Windfall, got its premiere on March 18, 2022. It is described as a Hitchcockian home invasion thriller gone horribly wrong. Windfall, a home-invasion burglary thriller that toes the tonal line between gravity and absurdity while delivering unpredictable twists and high entertainment value, joins a thriving crop of home-invasion burglary thrillers that toe the tonal line between gravity and absurdity while delivering unpredictable twists and high entertainment value. Below are some crime thriller films which gives ‘Windfall‘ vibes.
1. The Ref (1994)
Director- Ted Demme
Denis Leary plays a hapless cat burglar who is forced to kidnap an annoying Connecticut couple. After his companion abandons him in the middle of a theft. Soon the couple’s blackmailing son and vile in-laws enter the picture. Therefore, he quickly realises he took on more than he bargained for. With their petty arguing and familial troubles, they soon drive him insane. His only chance of surviving is to act as their arbitrator and settle their differences before being apprehended by the cops.
2. Rope (1948)
Director- Alfred Hitchcock
Philip Morgan and Brandon Shaw, two arrogant young men, kill a friend for no apparent purpose other than to show they can get away with it. They stuffed their victim, David Kentley, into a chest in the living room. There they were planning to have a party later that night. David’s father is among the visitors, as is Rupert Cadell, one of their previous teachers. Brandon, plainly the more daring of the two criminals, pushes his chances higher and higher as the evening progresses. Philip, on the other hand, starts to regret what they’ve done. When mixed with too much booze, he starts acting strangely. Cadell begins to worry what they have done as a result of all of this.
3. Parasite (2019)
Director- Bong Joon-ho
Ki-taek and his equally unmotivated family—his loving wife, Chung-sook; his cynical twentysomething daughter, Ki-jung; and his college-aged son, Ki-woo—occupy themselves in their dismal basement-level apartment by labouring for peanuts. Then, by chance, a profitable business opportunity will pave the way for an ingeniously devious ploy. As Ki-woo summons the confidence to masquerade as an English tutor for the affluent Park family’s adolescent daughter. The stage appears to be prepared for a never-ending class conflict.
4. Funny Games (1997)
Director- Michel Haneke
Georg and Anna are on their way to their lakeside holiday house with their son Georgie. Georg and Georgie go sailing on the lake as soon as they arrive, while Anna prepares dinner in the kitchen. The peace is broken when a young man named Peter comes on the door and asks to borrow some eggs. Paul, a rude, egotistical young man, joins the uninvited visitor. It’s evident from away that the couple has no intention of leaving. When Georg returns and tries to evict them, a scuffle ensues, and the family is kidnapped. The result is a series of strange and violent games that Paul and Peter instigate with Georg, Anna, and Georgie as unwilling participants.
5. The Rental (2020)
Director- Dave Franco
Two couples on a beach vacation get concerned that their seemingly flawless rental house’s host is spying on them. Soon, what was supposed to be a fun weekend getaway turns into something much darker, as long-kept secrets are revealed and the four old friends see each other in a whole new light.
6. The Bling Ring (2013)
Director- Sofia Coppola
Marc Hall, a quiet adolescent, begins his freshman year at Indian Hills High School in Agoura Hills, California. Rebecca Ahn, who is preoccupied with fame, befriends him. While at Rebecca’s house for a party, the two examine unlocked cars on the street for valuables such as cash and credit cards. Rebecca persuades Marc to join her in breaking into one of his wealthy acquaintances’ house when Marc explains that one of his wealthy acquaintances is out of town. Rebecca grabs a purse and compares it to that of her idol, Lindsay Lohan. She also takes money and the keys to a Porsche, which she and her accomplice use to depart the scene. The two go on a shopping spree with the money, allowing them to live the luxurious lifestyle they see in magazines.
Marc joins Rebecca and her pals Nicki Moore, Nicki’s adoptive sister Sam, and Chloe Tainer in a nightclub, where they rub elbows with celebrities like Kirsten Dunst and Paris Hilton. Marc and Rebecca discover Hilton will be out of town while doing Internet research. They arrive at her home and, after discovering the key under the doormat, go through Hilton’s possessions, stealing some jewels. Rebecca then shows Nicki, Sam, and Chloe a stolen bracelet at a party.
7. Suicide Kings (1997)
Director- Peter O’Fallon
When Avery Chasten’s sister, Elise, is abducted and demanded a $2 million ransom, he turns to his pals for help. Their goal was to kidnap Carlos BartolucciCharlie Barret, an ex-mob boss, and force him to pay. The only issue is what happens when a wily mob leader is pitted against four privileged youngsters who have never abducted anyone before? What happens if they begin to turn against one another? Lono Veccio, Barret’s henchman, is thrashing everyone in town in search of Elise. So the real question is, who is going to get screwed?
8. Panic Room (2002)
Director- David Fincher
When criminals sneak into a newly purchased house in search of cash, they discover the owners sleeping upstairs. When a claustrophobic mother and her child with low blood sugar are trapped in the Panic Chamber, a room where they are “protected” from criminals, the odds are stacked against them. Unfortunately, they are trapped in with the money that the burglars desire…and the burglars threaten to break in…or force the two-person family to leave.
9. Wait Until Dark (1967)
Director- Terence Young
When Sam Hendrix crosses the Canada-US border with a doll, he sets in motion a chain of events that will put his blind wife, Susy, through a frightening adventure. The doll was stuffed with heroin, and when its owner, Mr. Roat, is unable to locate it, he puts on a performance in an attempt to recover it. He has two con men, Mike Talman and a Mr. Carlito, alternately persuade and threaten Susy into revealing them where the doll is buried for a day. Talman impersonates a long-lost friend of Sam’s, while Carlito impersonates a cop. They make little progress despite their best efforts because Susy has no idea where the doll is, prompting Mr. Roat to take a more forceful approach to extracting information from her.
10. Don’t Breathe (2016)
Director- Fede Alvarez
When Money, Rocky, and Alex, three Detroit adolescent delinquents, devise a seemingly fool-proof plot to steal a blind grizzled hermit, what seemed like a decent idea to make a fast buck turns into a nightmare. Indeed, if you’re looking to start a new life in sunny California, this last job will do the trick; nevertheless, there’s more to this war-weary ex-Marine than meets the eye. And his quiet abode will soon become his battleground and an unavoidable, lethal trap. Even the tiniest sound can kill you now that you’re in complete darkness.
I have found that crime thriller movies are very entertaining and the more you watch it, the more you find a pattern emerging in the plot. As such, I highly recommend them to anyone who is looking for a great movie to watch on a rainy Monday night.
