Downhill is a comedy drama that stars Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus. They are going through a rough patch in their marriage while on vacation in the Alps.
Downhill actually starts off good — not great, but good. There were some moments that even laughed out loud. But it hit a plateau pretty early on and then started to plummet down hill. Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus are both great actors so I was surprised that this movie fell flat for me. Is it worth a watch? I don’t think so, and here is why.
Downhill Review
This movie starts off with a family on vacation in the Alps. There is already some kind of tension between them, and it certainly doesn’t help when Pete (Will Ferrell) decides to save himself and his phone in a surprise avalanche, leaving his wife and children behind to die. That scene had me laughing really hard. And then… it all went downhill from there (pun intended).
The fighting between Bille (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) and Pete was awkward at best. It didn’t seem real, and I didn’t believe it. At one point she ends up making out with a ski instructor and that part seemed out of place as well. I understand that the point was to show a rift between the two of them, but it just didn’t seem right to me.
As the movie went on, I stopped laughing and started to get bored. Really bored. I struggled through the last forty minutes and found the ending corny. For a movie that started out with a lot of potential, it fell flat. So is it worth a watch? I say no. Unless you are begging for new content while stuck at home. Then you might as well give it a try, but don’t expect too much.
Downhill Bonus Features
I have said it before and I will say it again, I love the bonus features on a home release. They always seem to tie the movie together for me — not to mention I usually get a few laughs out of the outtakes! With a Will Ferrell film I was so glad to see they included these because he is hilarious. And they do not disappoint!
- Casting the Stanton Family and Friends*
- Deleted Scenes:
- Alternate Opening
- Billie’s Ski Boots
- “I Deserve to Be Comfortable”
- Outtakes: Dinner with Charlotte
- Origins of the Film
- Locations
*Available on Digital only
About Downhill
Barely escaping an avalanche during a family ski vacation in the Alps, a married couple is thrown into disarray as they are forced to reevaluate their lives and how they feel about each other. Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell star in this biting comedy.
Downhill is directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, written by Jesse Armstrong and Nat Faxon & Jim Rash, and stars Will Ferrell, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Zach Woods, Zoe Chao, Giulio Berruti, Kristofer Hivju and Miranda Otto. Anthony Bregman p.g.a., Julia Louis-Dreyfus p.g.a. and Stefanie Azpiazu p.g.a. are producing with Erik Hemmendorff and Ruben Östlund serving as executive producers.
Downhill is available on digital now and DVD & Blu-ray May 19th.
Tessa Smith is a Rotten Tomatoes Tomatometer-approved Film and TV Critic. On Camera personality and TV / Film Critic with 10+ years of experience in video editing, writing, editing, moderating, and hosting.