COUP! Perspective depends on where you sit [REVIEW]

“Coup!” is a satire, a biting and sharp parody. Moreover, although the backdrop for the film’s events is the Spanish flu pandemic, which ravaged the world starting in 1918, it’s hard not to feel that it reminds viewers of the mask-wearing and vaccination events from just a few years ago, thankfully now in the past. 

The film by Joseph Schuman and Austin Stark tells the story of the mysterious Floyd Monk (Peter Sarsgaard), who, during the aforementioned pandemic, takes a job as a chef in the grand mansion of the excessively wealthy Horton family (Billy Magnussen and Sarah Gordon). However, Monk did not end up at his new employers by chance. Along with his arrival, the Horton estate is filled not only with delicious meals but also with a “game of chess” filled with Machiavellian intrigue and manipulation.

That’s right! “Coup!” is a film simple in its narrative. In fact, we have seen similar productions several times in recent years. This is yet another title that fits the “eat the rich” genre. Luckily, though, where similar films to “Coup!” have relied on flashy tricks (yes, I’m looking at you, “Saltburn”), Schuman and Stark’s film focuses on sharp observations and insights. Understandably so, because “Coup!” was made on a shoestring budget compared to films like Emerald Fennell’s aforementioned title, leaving no room for bizarre fireworks. Yet, despite the low budget, the film impresses with its set design and costumes.

This is also a well-acted film. While “Coup!” is a comedy, the acting duel between the charismatic, slick Peter Sarsgaard and the expressive Billy Magnussen is genuinely entertaining. Things get a bit weaker when Schuman and Stark’s creation shifts into thriller territory, as the story and performances don’t generate much tension. On one hand, this issue might stem from the overly obvious unraveling of the mystery behind Monk’s arrival at the Hortons’ home, and on the other, it could result from the filmmakers’ financial constraints.

A major strength of “Coup!” as a satire in the “eat the rich” genre is its objectivity and fairness. The filmmakers seem not to take sides in the class conflict. They mock both the hypocrisy of Jay Horton—a vegetarian living in an ivory tower who made a fortune from meat and uses his social status to supposedly help the working class, the group most affected by pandemic restrictions, or the lack thereof—and Floyd Monk, whose not-so-pleasant behavior certainly doesn’t paint him as a flawless savior of oppressed workers. To me, “Coup!” emerges as a bittersweet, somewhat naughty film about selfishness and egoists, and a film that told us more about the human condition during the pandemic than any other production made during the lockdowns.