Windfall

Some genres are notoriously difficult to combine, so much that few films ever dared to take a stab. Dark comedy and thriller is one of those extremely tricky combinations, and while Windfall is a brave and laudable attempt at bringing the two together, the result ends up feeling a bit half-hearted.

A man raids a wealthy and famous person's vacation home, when his victim suddenly arrives with his wife. Unsure of what to do, he takes them hostage. He isn't a true criminal though and the power balance between assailant and victims is slightly off, certainly when the victims decide to help him start a new life.

The performances are solid and the start of the film is pretty funny, but as soon as McDowell tries to add a drama and thriller elements the tension starts to waver. There are too many dead moments and the film is a little too one-note. The ending is a nice touch, but it's a case of too little, too late. Not a terrible film, just not a resounding success.