Cinestudio Review: Coup!

Hannah Smith ’26

Arts & Entertainment Editor

Joseph Schuman and Austin Stark’s “Coup!”, a dark comedy set during the 1918 Spanish Flu epidemic, revolves around a well-off family quarantining in their summer home on an isolated island alongside their three staff members who work to keep the house running. Just before the harbor is shut down and no one is allowed on or off the island, the family hires a new chef who sparks a mutiny among the servants, leading to paranoia and shifts in power dynamics. The film emphasizes the vast contrast between people of different social standings. “Coup!” makes its main characters question just how “civilized” they truly are when their backs are up against the wall.

This is a really fun watch! It promises a mix between “Saltburn” and “Triangle of Sadness,” and that’s exactly what I got, if the violence and gore were dialed down about 5 notches. There are plenty of twists and turns that held my attention the entire time and the comedic aspect had the audience laughing from start to finish. The cinematography is absolutely beautiful, combining the magnificent location with an expertly crafted set design to emulate the elegance and extravagance you would expect from an early 20th century high society home. The performances by Billy Magnussen as a self-righteous wanna-be politician and Peter Sarsgaard as an anarchistic chef are excellent. Sarsgaard’s character is chillingly similar to Robert De Niro’s character in “Cape Fear,” but don’t let that scare you off. I’ve been a fan of Magnussen for a while now since I saw him in “the Big Short” back in 2015, and he’s only gotten better as he steps into larger roles.

As entertaining as “Coup!” is, there isn’t much that makes it stick out from the thousands of other films just like it. It’s the story of “Talented Mr. Ripley,” “Killing of a Sacred Deer” and even “What About Bob?” — an intruder shows up and disturbs a big happy family. Everyone loves them except for the one person who sees who they truly are. The family falls apart because no one believes such a charming, innocent person could possess an evil bone in their body. It’s the playbook for all gaslighters. This plotline is captivating and it draws audiences in, and that’s why it’s been made so many times, so there’s nothing inherently wrong with the film. But I just kept thinking to myself throughout the entire runtime that this movie is just an inferior “Knives Out,” partially because of the lack of creativity with the story, and partially because countless frames look like they were copied from “Knives Out” and pasted into “Coup!”

All that to say, I think “Coup!” is a perfectly fine three out of five star movie that I feel comfortable recommending. I genuinely enjoyed watching it at Cinestudio and I would watch it again! All I would say is maybe don’t put this movie on if you’re looking for something new that you’ve never seen before. “Coup!” is now available to rent on Amazon Prime, YouTube and Apple TV.