Downhill (2020 film)

{{Infobox film

| name = Downhill

| image = Downhill poster.jpeg

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| director = {{plainlist|

}}

| screenplay = {{plainlist |

Jesse Armstrong
Nat Faxon
Jim Rash

}}

| based_on = {{based on|Force Majeure|Ruben Östlund}}

| producer = {{plainlist |

Stefanie Azpiazu
Anthony Bregman
Julia Louis-Dreyfus

}}

| starring = {{plainlist |

}}

| cinematography = Danny Cohen

| editing = Pamela Martin

| music = Volker Bertelmann

| studio = {{plainlist |

}}

| distributor = Searchlight Pictures

| released = {{Film date|2020|1|26|Sundance|2020|2|14|United States}}

| runtime = 86 minutes

| country = United States

| language = English

| budget =

| gross = $9 million{{Cite web|url= https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2611249665/?ref_=bo_da_table_7 |title=Downhill (2020)|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=March 17, 2020}}

}}

Downhill is a 2020 American black comedy-drama film directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who also co-wrote the script with Jesse Armstrong. The film is a remake of Force Majeure (2014) by Swedish director Ruben Östlund. It stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell as a married couple going through a rough patch after a near-death encounter during a family ski outing.

Downhill had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020, and was theatrically released on February 14, 2020, by Searchlight Pictures, the first feature film to be released under the studio's new name following The Walt Disney Company's acquisition of 21st Century Fox.{{cite news |url=https://variety.com/2020/film/news/disney-dropping-fox-20th-century-studios-1203470349/ |title=Disney Drops Fox Name, Will Rebrand as 20th Century Studios, Searchlight Pictures |first=Adam B. |last=Vary |date=January 17, 2020 |work=Variety}} The film received mixed reviews from critics and grossed $9 million worldwide.

Plot

After believing they were about to die in an avalanche during a family ski vacation in Ischgl, Austria, a married couple begin to reevaluate their lives and how they feel about each other.

Cast

Julia Louis-Dreyfus as Billie Stanton{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2020/01/downhill-review-julia-louis-dreyfus-remake-force-majeure-1202205458|title='Downhill' Review: Julia Louis-Dreyfus Shines in an Otherwise Unnecessary and Uneven Remake|website=IndieWire|first=Kate|last=Erbland|date=January 27, 2020|access-date=August 8, 2020}}
Will Ferrell as Pete Stanton
Miranda Otto as Lady Bobo
Zoë Chao as Rosie
Zach Woods as Zach
Kristofer Hivju as Michel
Alex Macqueen as Charlie
Julian Grey as Finn Stanton
Ammon Jacob Ford as Emerson Stanton
Giulio Berruti as Guglielmo

Production

It was announced in November 2018 that an English-language remake of the Swedish film Force Majeure would be directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, who both co-wrote the script with Jesse Armstrong. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell were cast to star.{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2018/11/will-ferrell-julia-louis-dreyfus-fox-searchlight-force-majeure-remake-downhill-nat-faxon-jim-rash-1202494713/ |title=Will Ferrell Joins Julia Louis-Dreyfus In Fox Searchlight's 'Force Majeure' Remake 'Downhill'; Nat Faxon & Jim Rash To Direct |first=Andreas |last=Wiseman |work=Deadline Hollywood |date=November 2, 2018}} Miranda Otto, Zoë Chao and Zach Woods also joined the cast, in December.{{cite news |url=https://deadline.com/2018/12/miranda-otto-zoe-chao-zach-woods-louis-dreyfus-will-ferrell-downhill-fox-searchlight-1202517921/ |title=Miranda Otto, Zoë Chao, Zach Woods Join Julia Louis-Dreyfus & Will Ferrell In 'Downhill' At Fox Searchlight |work=Deadline Hollywood |date=December 13, 2018 |first=Amanda |last=N'Duka}} Kristofer Hivju appears in the film, the only original cast member from Force Majeure to be involved.

Filming began in January 2019 in Austria.{{cite web |url=https://www.vitalthrills.com/2019/01/10/julia-louis-dreyfus-will-ferrell-downhill/ |title=Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell Start Filming Downhill |first=Mirko |last=Parlevliet |date=January 10, 2019 |work=Vital Thrills}}{{dead link|fix-attempted=yes|date=October 2022}}

Release

Downhill had its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/sundance-2020-unveils-female-powered-lineup-taylor-swift-gloria-steinem-films-1259538?|title=Sundance Unveils Female-Powered Lineup Featuring Taylor Swift, Gloria Steinem, Abortion Road Trip Drama|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Tatiana|last=Siegel|date=December 4, 2019|access-date=December 4, 2019}} The film was released on February 14, 2020, replacing Fox's The King's Man, which had been scheduled for that date.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/julia-louis-dreyfus-will-ferrell-starrer-downhill-lands-valentines-day-release-1257963|title=Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell-Starrer 'Downhill' Lands Valentine's Day Release|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Pamela|last=McClintock|date=November 25, 2019|access-date=November 25, 2019}}

=Home media=

Downhill was released on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital on May 19, 2020 by Walt Disney Studios Home Entertainment.

Reception

=Box office=

In the United States and Canada, Downhill was released alongside Sonic the Hedgehog, The Photograph and Fantasy Island, and was projected to gross around $4 million from 2,275 theaters in its four-day opening weekend.{{Cite web|url= https://variety.com/2020/film/news/sonic-box-office-opening-weekend-birds-of-prey-1203501227/ |title='Sonic' to Speed Past 'Birds of Prey,' 'Fantasy Island' at Box Office |website=Variety|author=Rebecca Rubin|access-date=February 13, 2020|date=February 12, 2020}} It made $2.6 million on its first day and $5.2 million over the four days, finishing tenth.{{Cite web |url= https://deadline.com/2020/02/sonic-the-hedgehog-birds-of-prey-will-ferrell-downhill-valentines-day-box-office-1202860119/ |title= 'Sonic The Hedgehog' Rings Up Record Domestic Videogame Pic Debut Of $57M & 4-Day $68M; Global Launch At $100M |last=D'Alessandro |first=Anthony |date=February 16, 2020 |website=Deadline Hollywood |access-date=February 16, 2020}}

=Critical response=

On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 37% based on 211 reviews, with an average of 5.3/10. The site's critical consensus reads, "Fittingly named for a remake whose charms are dwarfed by its superior source material, Downhill is frequently -- and frustratingly -- less than the sum of its talented parts."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/downhill_2020|title=Downhill (2020)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date}}}} On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 49 out of 100, based on 39 critics, indicating "mixed or average" reviews.{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/downhill|title=Downhill reviews|website=Metacritic|access-date=March 6, 2020}} Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "D" on an A+ to F scale, and PostTrak reported it received an average 1 out of 5 stars, with 26% of people saying they would definitely recommend it.

On RogerEbert.com, Nick Allen gave the film 2 out of 4 stars, saying, "It's yet another instance in which it's hard to not think about what could have been, especially since the original did it so much better."{{Cite web|url=https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/downhill-movie-review-2020|title=Downhill movie review & film summary (2020) {{!}} Roger Ebert|last=Allen|first=Nick|website=www.rogerebert.com|language=en|access-date=2020-02-12}}