This nasty black comedy is a unique interpretation of the struggle between rich and poor

Out of The Hunger Games To Squid GameThe elite playing sadistically with the working class is a concept we haven’t seen often before. Wave a few large bills in front of someone who is at his wits’ end to keep his family alive and safe and the heartless entertainment can begin. The blatant and sharp Cheap thrills follows this example, as an ordinary man sells his soul to an incredibly rich couple to keep his family afloat. But What sets this rough film apart from its competitors is the fact that the two workers are played off against each other voluntarily. And this voluntary participation lasts the entire running time. As events spiral out of control, either man is free to leave, but in this Faustian tale remains loyal and is pushed into action as every hint of green seems like another shot of the good stuff.

Cheap thrills

A scheming couple presents a down-and-out family man and his old friend with a series of increasingly crazy challenges over the course of an evening at a local bar.

Duration

85 minutes

director

EL Katz

Release date

21 March 2014

Actor

Pat Healy, Sara Paxton, Ethan Embry, David Koechner

“Cheap Thrills” is different from “poor versus rich” films

Typically, these stories begin with some sort of financial incentive, but over time, morale becomes increasingly slippery and most participants are forced to stay. Cheap thrillsHowever, he follows the average citizen Craig (Patrick Healy) and the criminal Vince (Ethan Embry), old friends who decide to become puppets for an incredibly wealthy couple, sometimes even taking on even higher stakes and brutalities themselves. Craig is going through one of the worst times of his life: he finds an eviction notice on his apartment door and loses his job on the same day.. Instead of returning home to his wife and 18-month-old son, he drinks his sorrows away in a bar and runs into his old pal Vince. The two knew each other from Craig’s less pleasant days, but it turns out Vince had been promoted to breaking people’s hands in front of their children while collecting debts for loan sharks. Vince is not in as precarious a position as Craig, but when Colin (David Koechner) and violet (Sarah Paxton) start waving cash at them, he follows them greedily.

Like many Faustian films where people desperate for money sell their souls to the elite, the challenges gradually increase in intensity, from simply downing a shot of liquor to being slapped by a bar-goer. In the red-lit bar, Craig is initially quite hesitant, while Vince jumps in with manic glee, eager to make a quick buck. The point where Craig finally sinks in is when he is challenged to punch a security guard, in a heart-wrenching scene fueled by insane adrenaline. From there, The competition between the men is fierce, fuelled by testosterone and dynamism, as both fall uncontrollably into a black holeand let go of any ethical concerns they may have had before. There is a sense of unease throughout the film as we realize that they really can leave anytime they want, and they even consider doing so at several stages, but the mad rush of fury keeps catching up with them as they head full throttle toward the stunning finale.

Each character in “Cheap Thrills” embodies an archetype

As the dynamic between the four characters is established, it becomes clear that each of them embodies a particular archetype. Craig is a typical working-class character, a failed writer trying to make ends meet in a dead-end job, only to find refuge in a bar when his life falls apart. With mouths to feed and the sole breadwinner, Craig becomes the epitome of desperation in Cheap thrills and once he crosses his moral threshold, he does everything he can to keep his family afloat with any money he can win. In comparison, Vince is also something of a worker, although he prefers illegal activities. His chosen field of criminal activity is not necessarily lucrative, however, and although he is dazzled by the green paper cases, it is actually his hedonistic and violent streak that initially draws him to the game. Ironically, it is this wild side that becomes his pillar of support in the finale.

Colin and Violet also embody two different types of sadistic members of the elite that we see on screen. Colin is probably more of the caricature we’re used to, boisterous, loud and deeply in love with the chaos he can wreak on the two men. But there’s a menacing undercurrent of psychopathy that suggests he’s not as coked up as he seems and that he revels in the power he has. While Koechner becomes an eye-catcher with his booming voice and thunderous presence, Paxton gives her character an eerie calm that is just as powerful. Lou is more of a sociopathic rich person who is content to observe and take pictures while only occasionally maximizing the mental toll on the men. While the economic and moral divide between the players and the game masters is fairly obvious, it is the divide between Craig and Vince that drives the film’s more interesting social commentary.

“Chap Thrills” is a nasty and merciless look at capitalism

Both Craig and Vince are struggling financially, but it is Vince who already shows the ability to keep a moral low profile. Yet this bloodthirsty, temperamental and “nothing to lose” behavior ironically becomes his downfall. Vince already has experience evading the law and being a loner, and so is perfectly placed to keep up in the early stages of the game. But since he manipulates the system rather than joining in with it, he hasn’t necessarily been crushed by it. Craig has done everything in the meantime. He tried his hand at his dreams, and when he failed, he landed a steady job with a steady income that would help him start a family. However, the economic system doesn’t necessarily reward this commitment, since Craig becomes another exploited member of the working class whose hope and fighting spirit have been lost for years.

Thus, his downfall during the game becomes his strength, as he displays a capacity for violence and brutality that surpasses Vince, simply out of sheer desperation. There is a scene where he strides back into the mansion with his knuckles clenched in determination. It becomes Craig’s breaking point, where his bloodied face, tense lines and roaring mouth evoke associations of an animal breaking out of its cage. The increasing contrast between the friends, where Vince gradually loses confidence and Craig sinks into horrific cruelty, suggesting that it is this cage of capitalism that feeds a stronger capacity for immorality in classes that are exploited simply because of pressure and desperation. The game itself reflects the system in a dirty and powerful way, as each man competes to be “better” in this closed system, constantly trying to outdo each other to get their hands on a promised future. It becomes a rat race in the most confrontational and brutal sense.

Rich people are not the only monsters in “Cheap Thrills”

We have seen how far someone would go to save their family, but Cheap thrills complicates this concept by examining how ethical and economic differences interact with each other. Both the rich couple and Craig are portrayed as capable of depravitywho share similar moral values ​​but are on opposite sides of the monetary spectrum. Colin and Violet’s immorality mainly takes its form of voyeurism, as they generally enjoy sitting back and watching the two players sabotage each other in this twisted game. They prefer to simply direct and manipulate their toys into deviating without actually engaging in these actions themselves. As such, they show that they know how to manipulate the system in their favor, and for once show how capitalism makes this easier for them through their immense wealth and access to resources.

Craig may not have the same moral compass at the beginning, but by the end of the film he has worsened his own. With different motivations and finances Craig’s coldness in the finale leads to him being compared to the coupleand finds a twisted and dark similarity between them. The film revels in devastation and degradation, offering an evil and heartless look at the economic system that inadvertently becomes a breeding ground for sin. Satirically named Cheap thrillsThe film offers cheap morals for not-so-cheap prices, encouraging us to compete too – what would you do for $50,000?

Cheap thrills can now be streamed on Peacock in the US

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