GAME NIGHT
Max and Annie’s weekly game night gets kicked up a notch when Max’s brother Brooks arranges a murder mystery party — complete with fake thugs and federal agents. So when Brooks gets kidnapped, it’s all supposed to be part of the game. As the competitors set out to solve the case, they start to learn that neither the game nor Brooks are what they seem to be. The friends soon find themselves in over their heads as each twist leads to another unexpected turn over the course of one chaotic night.
Director: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Writers: Mark Perez
Stars: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler
Rating: 9 / 10 Stars
REVIEW – A movie is an event. An event that manipulates its victim to fall into the world that unravels on screen. The argument can be made that today’s films are lacking the impact that yesteryear packed. It seems that today for every original film we get, there are 30 sequels, 30 superhero films and 30 redundant films. Game Night is that rare film that is so likable that you cannot seem to look away from the screen. This film starts off with a simple premise. You have a group of game lovers who are thrown into a game that they may not be quite ready for. This film was written by Mark Perez and directed by John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. They are the ones who did the ludicrous remake of Vacation. This film follows the same formula. It piles on so much lunacy that you feel this film is going to really keep piling on the absurdity, but this film soon becomes very smart and coy. Max and Annie are the suburban couple who hosts these game nights in their house. This game we see covered in the film, the couple are joined by a group that has Ryan who is an idiot. We also meet Sarah, the husband and wife tandem of Kevin and Michele, and finally Brooks who is Max’s estranged brother. The film just hits the gas early and never lets up. This film is part slapstick, part murder mystery and most of all, just pure fun. When we witness a kidnapping in a home invasion this film takes such a serious deadpan approach that felt so darkly amusing. I found myself puzzled and laughing at the same time, which was intended. This film is like The Game in ways that I really did not expect. This film has such an odd way of storytelling that I found myself captured and manipulated. This film has such a balance of comedy and drama that it felt so fresh and unique. The acting was dark and at times genius. I found myself wanting to rewatch this film after the credits rolled. This film could be a sleeper hit in 2018 for a lot of film critics in their year end reviews. This is a must see film that I will go so far as to say, is the film that I would love to see get a sequel or go further into.
GAME NIGHT | Official Trailer: