DOWNHILL Trailer Reveals A Promising Remake

Ruben Ostlund's Force Majeure is not only one of the greatest comedies of the past decade – it's also one of the best films about a marriage in crisis. The upcoming remake, directed by Jim Rash and Nat Faxon (The Way, Way Back), has a lot to live up to if it hopes to be even half as good as its source material. Thankfully, they've got a cast headlined by Will Ferrell and Julia Louis-Dreyfus and a script by Succession creator Jesse Armstrong to back it up. Honestly, I was still feeling pretty skeptical, but then the first trailer hit: 

The plot seems largely faithful to Force Majeure: A married couple and their two kids embark on a family ski vacation to the Alps. When a controlled avalanche interrupts a pleasant meal, the wife (Louis-Dreyfus) grabs the kids and tries to protect them, while the husband (Ferrell) grabs his phone and runs away – leaving his family behind. Those glaringly different instincts are at the heart of the story, which – at least in Ostlund's version – examines male insecurity and pathos, microaggressions, and the subtle differences between men and women (and how those small things have a tendency to become major threats). 

Downhill looks fairly funny, but I'm curious to see how it captures not only the themes of its predecessor, but its observant and idiosyncratic sense of humor as well. And the supporting cast is just a bonus: Zach Woods (a modern comic GOAT), Miranda Otto, and Zoe Chao co-star, with Force Majeure's Kristofer Hivju in a small role. Downhill hits theaters on February 14, 2020.