Review of Cheap Thrills (2013) by Brett B — 15 Mar 2014

Where does one begin with CHEAP THRILLS? It's a difficult film to classify, and I'm sure many people will find themselves completely repulsed by how truly screwed-up it is. Not because of anything out-of-bounds-explicit (it skirts the line a couple times, but implies more than it actually shows), but because of the premise and the subject matter.

A case could be made that it's an ultra, uber black comedy, as things get so wild and crazy that the only response is to laugh at the escalating absurdity. And laugh I did... a lot... but then felt bad about it afterwards.

In terms of the cast, David Koechner is a complete riot, bringing much of his comedic persona to a really despicable character. Pat Healy fully commits himself to the abuse that's directed his way, Sara Paxton plays disturbingly aloof quite well, and the movie's secret weapon is Ethan Embry, who's surprisingly great and gives the performance of the film.

Ultimately, despite the outlandish insanity, it's a pretty upsetting film, though it's certainly unlike anything I've ever seen. It's ABSOLUTELY NOT for most tastes, so proceed with caution; I'm sure that's a full-blown endorsement to some.

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