Downhill (2020 film)

Downhill is a 2020 American black comedy-drama film directed by Nat Faxon and Jim Rash, and written by Jesse Armstrong, Nat Faxon, and Jim Rash. It is a remake of the 2014 Swedish film Force Majeure by Ruben Östlund.

The film stars Julia Louis-Dreyfus and Will Ferrell as a married couple, Billie and Pete Stanton, whose relationship is strained after Pete's reaction to a seemingly dangerous avalanche during a family ski trip in the Austrian Alps. While Billie is terrified and gathers their children, Pete grabs his phone and runs, leaving his family behind.

The plot follows the aftermath of the avalanche and explores the themes of marriage, masculinity, cowardice, and the different ways in which people cope with stressful situations. Billie is deeply disturbed by Pete's actions and begins to question their relationship and his character, while Pete attempts to downplay the incident and avoid confronting its implications.

Other cast members include Zach Woods, Miranda Otto, and Kristofer Hivju.

Downhill premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 26, 2020, and was released in the United States on February 14, 2020, by Searchlight Pictures. The film received mixed reviews, with critics generally praising Louis-Dreyfus and Ferrell's performances but finding the film to be an inferior adaptation of the original Force Majeure. Criticism focused on the film's lack of subtlety and its less nuanced exploration of the complex themes present in the Swedish film.