It’s amazing Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell haven’t done anything together. Before Downhill, they had never even met! I hope they do something else in the future, because Downhill’s subject matter is too intense to play to either of the leads’ strengths, with the movie focusing on remaking Force Majeure, the lauded Swedish story, instead.
Billie (Louis-Dreyfus) and Pete (Ferrell) are on a getaway in the Austrian Alps with their two kids…though apparently they booked the party ski-resort instead of the family one. Though, that’ll soon become the least of their problems. Things start to spiral quickly when a harmless planned avalanche descends on the resort unbeknownst to the family. In the moment, Billie grabs her two kids to protect them. Pete? Grabs his phone and runs away.
Force Majeure made this story a fiercely dramatic movie with funny elements here and there; it knows exactly what it wants to say. Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, the creators of Downhill, have too many masters to serve. That means Downhill, in an attempt to appeal to all the potential viewers, tries to identify every fan who might attend this movie and put something for each of them inside the running time. The basic story is the same: avalanche hits, the parents have opposite reactions. Now, Force Majeure leaned into the uncomfortable drama and conflict of the situation; for what it’s worth, the best parts of Downhill do as well, usually in the subtle rift created inside the family. However, with Dreyfus and Ferrell, Faxon and Rash insert lots of over the top lunacy that isn’t executed super well, making it pretty jarring to watch. Faxon and Rash also toss in the fish out of water experience of the American family in essentially an Austrian spring break, which also throws the tone all out of whack. The scenes individually work, but the lack of tonal cohesion scene to scene leaves the story sort of aimless and kind of a chore.
Of the two comedic masters, Julia Louis-Dreyfus fares best. She’s dipped her toes in this uncomfortable dramedy water before, and she navigates the tonal shifts quite well, mostly understanding that the core part of the story is the slow, sad disconnect of a family. Poor Will Ferrell, on the other hand, is woefully miscast. Ferrell’s not a naturally subtle performer, so try as he does to sell all of Pete’s complex emotional state, the dude simply can’t do it. Ferrell’s clearly more comfortable being an oaf, or a fool. Downhill, as written, does the best it can with Ferrell, but it’s pretty clear that someone more comfortable in understated drama would be better for the main story, or simply the movie should be totally rewritten to revolve around what Dreyfus and Ferrell do best.
Downhill is a disappointing swing and a miss. Julia Louis-Dreyfus will rebound I’m sure. But it’s such a bummer for Will Ferrell, when you think of his last few years. He has two choices: go dramatic, or go Bill Murray, and become a niche quirk comedic actor in supporting roles. Man, getting older sucks sometimes…