, this will be a depressing tale likey to relate at least once to some part of your own experiences in a relationship. The film’s script doesn’t even hide the fact it’s a remake of a 2014 movie called Turist aka Force Majeure. In fact, Downhill actually includes a cast from the original title with Kristofer Hivju starring in both.

You only have to compare the feedback between Turist and Downhill to understand that although one is preferred over the other they were both cited for being outdated and meaningless in their messages. With comments like “I wish I was killed in an avalanche” and “flat as a fart”, for Downhill I was glad to see I wasn’t the only one not feeling the worth of this title as a movie to be reacquainted with. As for Force Majeure’s (2014) movie, user reviews sway between it being “a force of nature, both literally and figuratively” and “mind-numbingly pretentious drivel.”

Is the Downhill Movie Worth Watching?

I suppose I should mention that Miranda Otto is also in the Downhill movie. With a terrible Swedish-English accent that effortlessly manages to dumb down the situation further by simply swapping words around in sentences. I’m going to have to watch a few episodes of Seinfeld and Anchorman to remove the bad taste from my eyes. So in this instance, Mother of Movies says, skip it.

I give Downhill

2 who needs a laugh anyway out of 5

Directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash. Written by Jesse Armstong, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash. Original Screenplay by Ruben Östlund. Where to watch the Downhill movie? Check the Justwatch.com website for options on streaming and where to watch in your region. But first, check out the Downhill 2020 trailer and see what all the fuss is about.

• For the best funny movies try Shazam / The VelociPastor / Good Boys. / Studio 666
• Other movies to watch online: Lifechanger / 10 Films to Watch When You’re Angry

Downhill Movie Trailer