Game Night - movie review
Game Night
Plot: A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights find themselves entangled in a real-life mystery.
Cast: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler
Directors: John Francis Daley & Jonathan Goldstein
Certificate: 15 (strong language, sex references, injury detail)
Runtime: 1hr 40 mins
Release Date: Friday 2nd March 2018
Whenever I'm part of a game night, we usually just end up arguing over Monopoly because one person has built up a few areas to hotel level making it impossible to pass. Judging from how Jason Bateman and his friends partake in Game Night, theirs involves a flurry of bullets, multiple kidnappings and an underground fight club. Perhaps it's an American thing? Game Night is the newest feature film from the duo of John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein whose previous credits include Vacation and Spider-Man: Homecoming. Truth be told, the trailers hadn't really grabbed my attention all that much and the premise did sound a little thin to last over an hour and a half. Fortunately, the end result in anything but disappointing.
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| On the next Arrested Development... |
One of the most striking aspects of Game Night is the incredibly skilled and talented ensemble at the films disposal. Leading the way is Jason Bateman, an criminally underrated talent who doesn't get the recognition he deserves, as the head of the group along with his wife (McAdams) as they run a weekly game night between friends. The two are incredibly competitive, as shown in a sweet flashback to how they met, but their chemistry together is the endearing heart of the film as they debate the possibility of parenthood. Bateman does a brilliant job at depicting the everyday man that he masters so well however, the dynamic both he and McAdams share often produces some of the movie's most gut-busting laughs including one hilarious bullet removal sequence that had the entire audience in tears with laughter. It's also refreshing to see Rachel McAdams in a role like this because it's rare we see her stretch her acting chops into comedy. Those are the only two notable stars to feature in Game Night, aside from the brief supporting roles by Kyle Chandler and Jesse Plemons, but more on them later (especially Plemmons). Instead, Game Night chooses to showcase lesser known comedic talent that form the rest of the main group. What the film succeeds in doing so well is utilising these talents in the best way possible. Without giving too much of the story away, because Game Night is a film that prides itself on both it's laughs and mystery, a group of friends run a weekly game night and after the emergence of one estranged friend, he decides to take it up a notch involving a kidnapping staged to look fake thus causing the group to become caught up in a series of escapades where they question what's real and what's fake. Where the ensemble truly shines is as the revamped Game Night gets underway and the pairings form. Bateman and McAdams team together but the supporting players also bring 110% to their roles. Irish comic Sharon Horgan teams with the bumbling buffoon played by Billy Magnussen who leaves Game Night with a bright future ahead of him thanks to some of the funniest outbursts in the film. The other pairing came from Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury who play husband and wife in the middle of a heated tiff regarding a potential affair with a celebrity and even their pairing brought a fresh approach to the film with many laughs emanating from their scenes.
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| I'm sure that's how McDonald's intended their Big Mac's to be used. |
FACT: Prior to filming, the cast members had their own "game night" so they could get to know one another and prepare for the film. They played Clue and Joking Hazard.
However, the one actor who will be on the tip of everyone's tongues after Game Night is Jesse Plemons. Having played sinister figures in shows like Breaking Bad and Black Mirror, Plemons expresses a comedic side that we've never seen from him before and it's a stroke of genius. One of my pet hates watching comedy films is when that one audience member laughs too loud at every joke. Unfortunately, I was that exact audience member for every zinger from Plemons. Playing the neighbour to Bateman and McAdams who has an unhealthy obsession to his pet Westie, I'd be more than satisfied to see a whole film centered on his character. He's easily the greatest comedic side character in recent memory. As well as cracking comedy, Game Night also pulls an unexpected trick out of its bag; thrilling action. With a multitude of set pieces that contain a surprising amount of well choreographed and uniquely shot chases, this sense of fun and immediacy bodes well for Daley & Goldstein's upcoming Flashpoint venture. There is also an extreme amount of care in to the look of the film to form its identity. In many of the exposition shots, they're styled in such a way to look as if they are board game pieces. Cars and people have a sense of plasticity to them as if a larger hand could reach from the skies and move them along the board. My only critique of these action sequences has to do with the score. Cliff Martinez, a frequent collaborator with Nicolas Winding Refn, is the composer here but his thumping techno score doesn't mix well with the ensuing chaos. The film is also a touch overlong. Personally, I feel like it spent too much time setting up the group of friends that the jokes weren't hitting as frequently as they could have been. As soon as the actual game night kicked into action, the pace snapped right back to where it should have been but those opening scenes did begin to draw upon the concern I had from the trailers. Finally, Game Night is easily accessible for a wide array of audiences but if you're a film fanatic, then Game Night is going to absolutely appeal to your sensibilities. Film references fly thick and fast and I'm going to need a few more viewings to catch them all, especially considering some of them are completely obscure. I've never been so glad to have watched Taken 3 in my entire life for the sole purpose of understanding one specific joke.
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| Everyone knows a neighbour like this. |
Game Night is one of the most inventive and charismatic comedies of the past few years. It's refreshing to see it go for fresh and original jokes rather than typical, overdone tropes. The cast are all working at the height of their respective powers and who knows, there's plenty of ways that this could spawn potential sequels.
My Verdict: 8.5/10
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