Game Night

If only every game night were this exciting…

Game Night follows a group of friends during – you guessed it – one of their many game nights where husband and wife duo Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) are the undisputed champions of anything game related. Joining them on their weekly get-togethers are Ryan (Billy Magnussen), Ryan’s newest “date” Sarah (Sharon Horgan), and fellow couple Kevin (Lamorne Morris) and Michelle (Kylie Bunbury), all equally as ready for a night full of gaming and social interaction. But when Max’s brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) turns up in town and offers to host game night at his rented out house for the evening, things get a little more intense as Brooks is kidnapped by an unknown group and put into mortal danger. Now with the façade of a normal game night out the window, Max and Annie and friends must find a way to save Brooks before the people who are after him silence him for good.

I literally could have cared less about this movie the first time I heard about it, but being bored and a cinephile can be a hell of a thing when you have time to spare, so going into this movie I had low expectations, if any at all. I’m happy to say that not only did Game Night impress more than expected, but it’s also a much smarter movie than I originally figured. The fact that the filmmakers went all in on an R rating – a smart decision no doubt – does wonders to elevate this film above any recent comedic releases, and allows them to really delve into the more dangerous aspects of a night gone completely sideways.

With a great premise bolstered by some great casting, the filmmakers seemed to have found the perfect mix of storytelling and comedy that not many films can replicate. Jason Bateman, as always, is a great straight man in the comedy scene, his chemistry with Rachel McAdams seeming totally genuine and real to a point that if the film followed only these two, it would be just as entertaining and fun to watch. Luckily, that’s not the case, and even though the secondary characters feel just like that – secondary – there’s enough for each to do that warrants their inclusion and frequent visits to their storylines. I’d be remiss not to mention that of all the things that this film does right, it’s the score that really sells the wackiness inherent to a script like this. It sets the tone and adds a quirky element to the proceedings that mesh well with everything else the filmmakers are trying to accomplish by the time the credits roll.

If I had to point out the flaws in this film, I’d have to go back to the fact that the story, while funny and entertaining in its own right, never had me busting at the seams in laughter. It’s clever and the cast has great chemistry and comedic timing, but I’d be hard pressed to find a scene that I was rolling around laughing nonstop. Don’t get me wrong, this is a hilarious movie, but I found myself enjoying the comedy more so than actually having a gut laugh about what was actually happening onscreen. If I had to choose the funniest bits, I’d have to give credit to Billy Magnussen for his pitch perfect portrayal of a good looking, yet dim witted guy who steals every scene he’s in with his pure idiocy and ignorance as well as any scene that plays against the usual comedy tropes, of which there are many. Other than that, the story seemed to get away from the filmmakers by the time the third act rolls around, the entire twist behind the events in the film being slightly underwhelming but serviceable. Either way, the flaws are few but do stand out a bit, fortunately it’s nothing that really hurts the film enough not to recommend it.

It just goes to show what a solid script and great casting can do for a film that had no right being as good as it turned out to be. With twists and turns and a healthy does of R-rated comedy and antics, Game Night is a pleasant surprise that entertains while keeping the audience guessing until its final moments. While the third act and sheer amount of twists might become eye roll worthy at times, there’s enough fun being had with the story and characters alike that this film is definitely worth a watch, especially if Black Panther is still sold out (which it probably is).