WINDFALL — A Rollercoaster Of a Film

Review by Paris Jade

(L-R) Lily Collins as Wife, Jesse Plemons as CEO and Jason Segel as Nobody. Credit: Netflix © 2022.

Windfall tells the story of a couple that comes home in the middle of a robbery. In the beginning, the robber (Jason Segel) is caught in the middle of robbing a wealthy couple's vacation home. He decides to take them hostage in request of money, and so the movie follows them waiting on the cash to arrive at the house. What is interesting about this film is that you do not get a single name out of any of these people. The husband (Jesse Plemons) seems to be a very famous CEO, but his name is never said. He never says his wife's (Lily Collins) name, and of course, the robber never shares any details on himself. ​

This is definitely an entertaining film. You watch as this regular man tries to finesse his way into robbing this couple. Immediately you can tell he has no clue what he's doing. He doesn't seem to be evil, so why did he decide to rob them? You can quickly tell how frightened he is, and he ends up being friendly towards the wife, having an entire conversation about her life with her husband. You are hooked almost immediately to the plot when starting this film. Watching the dynamic of the three characters is incredibly entertaining. You honestly don't know what will happen next, and much happens throughout the film.

(L-R) Jason Segel as Nobody, Lily Collins as Wife, and Jesse Plemons as CEO. Credit: Netflix © 2022.

Because this robber has no clue what he is doing, the interactions between him and the couple are almost comical. The couple begins to bicker and show how terrible their relationship is. Meanwhile, the robber is trying to figure out what to do with himself and get out of his situation. As the film continues, the husband basically helps him rob him, like raising the amount of money they should give him. 

There are certain moments where the husband is extremely annoying, and you feel pretty bad for the wife. You also root for her to escape and for the robber to get away. However, you are easily entertained from start to finish, even though the pacing is just a tiny bit slow. Although, the ending makes up for it all. There are twists and turns, and when you think you're reaching the end, something else occurs, and suddenly you don't know what will happen. The cinematography and score are great and make you feel the tension in the room as they wait for the money to arrive. If you are looking for a comical thriller, this is the film for you.

Windfall is now streaming on Netflix.

Rating: 3.5/5