Welcome back to It Came From The Dollar Tree! Yesterday, I had the pleasure of checking out The Devil's Candy (2013). It was a hell of a watch. It also was a film that definitely showed a different side of Ethan Embry's acting chops.
Today, I have the pleasure of checking out another film featuring Ethan Embry, Cheap Thrills. Cheap Thrills was released in 2013 from Drafthouse Films. The film was written by David Chirchirillo and Trent Haag. The film was the directorial debut of E. L. Katz.
The synopsis for the film is as follows "A scheming couple put a struggling family man and his old friend through a series of increasingly twisted dares over the course of an evening at a local bar.". It's an incredibly simple concept. However, I spent a little bit of time thinking about the film. Mostly about a theme of the movie. How far would you go just to make money? How far would you let it take you? Would you lose yourself in your pursuit of the money? Would you let the pursuit of said money effect a friendship? Would you let that pursuit turn you into something your not? These are all the questions that I found myself thinking about during the runtime of the film.
A theme that struck me for the film is that its about humanity. In the beginning, we are introduced to Craig (Pat Healy) - a man that is literally down on his luck. He was once a writer, but now is forced to work at a car shop. He's happy with his family, but things are coming down on them because they are having difficulties making ends meet. They are on their last legs with potentially being evicted. And then the icing on this shit cake for Craig is losing his job. This whole situation is just one that's extremely relatable. He's trying his hardest to figure out a way of this hole he's found himself in. But ask and you shall receive, he has the chance to go home. But he's ashamed of things, so he goes to the bar.
At the bar, he ends up seeing an old friend - Vince (Ethan Embry). They seem like good friends. It's that bit of awkwardness of running into someone that you haven't seen in like forever. They end up reminiscing a bit and shooting the shit. But then they meet up with a couple (David Koechner and Sara Paxton) and find themselves trapped in a night that will change their lives forever. They will go through so much shit - all in the pursuit of money to appease this couple. During the course of the night, they find themselves asking those same questions I mentioned before.
The cast in this film is fantastic. Each and every one of them bring their A-game. Ethan Embry delivers a solid performance as that one guy that you used to know and be friends with - but underneath there's a lot of shit just bubbling. Pat Healy is the world's punching bag basically. He goes through such a wringer that I kept saying that it was time for him to just go home to his family. David Koechner is amazing as always. For the longest time, I didn't know who he was as an actor. I just remember seeing him pop up from time to time. But he just has such fantastic comedic timing. And then there's Sara Paxton. In this film, she is completely playing against type. Typically, we usually see her not in a villainous role. She's quiet and reserved while manipulating all of the events in the film for own amusement.
The 'games' that occur in this film start relatively simple. $100 for taking a shot. Or $200 for holding your breath. However, the deeper the rabbit hole goes. The more bizarre and out there it goes. To the point where there was one challenge that is asked of Craig and Vince that I had to look away. It was just too gross at that point. And I definitely disagree that something would taste like chicken.
In the end, Cheap Thrills is a very intriguing film when you dive beneath the surface of it. It is bold and doesn't pull its punches whatsoever. I would recommend it if you can find it. If have the opportunity of buying the DVD, absolutely for the commentary track alone as it opens the film up even more.
Rating: 4 out of 5.
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