Cheap Thrills is an entertaining dark comedy that does indie filmmaking right. A small guest that acts their butts off for this dark and twisting story. Directed by E.L. Katz and written by David Chirchirillo and Trent Haaga the film does exactly what it sets out to do; Make the audience wince, cringe, and then laugh as the story unfolds.
Cheap Thrills is a great example of how to make the stakes high enough for the characters in the story
Craig Daniels (Pat Healy) is in some serious financial trouble that could cause him and his wife and infant son to lose their apartment. He runs into an old friend, Vince (Ethan Embry), at a bar who then ends up in conversation with a well-to-do married couple, Violet (Sara Paxton) and Colin (David Koechner). They begin offering the guys money to do crazy and crazier stunts, but how far will the guys take it.
The story in this movie, while extremely entertaining, is slightly predictable. However, the characters not seeing it coming is completely believable. The performances in this film are great. The four mentioned all do great things and really bring this characters to life. They’re all pretty awful when it boils down to it, but it’s impossible to look away. In fact, the character that earned the most sympathy wasn’t one I expected to feel bad for. Speaking cryptically to avoid spoilers, there is a single moment where the actor shows the character’s weakness and it’s endearing, but a costly choice.
This film is a great example of what an indie film can be. It’s reminiscent of Green Room or Blue Ruin, both by Jeremy Saulnier, in its sensibilities and production values. Both of Saulnier’s films and Katz feature some really solid practical violence as well as interesting characters that aren’t drowned with backstory or over exposition. Their needs are clearly established and it logically guides their choices. It makes for an enjoyable ride told visually with solid camera work and dialogue that feels organic to the character’s and their situation.
Final thoughts…
While Cheap Thrills is extremely solid, it’s not a film that would be easy to place as a must see. Although, it’s currently available on Netflix (or you can buy a physical copy here) so there isn’t much of a reason to skip out on it. Be warned, there is a sequence that would make Peta extremely upset so if that’s a deal breaker then don’t watch it. Cheap Thrills earns the Not Quite Golden, Ponyboy rating.
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