by Shane Conto, Staff Writer
Who doesn’t love Jason Segel? I have been a huge fan of his since I first watched him lead one of my favorite rom-coms, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. Segel has the perfect balance of snarky humor, lovable lug status, and presence. We care so much about him and his heartbreak on screen. He is both sad and funny at the same time, and he is never boring to watch. Segel’s Marshall is one of the pillars of the beloved sitcom How I Met Your Mother. He is the lovable and fun male character on the show who makes the perfect match with Alyson Hannigan. But he has shown he can play seriously before as well. I love his performance in The End of the Tour as David Foster Wallace. His performance as this iconic writer is dynamic and engrossing.
But can you imagine him as an intimidating force in a thriller? He is certainly big enough. Segel is so well known for his warm and relatable demeanor, but he is a large human being who can be intimidating. Netflix offers up a trimmed and engaging thriller to prove just this point. Welcome to Windfall. Playing the nameless Nobody, Segel is a man who is wrapping up an illegal and secret stay at the vacation home of a tech billionaire. All looks good until the billionaire and his wife come home just in time for Segel’s attempt to leave. This becomes a hostage situation, and Nobody waits impatiently until he is given enough funds to disappear for good. But why was he there? What is his motivation? What is his backstory? Writer-director Charlie McDowell makes the conscious decision to leave much of Nobody’s past and internal thoughts a mystery.
But what does this film become then? This thriller turns into a claustrophobic mind game between three people. Nobody keeps himself at an arm’s distance, not allowing his motivations or thoughts to be manipulated. Jesse Plemons plays our CEO, who quickly reveals just how disconnected and vile he is. This man is a terrible human being with a complete disregard for what is best for others. But then there is the wife portrayed by Lily Collins. She is by and large the most interesting character on screen. At the start, she seems to be just some window dressing for Segel and Plemons to spar with each other. As the film progresses, we realize that the only truly honorable character who the audience can connect with is Collins’ character. There are plenty of narrative layers that are peeled back as she starts playing both men off one another.
There is a lot more to the wife character than at first glance, but she becomes the real anchor to the film. There might be a few threads that feel excessive, and some narrative beats might take a little too long to manifest, but overall, this is a compelling thriller from start to finish.
How about McDowell’s direction? This is a crisp and engrossing thriller, and the technical aspects really take this narrative to the next level. There is a strong sense of tension in each scene. The camera moves in smooth and enthralling ways thanks to director of photography Isiah Donte Lee. What really helps bring out the tension is the impressive score from Danny Bensi and Saunder Jurriaans. These composers craft a classic style score right out of a tense noir that helps drill the suspense and tension in each scene home.
Is Windfall worth your time over on Netflix? This will be one of the great hidden gems on the streaming service this year. McDowell knows how to craft an effective and engrossing thriller that will suck you in for the 90-minute runtime. There is plenty of mystery to work with and shocks to shake things up along the way. When the credits roll, this one will sit with you for a long time after.
Score: 8/10
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