What lengths would you go to in order to secure the financial future of yourself or your family? Would you slap a stripper on the backside for $200? Punch a bouncer for $500? What would be the absolute limit? This is the conundrum presented to family man Craig (Pat Healy) and his old friend Vince (Ethan Embry) after they bump into an extremely wealthy couple in a bar whose idea of partying includes dishing up increasingly outrageous dares in exchange for larger sums of cash. Cheap Thrills is about as dark as comedy gets - so much so that at times the more queasy members of the audience are likely to forget that they're supposed to be laughing. Director E. L. Katz certainly knows how to incrementally push the boundaries while keeping the viewer on the edge of their seat, and by the time the film comes to an end a genuine feeling of anxiety has crept in through the gallows humour. All round fine performances certainly help, and David Koechner deserves a special mention for his performance as the wealthy husband - it's a far cry from his more familiar role as sports presenter Champ Kind in the Anchorman films and proves he's an actor more than capable of serious roles. Cheap Thrills offers more than what its title suggests, and the undercurrent of issues such as wealth inequality and the psychological divide between rich and poor leaves you thinking about more than just the carnage you've just witnessed. Have you seen any other great films this year which most people seem to have missed out on? Why not post a comment below and let us know?
