X
- 2014
- Not Rated
- Drafthouse Films
- 1 h 28 m
- 2014
- Not Rated
- Drafthouse Films
- 1 h 28 m
Summary Craig (Pat Healy), a struggling family man, loses his low-wage job and is threatened with eviction. In an effort to delay facing the music at home, he heads to a local bar and encounters an old friend (Ethan Embry). The two friends are roped into a round of drinks by a charismatic and obscenely wealthy stranger (David Koechner) along wit...
Directed By: E.L. Katz
Written By: David Chirchirillo, Roald Dahl, Trent Haaga
- 2014
- Not Rated
- Drafthouse Films
- 1 h 28 m
- 2014
- Not Rated
- Drafthouse Films
- 1 h 28 m
Cheap Thrills
63
6.5
Where to Watch
Summary Craig (Pat Healy), a struggling family man, loses his low-wage job and is threatened with eviction. In an effort to delay facing the music at home, he heads to a local bar and encounters an old friend (Ethan Embry). The two friends are roped into a round of drinks by a charismatic and obscenely wealthy stranger (David Koechner) along wit...
Directed By: E.L. Katz
Written By: David Chirchirillo, Roald Dahl, Trent Haaga
Where to Watch
Top Cast
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 23 Critic Reviews
63
61% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
39% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Metascore
Generally Favorable
Based on 23 Critic Reviews
63
61% Positive
14 Reviews
14 Reviews
39% Mixed
9 Reviews
9 Reviews
0% Negative
0 Reviews
0 Reviews
Savagely assaulting the desperate state of a blue collar family man, the comedic thriller Cheap Thrills establishes a ridiculous premise early on and takes it to various extremes, again and again, until you just have to accept the crazy venture on its own terms or simply give up.
The performances are perfectly attuned to the material, with Koechner dominating his every scene as a kind of demented ringmaster, and Healy adroitly demonstrating the potential for both humor and horror in a character with nothing left to lose.
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 51 User Ratings
6.5
69% Positive
35 Ratings
35 Ratings
18% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
14% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
User Score
Generally Favorable
Based on 51 User Ratings
6.5
69% Positive
35 Ratings
35 Ratings
18% Mixed
9 Ratings
9 Ratings
14% Negative
7 Ratings
7 Ratings
Shockingly, Cheap Thrills manages to cleverly create a entertaining experience by pitting friend vs friend, adding dark humor, a well assembled cast, and a storyline that pushes the boundaries of independent cinema.
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There is plenty to like about this film, which takes what is usually the (entertaining but) outlandish premise of people preforming extreme tasks for cash, and people willing to pay big sums of money to be entertained, and turns it into a satire on society’s obsession with self-deprecation in the pursuit of easy money, and its seemingly insatiable need to be entertained by greater and greater extremes. Cheap Thrills taps deep into that.
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Unlike most movies that use the current economic crisis as a dramatic backdrop, Healy's character is vibrant enough that the audience can make an easy connection and go through the journey with him.
Even if Cheap Thrills isn’t always plausible, though, it’s still a fair amount of twisted fun, thanks mostly to a surprisingly, effectively low-key turn by Koechner as the game’s emcee.
Cheap Thrills is a commendably flawed experiment in imbuing social anxiety with genre shocks.
If Cheap Thrills ultimately does carry us along, it’s due largely to Healy’s performance and presence. He’s a figure halfway between schlemiel and criminal, and the film effectively works that full range.
Cheap Thrills is little more than low-budget torture porn for the doobie-addled dudebro contingent.
I watched Cheap Thrills months ago at a local film festival and I have to admit that I loved it's dark sense of humor. It's a simple movie, with a simple concept, and a very dark & desperate outlook on life. The idea behind the film is pretty basic but fortunately there are a few good plot twists to break up the increasingly violent and dangerous cash offers the two main characters are tempted with. Cheap Thrills won't be for the faint of heart, but if you're looking for something dark, and surprisingly well-done then I would recommend giving it a shot.
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Craig Daniels (Pat Healy) is having a hell of a day. He's been fired on the very same day he's recieved an eviction notice on his front door. Content to drink his troubles away, Craig runs into an old friend from High School. Together they start catching up and run into a unique couple, a couple who starts offering them money simply for doing oddball things for their amusement. The duo agrees and even goes back to the couples house with them, and that's when things really start to get bizarre. I feel like I've seen something similar and far more serious before, but I can't place my finger on it. What I really liked about this film was that despite it's B-movie status, and obvious lack of quality writing, what goes down isn't as expected as you would think. A lot of it really was surprising and they do spare us the pain and torture of doing what is obvious. I also enjoyed Pat Healy as Craig, he's not the kind of character you'd expect to see in a movie like this, and he added an interesting dynamic to a cast that was otherwise pretty droll. Cheap Trills has a few funny and unexpected moments in it, and to be honest it was better than I thought it would be. It still however very much deserves it's B-movie status and reeks of inexperience.
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The first half of cheap thrills is very entertaining and funny but once the second half rolls around that's when the shock value wore off and by that point they were trying to hard to make the audience go ughhh while the two leads give good performances I never really bought that they were once friends the way they interacted with each other just seemed like they just met.
Overall:6/10
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From reading other revues, I expected some comedy in this film. I found none. It was darkly engaging and there were a couple of moments that, perhaps in some other film, may have been humorous but in this film were more horrific. The musical score and direction didn't allow me to laugh at things I may otherwise have.
I wouldn't call it original (I don't think it is trying to be) but I may suggest that it was mostly predictable. That isn't necessarily a complaint, though. It's predictability is what made it sad. You knew these people were going to continue to make bad choices because of the holes that they found themselves in.
The real reason I didn't thoroughly enjoy this film is probably because of the expectations I had after reading reviews (and let's face it, the film's poster gives a more upbeat feel than the film itself). If you go into this expecting a bit of a laugh, I hope you will be disappointed as well. If you watch the film expecting a confronting drama, you may enjoy it more.
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[SPOILER ALERT: This review contains spoilers.]
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Awards
Fright Meter Awards
• 1 Win & 5 Nominations
CinEuphoria Awards
• 2 Wins & 3 Nominations
Boston Underground Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination
