Are we sure this Netflix film isn’t a comedy? The genre says thriller… but I don’t know. I mean, it’s a home invasion film… I guess we can call it The Desperate(ly incompetent) Hours… and this certain level of incompetence is meant to be funny… I think?
The film stars Jason Segel as an average guy who breaks into a tech billionaire’s home but is surprised when the owners come home. Soon Segal has Jesse Plemons and Lily Collins at implied gunpoint as he tries to figure out how to manage the situation. But he’s just an average guy with no particular set of skills.
Much of this movie felt like the full length version of that scene in Office Space where the three office drones have to figure out how to launder money… but they first have to figure out what money laundering even is. This flick is about an guy who probably saw too many movies trying to figure out how to be a criminal. And, to be fair, a couple of hostages trying to figure out how to be hostages.
And I kind of dug this very low-key sense of humor… one there’s a distinct chance I’m inventing. As an actual suspense thriller, the film has its moments but there’s way too much uncertainty, special pleading, debate, and explanations to not be a subversive take on this subgenre. I mean, the hostages have to negotiate UP how much money the kidnapper needs to live… and I’m pretty sure as soon as Segel gets out of the situation, he’ll just get caught by doing something simple.
The film is never amazing or particularly good… but it’s a decent, curious watch. There’s a sequence in the second half that drags, but it kind of drags because the characters are bored with being hostages and hostage-taker. Nobody ever said holding hostages was going to be exciting, amiright? But we still have to wait with them and that’s not too thrilling (or comedic).
The film also has this weird overly dramatic musical score that accompanies simple actions. If they had filmed the movie in black and white, it’d both look and sound like a 30s or 40s potboiler. I think this was intentional… the music score felt out of place for a modern film.
I’m a little torn on this one but I low-key enjoyed it for the movie it was pretending it wasn’t. I mean, if this isn’t intentionally being subversively comedic, then it’s an utter failure. But it probably is and I was along for the ride, mostly.
Score: 75