The Estate (2022) Movie Drinking Game
Take a Drink: for every establishing shot.
Do a Shot: every time any of the cousins do something terrible.
Take a Drink: for every chaotic moment.
Do a Shot: every time David’s character hits on a cousin.
By: Movie Snurb (Four Beers) –
Savannah (Anna Faris) and Macey (Toni Collette) are sisters who run a café that used to be owned by their father. They’re swimming in debt with no way out. Then they hear that their Aunt has terminal cancer and decide to cozy up to her in hopes of getting her fortune when she dies.
But their cousins played by Rosemarie DeWitt and David Duchovny also have devised the same plan. Obviously hilarity ensues as all four cousins ferret ways to get the upper hand over their Aunt Hilda’s (Kathleen Turner) inheritance.
A Toast
One of the best things about a comedy starring people known for dramas is watching them getting to let loose and have fun. Toni Collette seems to be having fun, even if her character doesn’t totally allow her to let loose as Macey is the most buttoned up of the family. Rosemarie DeWitt and Duchovny are clearly having the most fun.
Rosemarie almost revels too much in getting to play such a despicable character. I do not know if Rosemarie has ever had this much to chew on in a role. She is usually relegated to a supporting character, which she kind of is here, but she has far more to do than many of her most recent roles.
Toni is pitch perfect here as the older and reluctant sister. Anna Faris is also great as the brasher younger sister. Though at times her dialogue seems forced, her comedic timing is always perfect. The newcomer Keyla Monterroso Mejia, who I recognized from Curb Your Enthusiasm, is great in her minor role. The film could’ve used a little more injection of her.
Though all the jokes don’t land, the ones that do bring genuine laughter. When watching a movie alone it seems harder to get an audible laugh out of people, but there are moments in this film that were able to deliver an audible laugh from me.
Beer Two
The whole film plays like a long episode of It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia. A dysfunctional family tries to concoct a scheme to get something they want, in the process the doing truly deplorable things. The film is even edited in a TV show style. A cut, to an establishing shot, then the scene begins. The story also feels familiar, so there are really no surprises in the end.
Beer Three
So familiar in fact that you can tell where the film is going from a mile away. Not only that, but you can tell where the jokes will be coming from. If you know where a joke is going it undercuts its impact. Sometimes a film can still be fun even if you know where it is going, but in this instance, it really deflates the balloon.
Beer Four
Not only do some of the jokes not work because you can guess the punchline, but much of the humor feels forced. It’s like a stand-up comic who thinks they’re funny if they say expletives rather than a solid setup and punchline. Not all jokes in this film feel this way, but it does feel like the writer was going for shock rather than laughs.
Verdict
The Estate is not a bad film, but it’s not good, either. It lands somewhere in the middle, Meh. There are moments that can be fun, so if you find it for free on streaming in the future I recommend watching it that way.
