Rating summary

Movie		3.5
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.5

Downhill Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman May 23, 2020

We live in a world seemingly increasingly consigned to various forms of categorization, whether that be what side of the political aisle you may choose to be on, or what your particular sexual preference might be. It goes on and on, a snowball of sorts building to a sort of “identity this” and “identity that” avalanche, and in that regard, I wonder in passing if Downhill suffered from just such an attempt at categorization, and therefore didn’t really get any traction either in the critical class (but you know how they can be) or perhaps more importantly with ticket buying customers simply because it’s one of those films that is not easily pigeonholed. This became evident even before I saw the film, when I started seeing promotional material for it either at cineplexes or on television. With two marquee stars like Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell, it might be reasonably assumed that Downhill would be some kind of comedy, and in fact a lot of the promotional material seemed to emphasize some of the more buffoonish moments, as in a pratfall Louis-Dreyfus takes out of a bathroom stall. But even these short snippets seen in coming attractions trailers and television ads seemed to suggest there was some kind of melancholic undertow to the film, and that in fact is the case. Downhill is neither a traditional comedy — though it has some undeniably laugh out loud moments — nor a traditional drama — though it offers some rather cogent insight into how married couples perceive each other, and as such it was probably an incredibly hard sell for whatever marketing team was hired to hawk it to prospective audiences. This probably isn’t a home run, but for fans of Ferrell and Louis-Dreyfus, as well as those who like their comedy on the dark, often awkward feeling, side, Downhill may provide some unexpected pleasures.

Note: Many of those promotional efforts alluded to above contained outright depictions of what is a major underlying plot point, so I'm not exactly sure that me mentioning that very plot point really constitutes a "spoiler", but for anyone concerned about unwanted revelations, skipping down to the technical portions of the review, below, is encouraged.

Downhill is based on a Swedish feature named Force Majeure, and the progenitor was greeted with pretty uniformly rapturous reviews (including the Blu-ray review by Michael Reuben linked to above, as well as during its theatrical release, when Brian Orndorf reviewed it here.) I haven’t yet seen Force Majeure, but I frankly wonder if some of its acclaim was due at least in part to a certain tolerance for nonconforming films that have a European origin, when American movies are so often forced to fit into some preconceived notion of what a “comedy” or a “drama” should be.

Pete (Will Ferrell) and Billie Staunton (Julia Louis-Dreyfus) are on a ski vacation with their two young sons, Finn (Julian Grey) and Emerson (Ammon Jacob Ford), and while they appear to be a happy family, there are certain ripples emanating from just beneath the surface that suggest all is not sunshine and roses. Billie notices that the resort Pete has booked them into doesn’t seem to have any other kids around, which she finds a little troublesome, and on Pete’s side of the ledger, it turns out his father has died relatively recently, and he’s still dealing with that loss.

The foursome are out on a deck of a ski lodge one gorgeous day when the resort's "controlled avalanche" system offers an exciting, seemingly far away "boom" as the snow cannons are fired, and then a really exciting view of the rolling, roiling cloud of snow and crystals plummeting down the mountain. Excitement soon turns to terror when it looks quite likely that someone has miscalculated somewhere, and the entire deck may be swallowed up by the maelstrom. Pete panics, picks up his phone and darts inside, leaving Billie and the boys terrified on the deck. And from that one moment of misjudgment, a litany of recriminations ensue that slowly but surely peels back the scab on some marital wounds, real or imagined.

There are a number of standout sequences in the film, and it's obvious that Downhill has more on its mind than a typical raucous "vacation" comedy. The arguable highlight of the film is an incredibly awkward meet up between Pete and Billie and a work friend of Pete's named Zach (Zach Woods) and Zach's girlfriend Rosie (Zoë Chao) which just devolves into absolute chaos when Billie starts talking about Pete's "abandonment" of the family during a crisis. Also rather amusing, if woefully underwritten, is a bon vivant character named Charlotte (an insanely accented Miranda Otto), who seems intent on getting Billie to loosen up a little. A bit involving the "avalanche" ski patrol head honcho is also quite humorous.

In a way, I'm actually glad I haven't seen Force Majeure yet, as my expectations for Downhill may have been too high. Anyone wanting a laugh a minute tale of family dysfunction will probably not get much out of Downhill, though there is certainly family dysfunction galore in this film. Those willing to let this film go off on its own track, kind of like a dunderheaded Pete does at one point on the ski slopes, may find this a rather unusual and at times pretty heady brew of discomfiting comedy and what might be thought of as forced couple's therapy.

Note: Brian also reviewed Downhill during its theatrical exhibition, and perhaps because he had seen and enjoyed Force Majeure, was not as enthused about this film as I am. You can read Brian's thoughts here.

Downhill Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Downhill is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of 20th Century Fox Home Entertainment* with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 2.39:1. Kind of strangely, I haven't been able to track down much if any technical data on the shoot, other than some online articles where cinematographer Andy Cohen expresses a preference for RED cameras; that said, the closing credits list camera rentals were handled by Arri (which might suggest but doesn't necessarily guarantee an Arri camera). At any rate, I'm assuming this was digitally captured and finished at a 2K DI. The results are very good all around, with some sumptuous outdoor vistas offering really substantial depth of field, and secure contrast managing to delineate between various shades of white when the characters are out on the slopes. A lot of the fine detail comes courtesy of the various outerwear the characters have on, and some of the palette, notably Pete's deceased father's bright yellow ski cap, or a later furry green hat a woman at a lodge wears, pops with considerable authority. The film probably unavoidably tends to emphasize cool tones a lot of the time. I noticed no compression issues at all.

*I mentioned in our recent Underwater Blu-ray review how I assumed that that would be the last official 20th Century Fox title I'd be reviewing, since The Call of the Wild 4K was branded with the "new, improved" 20th Century Studios moniker, and that disc carried Disney/Buena Vista distribution credits. Well, I lied. This Blu-ray only has the "old style" 20th Century Fox branding, though the disc itself does have the frequent Disney authoring gambit of choosing a main language first before the menu appears.

Downhill Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Downhill features an enjoyable immersive DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that derives good surround activity from expected moments like the thundering "almost fatal" avalanche, as well as some the hustle and bustle at various locations the characters visit. A late scene with Pete getting pretty drunk with Zach features some pounding trance music that emanates through the side and rear channels quite forcefully. Dialogue is presented cleanly and clearly throughout this problem free track.

Downhill Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Deleted Scenes (1080p; 4:28)


• Outtakes: Dinner With Charlotte (1080p; 3:43) features the cast riffing in one of the many uncomfortable interchanges that populate the film.


• Origins of the Film (1080p; 8:02) gets into the source film and its adaptation for this version.


• Locations (1080p; 9:15) is less of a travelogue (though there is some gorgeous scenery), than a faux takedown of the film's co-directors by its stars.


• Official Trailer (1080p; 2:21)

Additionally, the disc features an Info option, and a Digital Copy evidently features exclusive bonus material.

Downhill Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Many of you are probably familiar with the "Karen" meme that has been proliferating, and I'd be prone to say that if Billie weren't named Billie in this film, she might very well be the paradigm of what many think of as a "Karen". This is a peculiar film, to be sure, and my hunch is it's not going to appeal to those who want an out and out comedy. I laughed very heartily at several key moments in Downhill, but it was often laughter created by incredibly awkward interactions between people in general and a married couple in particular. I found Ferrell and Louis- Dreyfus quite winning, especially considering the fact that their characters are not exactly lovable. Technical merits are solid, and for those willing to take a chance on something a little different, Downhill comes Recommended.