Stream It Or Skip It: ‘Downhill’ on HBO, in Which an Avalanche Separates Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell

Now on HBO, Downhill pairs Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell for a remake of acclaimed Swedish comedy Force Majeure. Writer-director duo Nat Faxon and Jim Rash (The Way Way Back) lead the creative team for this story about a family whose Austrian Alps ski trip takes an awkward turn, and I’m here to tell you whether it’s a secret Elf prequel in which Ferrell’s character, enamored by the snowy climate, divorces his wife, renames himself Buddy and heads to the North Pole. (Note: It’s not, but read the review anyway please and thank you.)

‘DOWNHILL’: STREAM IT OR SKIP IT?

The Gist: BOOM. RUMBLE. The Alps: A skiing haven where small explosions deliberately set off controlled avalanches, so nobody’s surprised by a murderous SNOWNAMI. Billie (Louis-Dreyfus) and Pete (Ferrell) and their two sons have just spent a brisk, exhilarating morning on the slopes. They sit down for lunch at an outdoor cafe for some soup when BOOM, RUMBLE, and it sure seems to be coming right for them. A terrified Billie crouches with the kids. Pete grabs his phone and runs. Not a good look there, Pete.

Don’t worry, Pete came back to his family, and ordered some soup. And suddenly, what looked to be a very expensive, fun-packed upper-middle-class family trip now has an elephant in their luxe suite with the postcard mountain view. Weird interactions with a hotel tour guide or whatever she is (Miranda Otto) give Pete the opportunity to dodge conversations about what happened — and cue his sympathy orchestra about the recent passing of his father — as Billie simmers. There’s an aborted family helicopter trip, Billie’s afternoon with a swarthy ski instructor (Giulio Berruti), Pete’s opportunity to get sloshed and a lot of goofy Schwarzeneggerian accents.

Coincidentally, one of Pete’s co-workers (Zach Woods), who happens to be simultaneously trekking through Europe with his overly hashtag-happy girlfriend (Zoe Chao), stops to visit, and what he certainly hoped was another distraction becomes an opportunity to air out grievances to an unsuspecting two-person jury. The elephant had to emerge sooner or later, and this situation becomes a matter of who gets stomped by it.

What Movies Will It Remind You Of?: Well, it’s no Scenes from a Marriage or Certified Copy. Or more recently, Marriage Story or Ordinary Love.

Performance Worth Watching: Louis-Dreyfus makes the most of an opportunity to find nuance and complexity in her character, beyond the limitations of the screenplay. She’s strong, but you’ll wish the writing was stronger.

Memorable Dialogue: “For a moment, it could’ve felt dicey.” — Pete understates his feelings about impending doom

Sex and Skin: None.

Our Take: Come on, Pete and Billie. WOULD YOU JUST TALK IT OUT ALREADY? Carrying it around just wears everybody out.

Such is the ungainly tension fueling Downhill. (Note, I haven’t seen Force Majeure, so we hereby adhere to the assertion that movies more often should be judged in and of themselves than compared to other movies.) The wide-skied and cold open spaces of its geographical setting contrast its insular and cozy fireplace’d interiors, where a microcosmic spousal relationship dynamic plays out with tense dramatics and a peppering of comedy. Interesting: How what would be a throwaway gag in a more commercial Will Ferrell comedy becomes the core concept of this one. Less interesting: The blase execution; the emotional content lacks resonance, and the laughs are a disappointingly light dusting when we need a solid 12 inches of ground cover to enjoy the day. So to speak.

Louis-Dreyfus is the only cast member to find any traction in the snow, while Ferrell just seems hemmed in by trademark Ferrellisms — manchild tendencies, a sheen of naivete, fraught bumbling. Of course, this isn’t Talladega Nights, so his wackiness is tempered by the screenplay’s desire to be more substantial and comically exploit and examine marital tension. There’s potential here, but the film doesn’t dare to go deeper or funnier. The key scene with Woods and Chao playing de-facto marriage counselors is the only moment that truly works; it’s darkly comic, features Woods delivering a terrific line in which he compares Pete to a sea cucumber and maybe it’ll inspire some contemplation on the concepts of bothsidesism and false equivalence. (It’s 2020, and politics are just unavoidable.) But one richly conceptualized scene isn’t enough — this movie should be full of them.

Our Call: SKIP IT. Admittedly, Downhill isn’t a terrible thing to stumble across while scanning your streaming menus. It’s hard to deny the allure of Louis-Dreyfus and Ferrell. But it lacks the crisp wit the material calls for, and is ultimately a little too lackluster to recommend.

John Serba is a freelance writer and film critic based in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Read more of his work at johnserbaatlarge.com or follow him on Twitter: @johnserba.

Where to stream Downhill