Whenever disaster hits in a movie, we already know what will happen next.
Bayona’sThe Impossibleor, well,J.A.
Bayona’sSociety of the Snow.
Image via TriArt Film
But what if the director staring at imminent catastrophe isn’t that keen on action movies and tearjerkers?
What if they’re more into delivering a message through a very disturbing and uncomfortable sense of humor?
In 2020, the movie got an American remake,Downhill, starringWill FerrellandJulia Louis-Dreyfus.
To put it mildly, it did not do well.
But, from the get-go, Ostlund makes it clear that there is some underlying tension going on.
If something isn’t going on yet, things are definitely about to go very wrong.
By the grace of God… well, someone who thinks they’re God.
From their balcony table, they are enthralled by a controlled avalanche set off by the hotel’s staff.
Now, controlled avalanches are supposed to help avoid larger disasters, but this one doesn’t.
Instead, it grows bigger and bigger until it almost hits the restaurant, swallowing everyone in its way.
Thankfully, it doesn’t.
From the whiteness, everyone emerges unscathed.
There is just a tiny problem.
Meanwhile, Tomas… Well,Tomas picks up his iPhone and runs.
It would have even less of a story to tell had Ebba stayed frozen in place like her kids.
