The Daily Stream: Cheap Thrills Is A Violent Release For A Generation Screwed By Capitalism

(Welcome to The Daily Stream, an ongoing series in which the /Film team shares what they've been watching, why it's worth checking out, and where you can stream it.)

The Movie: "Cheap Thrills"

Where You Can Stream It: Peacock, Hulu, Tubi, PlutoTV

The Pitch: What lengths would you go to in order to ensure that you had enough money to keep your family from being evicted? Would you punch a bouncer twice your size in the face at a club? Would you eat something absolutely disgusting? Would you cheat on your wife? Would you commit crimes? These are the questions posed by E.L. Katz's incredible feature debut, "Cheap Thrills." Craig (Pat Healy) and Vince (Ethan Embry) are two down-on-their-luck friends who reunite during a chance meeting at a bar shortly after Craig is let go from his job. The two get wrangled into sharing drinks with a wealthy couple, Colin (David Koechner) and Violet (Sara Paxton), who are celebrating Violet's birthday by playing an ethically questionable game. As money is no object for the pair, they've chosen to offer money to random strangers in exchange for performing ridiculous acts, with the stakes of each challenge ramping up more intensely by the second. What starts off as a somewhat harmless way to earn a few bucks quickly turns into a moral quandary as Craig and Vince must determine just how far they'll go for financial security.

E.L. Katz got his start as a writer and producer, helping bring to life the early films of genre darling Adam Wingard, and the final U.S.-produced film of horror icon Tobe Hooper. Thanks to a ridiculously tight script from Trent Haaga ("Girl on the Third Floor," "68 Kill," "Citizen Toxie: The Toxic Avenger IV") and David Chirchirillo ("ABCs of Death 2," "Bad Match," "Eli"), Katz accomplishes more with a low-budget than most filmmakers could dream of pulling off with millions. The film was the first deal made out of SXSW in 2013, the result of an alleged day-long bidding war. There was something special about "Cheap Thrills," a film that has only gotten more relevant as time passes as the housing market continues to crumble and inflation costs balloon beyond recognition.

There's a relatable grittiness to Katz's filmmaking style, often treating the camera as a tool for voyeurism. As Craig and Vince attempt to have side conversations away from Colin and Violet, it constantly feels like the audience is bearing witness to private moments we shouldn't be privy to. Craig isn't down to play into Colin and Violet's birthday games at first, believing that despite his current financial status, the fact he got married and had a kid somehow makes him "better" than his buddy working as a loan shark heavy. It's a perfect reflection of the lies sold to Gen X and Millennials — if you work hard, get married, and settle down, you'll have achieved the "American Dream."

What a crock of s***.

For anyone who has ever lived in poverty, a film like "Cheap Thrills" is so relatable I swear we can feel it in our bones. Whether it's Craig fishing a bill out of a toilet that someone used to snort coke out of or Vince gleefully pounding a shot without a second thought to make $50, the impulsive thoughts of "Hell yeah, I'd do that" become unignorable. The film is at once both a fantastic thriller on the hells of capitalism and an internal litmus test for the viewer on determining their own limits. Would I chop off my pinky finger for $15,000? Honestly? It depends on the day. I'm sure I could re-download "Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing" and figure out how to learn to live without it.

In a twisted way, despite being a harrowing nail-biter with elements of downright horror, "Cheap Thrills" feels like the ultimate fantasy. So many of us are drowning in debt from pursuing the so-called American Dream, only to have it completely backfired by systems bigger than any of us. Student loan debt, medical debt, rising inflation costs, a minimum wage that hasn't budged in decades, and a lack of protection for housing costs have utterly destroyed a generation (and the middle class), rendering it an impossibility for a majority of people to ever escape their impoverished circumstances. What does it say about me that I would welcome sociopaths like Colin and Violet in my life if it meant that I, like Craig, could come home to my wife, covered in blood, but with enough money to keep us afloat for a few decades?

For a film with only four characters, "Cheap Thrills" manages to capture the feelings and insecurities of multiple generations, with Pat Healy delivering a career-defining performance. Ethan Embry successfully sheds his wholesome, teen-star reputation from films like "Can't Hardly Wait" and "Empire Records," priming him for a new phase in his career that would lead to films like "The Devil's Candy." Sara Paxton nails it as the laissez-faire socialite, and David Koechner shows the world he's so much more than a slapstick comedy guy.

To make matters worse, Craig and Vince's willingness to participate in Colin and Violet's sadistic game is exactly what the rich want. Rather than Vince and Craig joining forces, subduing the rich, and taking the money (like Vince wanted in the first place), the two continue fighting until the very last moments. Their suffering becomes entertainment for the rich couple, who themselves are placing bets on who they think will walk away the winner. "Cheap Thrills" was doing the whole "rich people force people in poverty to fight to the death" almost a decade before "Squid Game" took over the world by storm.

And unless some serious, revolutionary s*** happens soon, "Cheap Thrills" will continue to be relevant.