REVIEWBRUARY SEASON 2 [DAY 16]: GAME NIGHT – 7/10. [B]

SYNOPSIS

Game Night follows a massively competitive couple named Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) who every week host a game nigh with their friends. After, the only person that can beat Max – his brother (Brook); comes into town, he insists the next Game Night is at his mansion, and promises a Game Night they will never forget. On the Game Night, Brook sets up a murder mystery where one of the group is taken and the one that finds them wins the prize – Max’s dream car. In order for Max to finally beat his brother he does all he can to win but just as it seems Max is going to get one up on his brother, he is told Brook has gotten himself into something bigger, is this still part of the game; and another of Brook’s tricks to beat Max or is it real life and Brook’s life is in danger? The group must fight over whether the events they are seeing are real or just a part of the Game Night and there are many unforeseen twists along the way. I liked Game Night, and I give it a 6.5 out of 10 or a B-.

REVIEW

Game Night is a good surprising film that is well made, stylish and incredibly smart, but is nothing exceptional or really special. There are some good acting and great characters – with Bateman and McAdams bringing their A-Game, the dynamics between each of the characters are great as well; because it tends to be in big comedies like this some characters get lost in the movie and don’t really have an arc, whereas having each character coupled up gave just enough of the supporting cast. The twists and the actual storytelling are fantastic with a lot going on in the film, that being said it is a quicker and smaller film which is quite refreshing especially when you know nothing going into it, it is a good concept and not overly complicated like other comedies tend to be.

Something that caused me to like this film even more, is that when I watched it I managed to notice a little cheeky easter egg the creators put in. At the beginning, when McAdams and Bateman have a montage of their relationship and there is a scene with them on a train, on a scrolling sign behind them it says: “Don’t trust Gary”, and then I when I saw the end credits scene of how Gary had set it all up and his point of view I really did enjoy it, maybe even more because I managed to catch the easter egg absolutely randomly. Game Night is a very stylish film, I loved how at times it looked like a game of Monopoly leaping of the screen, it was smartly made and the twists all kept me guessing whether or not it would all indeed be a game.

So, as to why I gave it a lower score of 7.5, I wanted to give it a higher score but for me it just isn’t a film that I will remember, it is fun, and smart but not very memorable in the future. Maybe that is what it was going for, like I said: “a smaller film”, but it wouldn’t be one of the first films I think of watching for the first half of 2018. I also really liked that it wasn’t really a comedy but rather a thriller, and I liked how their were so many parties involved as well as the main trio, of Bateman, McAdams and his brother.

A solid B – Isn’t very memorable but you will have a good time watching. Very stylish and smart

AZ