The new dark comedy Downhill might look oddly familiar and leave some viewers wondering if they haven’t seen it somewhere before. Well, you have if you watch foreign films, as this picture is a remake of the 2014 Swedish title, Force Majeure. The movie impressed critics a few years back with its examination of a marriage in strife following a sudden and unexpected occurrence. This version successfully translates a few of those elements, but is much blunter in delivering the material to audiences. Those unfamiliar with the source may still find it intriguing, but the final product doesn’t quite compare with the unique original.
Billie (Julie Louis-Dreyfuss) and Pete (Will Farrell) decide to visit Austria with their kids for a family ski vacation. While enjoying lunch at an outdoor restaurant near a mountain, a controlled avalanche is detonated. As the unexpectedly large wave of snow comes careening down, Pete’s reaction to the event shocks Billie and ends up causing a rift in their relationship. Of course, things aren’t helped by the husband’s reluctance to address and deal with what occurred. This leads to an incredibly awkward and public confrontation with Pete when a co-worker named Zach (Zach Woods) and his girlfriend Rosie (Zoë Chao) are invited over for drinks.
First off, this reviewer must admit that he saw Force Majeure and greatly admired it. As such, it’s difficult not to have something of a personal bias when examining this remake. Downhill does translate original elements successfully in a couple of sequences. The aforementioned verbal fight that occurs between the couple isn’t hilarious, but it is incredibly tense, well-handled, grimly humorous and appropriately uncomfortable to watch. The movie also benefits from an appearance by original film cast member Kristofer Hivju, who plays a member of the security team responsible for the detonation. His disdain for Billie and Pete and their complaints after the avalanche may provide the film with its funniest scene. And the production makes impressive use of a pair of bathroom sinks that ultimately starts to help display the growing divide between husband and wife.
The rest of the movie never quite feels either as amusing or unsettling as it needs to be in order to really get under the skin. An Austrian woman (Miranda Otto) working at the hotel attempts to provide some comic relief by making blunt observations on the leads after befriending them, but this addition seems a little off-kilter paired with the personal drama. Later scenes involving the fractured Billie and Pete are nicely shot but simplified reenactments of the previous feature, with the characters stating their thoughts and ideas in a far more straight-forward and direct manner (this may account for the film being a half-hour shorter than the original). There’s less subtlety present here and some of the intended tension and unspoken inner turmoil between the two lead characters is lost in the process.
It also veers off course a little towards the close, altering the final events. It’s done in order to allow the characters (specifically Billie) to, once again, explicitly state the filmmaker’s message in a direct manner and wrap things up in a clearer and more concise way. While this lack of ambiguity may be appealing to some audience members, it ultimately leaves less about the movie to discuss afterwards with friends.
The cast do their best and there are good moments that may provide those unfamiliar with the original story something to chew on, especially if they don’t go in expecting a traditional comedy. However, those who already know the material may end up finding that the elements on display here feel like a CliffsNotes version of what they’ve already seen. Downhill eventually does make it to the finish line, but appears to take an easier and less adventurous slope to reach its destination.