There's something about Cheap Thrills that's a little familiar and rather inevitable but that doesn't stop it from being on the most engrossing movies of the year and by far and away the most memorable final image to grace the screen in a very long time.
Craig (Healy) is having a bad day – he has been served an eviction notice, which wouldn't be too bad if he didn't lose his job. But he does. And the bad day isn't going to stop there. Drowning his sorrows in a dive bar, he comes across Vince (Embry), a school buddy he hasn't seen in five years. Drinks are had and a conversation is struck up with Colin (Koechner) a rich businessman and his bored trophy wife (Paxton). Impressed that Craig and Vince are drunk enough and desperate enough to do anything for money, Colin invites them home to see how far the guys will go for a few extra dollars …
With a set up like that there is really only one possible outcome for Cheap Thrills and Trent Haaga and David Chirchirillo's script does indeed make a beeline for there. That premise also suggests that this is a none-too-subtle allegory of the rich's penchant for screwing over the poor purely for kicks and an exploration of the levels of depravity one is capable of descending to for financial security. Yes indeed – tick those off too. Cheap Thrills sets itself up to be these things and doesn't stray too far from that but that's not to say there aren't unexpected developments.
One such development is the level of black humour this comic-horror-drama descends to. Once it gets over its Jackass frat boy antics and double dares (breaking into a neighbour's house to you-know-what on the kitchen floor) proceedings get pretty dark and can veer from funny to disgusting and back again without diluting either side (Healy and Embry negotiating down to self-mutilate scene is both funny and a tough watch). The other unexpected gem is David Koechner, who uses his likeable comic sidekick persona to disarm before slowly allowing this dark side to emerge. Healy, best known for playing the 'cop' in the equally creepy Compliance, and Embry turn in committed performances too. Paxton, however, doesn't have to do much but sit there and snap pictures.
Fun and squirmy, this is worth checking out.
