Cheap Thrills (2013)

A scheming couple put a struggling family man and his old friend through a series of increasingly twisted dares over the course of an evening at a local bar.

Director:

E.L. Katz

Writers:

David Chirchirillo, Trent Haaga

Stars:

Pat Healy, Ethan Embry, Sara Paxton

9 wins & 8 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Pat Healy	...	Craig Daniels
Sara Paxton	...	Violet
Ethan Embry	...	Vince
David Koechner	...	Colin
Amanda Fuller	...	Audrey Daniels
Laura Covelli	...	Caryn the Bartender
Todd Farmer	...	Security Guard
Elissa Dowling	...	Tweaker
Eric Neil Gutierrez	...	Enrique
Ruben Pla	...	Doug
Claudia Salinas	...	Stripper
Brighton Sharbino	...	Luann
Eli McLaughlin	...	Keenan
Butch	...	Cutie

Storyline

Craig (Pat Healy) is a struggling family man who loses his low-wage job and is threatened with eviction. In an effort to delay facing the music at home, he heads to a local bar and runs into an old friend (Ethan Embry). The 2 are roped into a round of drinks by a charismatic and obscenely wealthy stranger (David Koechner) along with his mysterious wife (Sara Paxton). The couple engages the pair friends in a series of innocent dares in exchange for money over the course of the evening, with each challenge upping the ante in both reward and boundaries. It seems like easy and much needed money, but the couple's twisted sense of humor pushes just how far Craig and his friend are willing to go for money and cheap thrills.

---

Plot Keywords:

extramarital affair | adultery | unfaithfulness | sex | masturbation | 

---

Taglines:

What doesn't kill you makes you richer.

---

Genres:

Comedy | Crime | Drama | Horror | Thriller

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Did You Know?

Trivia

Pat Healy plays a twisted prankster in Compliance (2012), from the same year as this film. His character's name is "Officer Daniels" as apposed to "Craig Daniels" in this film.

---

Goofs

When Vince is challenged to hold his breath, after Craig speaks to Audrey on the phone Colin announces that Vince's time was 1 minute, 59 seconds. Later, when Vince asks what his time was, Colin says his time was 1 minute, 58 seconds. A difference of one second is significant in the context of the challenge.

---

Connections

Features The Reef 2: High Tide (2012)

---

Soundtracks

A To B
Written by: Martin R. Klingman, Victoria Cecilia & Timothy Reiss
Performed by: Gliss
Courtesy of: Modern Outsider
By arrangement with Sugaroo!

User Reviews

A funny, brutal shocker

Pat Healey of The Innkeepers fame plays a family man and blue collar worker who receives an eviction notice and is laid off on the same day. On the way home, he runs into an old friend at a bar, and the two of them run into an eccentric rich couple played by David Koechner and Sara Paxton (again of The Innkeepers) who propose a twisted series of games for money at their private residence.

To compete against each other for large rewards, Craig and Vince engage in more and more disturbing acts of depravity, self-mutilation and moral bankruptcy.

This is a shocker, and a hard-to-watch one at that. What keeps it bearable is that it's a very FUNNY shocker, particularly with Koechner providing most of the black comedy.

Ultimately this is an allegorical haves-and-have-nots tale that looks at the lengths people will go to in the name of financial desperation. The climax is disturbing and had me doing some sharp self-reflection. Not bad for a first-time director and a tiny budget.

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

21 March 2014 (USA)

Also Known As:

Cheap Thrills

Box Office

Budget:

$200,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$18,638, 23 March 2014

Gross USA:

$59,424

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$59,424

Company Credits

Production Co:

New Artists Alliance, Snowfort Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1