''Windfall'' is a 2022 American

crime thriller Crime fiction, detective story, murder mystery, crime novel, mystery novel, and police novel are terms used to describe narratives or fiction that centre on criminal acts and especially on the investigation, either by an amateur or a professiona ...

film directed by

Charlie McDowell Charles Malcolm McDowell (born July 10, 1983) is an American-British film director and screenwriter. McDowell made his directorial film debut with the romantic thriller '' The One I Love'' (2014). He has since written and directed the Netflix dra ...

from a screenplay by

Andrew Kevin Walker Andrew Kevin Walker (born August 14, 1964) is an American screenwriter. He is known for having written '' Seven'' (1995), for which he earned a nomination for the BAFTA Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as several other films, includi ...

and Justin Lader. The film stars

Jason Segel Jason Jordan Segel ( ; born January 18, 1980) is an American actor and writer. He is best known for his role as Marshall Eriksen in the CBS sitcom ''How I Met Your Mother'' from 2005 to 2014. He began his career with director and producer Judd ...

Lily Collins Lily Jane Collins (born 18 March 1989) is an English and American actress. Born in Guildford and raised in Los Angeles, she began performing on screen at the age of two in the BBC sitcom ''Growing Pains''. In the late 2000s, she began acting a ...

, and

Jesse Plemons Jesse Plemons (; born April 2, 1988) is an American actor. He began his career as a child actor and achieved a breakthrough with his role as Landry Clarke in the NBC drama series '' Friday Night Lights'' (2006–2011). He subsequently portra ...

. ''Windfall'' was released on March 18, 2022, by

Netflix Netflix is an American subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service. The service primarily distributes original and acquired films and television shows from various genres, and it is available internationally in multiple lang ...

Plot

A wealthy CEO and his wife come to their vacation home only to discover a burglar. The CEO agrees to give him money and forget about the ordeal without calling the police, but the burglar locks them in a sauna. Returning to his car, the burglar spots a camera which he suspects is recording him. He returns to the house and confronts them. He now asks for $500,000 in cash. The CEO calls his assistant, who tells him that the money will arrive the following afternoon. Several conversations between the trio make it clear that the CEO and his wife are in a strained relationship, although the CEO looks forward to having children. At night, the wife tells the burglar that she is not happy with her life; the burglar tells her to stop calling herself a victim for marrying a man for his wealth. The next day, the CEO guesses the burglar was an employee made redundant by the algorithm he has invented, which aids companies undergoing downsizing. A gardener arrives to work on the house. He takes them outside and talks to the CEO about planting an oak tree. The CEO writes 'Call 911' on the gardener's sketch. The burglar takes notice and orders the gardener to enter the house. His wife and the burglar criticize the CEO for jeopardizing another person's life. After a few hours, the CEO finally breaks. He belittles the burglar and claims he will not do anything to them because his life is meaningless. After the burglar shoots a warning shot, the gardener tries to escape. He trips and falls through a glass door, and a shard of glass pierces his neck, killing him. The money is left in front of the house, so the wife retrieves it. She sees a passing car but does not signal it before returning inside. The burglar ties up the CEO and his wife in different rooms. The burglar admits to the CEO that he wanted to know what it was like to live like a rich person. He reveals to him that his wife is taking birth control pills. Cutting herself free, she kills the burglar with a small statue. She then shoots her husband dead, plants the gun in the burglar's hand, and leaves the property.

Cast

as Nobody *

as Wife *

as CEO * Omar Leyva as Gardener

Production

Filming took place in March 2021 in

Ojai, California Ojai ( ; Chumashan languages, Chumash: ''’Awhaỳ'') is a city in Ventura County, California. Located in the Ojai Valley, it is northwest of Los Angeles and east of Santa Barbara, California, Santa Barbara. The valley is part of the east– ...

, with production fully wrapping in July. Later that month,

acquired the film for a "major eight-figures" sum.

Reception

References

External links

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Windfall (2022 film) 2022 films 2022 crime thriller films 2020s American films 2020s English-language films American crime thriller films English-language crime thriller films Netflix original films Films about vacationing Films directed by Charlie McDowell Films shot in Ventura County, California Films with screenplays by Andrew Kevin Walker Films about home invasion