Netflix Original Film – Windfall Review
Windfall is a Netflix original film — a thriller starring Jason Segel, Jesse Plemons, and Lily Collins. The poster reads “Every Kidnap is a Compromise” which pretty much sums up the film
Check out my video review below to see if I recommend watching Netflix’s Windfall.
Jason Segel plays a nameless man who breaks into a billionaire’s empty vacation home; as he is leaving, he decides to take one last look around the place, finds some hidden cash and a gun, and a nice surprise — the billionaire CEO (Plemons) and his wife (Collins). Thus, we have our plot, as both the man and our couple have all been caught.
What plays out in a sort of dark comedy fashion, takes a turn when the man, attempting to make a rather tranquil escape, gets caught on a security camera. Time to double back and demand more cash, as he will most certainly now be living a life on the run. The couple agrees to give him a large bag of cash, but there’s one catch, the CEO’s assistant will not arrive until the following evening.
Windfall is pretty much solely dialogue-driven from here; luckily the performances are solid. I enjoyed Jason Segel in this type of role; I thought it would be hard to distance myself from his comedic performances (I Love You, Man, Forgetting Sarah Marshall, small roles in Judd Apatow films, etc.), but I had no issues. Segel was great in this role.
Windfall is a slow burn of a film, but I must admit, my eyes were glued to the television the entire time. I laughed more times than I expected, as it had its fair share of dark comedy moments. Wrap this all together with strong acting performances and a couple of nice end twists, and we’re left with a solid watch.
Windfall gets a 4 out of 5.
Now, while I enjoyed Windfall, I could see some people viewing the film and saying it was boring and barely anything happened. While I don’t agree with that, if a Hitchcockian, dialogue-heavy, indie-vibe, sub-90 minute film sounds up you’re alley, definitely consider checking out Windfall.
What did you think of Windfall? Did you enjoy Jason Segel in this serious role?
If you have any recommendations of similar movies for me to check out, leave them in the comments. I’d love to hear them!
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