Windfall Parent Guide

Robbing houses is a risky job. Security systems, dogs, and above all, the residents pose a serious threat to any would-be burglar. But one thief (Jason Segel) thinks he’s found a safe mark. He’s staked out the underused vacation property of a tech billionaire and decides it’s a good target. It doesn’t have any cameras, and no one’s there most of the time. But while he’s rifling through the jewelry drawer, the CEO (Jesse Plemons) and his wife (Lily Collins) arrive for an unscheduled weekend together. What started as an opportunistic theft is now a hostage situation: the burglar can’t let the owners leave until he’s got a way out. And without any trust between the hostages and the now-kidnapper, the situation is dangerously untenable. But this can all end well…provided the robber can get what he wants.

I had some reservations about Jason Segel in this role, but he’s actually one of my favorite parts of the film. I’ve only seen him in comedies, but his imposing physical stature lends itself well to playing an intimidating character. He keeps up well with Jesse Plemons, who I’ve loved in just about everything I’ve seen him in, and Lily Collins. They do an excellent job of portraying this bizarre social dynamic – people with directly contrary interests all forced to spend time in close proximity. The veneer of civility is quickly stripped away, but the interests they do share maintain a strange balance in their relationship.

As the “R” rating might have suggested to you, this isn’t going to be a great piece of family entertainment. The primary concern here is profanity, with 80 f-bombs dropped in 92 minutes. There are also a few scenes of bloody violence, but those are not nearly as graphic as they could have been, all things considered. This is a thriller, after all, not a slasher.

Younger audiences are also unlikely to appreciate the film’s deeper discussion on the ethics of modern capitalism in general and tech billionaires in specific. Plemons’ character is every inch the fragile, egotistical jerk so many of the ultra-wealthy either present themselves to be or are caricatured as, and his deteriorating situation only serves to amplify those traits. As things go on, the film increasingly invites comparison between him and Segel’s would-be burglar, and the attitude each has toward the other. It’s certainly an interesting watch, all emphasized with a Hitchcockian instrumental score – always a welcome addition, for me.