I'm going, to be honest, I didn't like this film the first time I saw it. I'm not sure if it was the hype around it. There was so much hype around it. So many reviewers and people had explained that it was one of the best Hollywood comedies in a very long time. But then it got comparisons to The Hangover, which I'm not a fan of. Maybe I had put too much on the film, that I wanted too much from it. But it didn't wow me like it did with most people. Even now I'm seeing it on favorite lists and best film lists. I wouldn't put it that high. But I did, after the second time I saw it, enjoyed it much more than I did the first time.
Game Night stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams as Max and Anne a married couple who met at a game night and now throw game nights at their house for their close friends. When Max's brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) shows up, he stages a murder mystery game night but things quickly escalate out of hand. Their fun game night turns into a comedic mess with mysterious characters, action, drama, suspense and a hilarious incident with a neighbor's dog. Rounding out the cast is Jesse Plemons as a neighbor who used to join in on game night, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Sharon Horgan, and Billy Magnussen. There are a few cameos in the film that I won't spoil here.
Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein do a very smart thing in shooting the film more like a thriller or an action movie. There are wide shots, long tracking shot and a nice vivid color palette to the cinematography. It makes for a more immersive feel of the film. It doesn't look like a comedy at all. When the comedy happens they are forced, it comes natural either from the characters or the situations they find them in. Plemons character is there for comedic timing but it works with the rest of the film. I wouldn't really consider this an action comedy but it gets there. Being R Rated (thank you, filmmakers, for that) the film is surprisingly violent. Characters get beaten, shot and there's one gruesome death near the end.
Bateman is doing his usual shtick but it works well for the film. McAdams seems like she is having a blast and she shines in the film. He character you can not root for the entire time. They have great chemistry and like all couples their share of ups and down. If anyone outdoes McAdams is Plemons who steals every scene as their police officer neighbor who doesn't get the invite to game night anymore for a reason best seen then explained here. He's creepy, he's odd, but he's downright hilarious almost every time he's on screen. I've seen him in things before but this is his break out performance and I'm very excited to see him in this the upcoming Antlers with Guillermo del Toro on as a producer.
When the film gets wild it's nice to see the filmmakers have seen a few action movies. The scenes are shot well and not edited to death. There is a chase that builds some nice tension with also being pretty funny. The directors use some angles and types of shots not normally used in a comedy. I'm happy to say they shot the film like a movie, not a comedy. After this second viewing, I can very much recommend Game Night as a pretty funny comedic thriller. I don't see them making a sequel but when the final moment in the film, I wouldn't be surprised. This is definitely a gather a group and all laugh together type of film.
Game Night stars Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams as Max and Anne a married couple who met at a game night and now throw game nights at their house for their close friends. When Max's brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) shows up, he stages a murder mystery game night but things quickly escalate out of hand. Their fun game night turns into a comedic mess with mysterious characters, action, drama, suspense and a hilarious incident with a neighbor's dog. Rounding out the cast is Jesse Plemons as a neighbor who used to join in on game night, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Sharon Horgan, and Billy Magnussen. There are a few cameos in the film that I won't spoil here.
Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein do a very smart thing in shooting the film more like a thriller or an action movie. There are wide shots, long tracking shot and a nice vivid color palette to the cinematography. It makes for a more immersive feel of the film. It doesn't look like a comedy at all. When the comedy happens they are forced, it comes natural either from the characters or the situations they find them in. Plemons character is there for comedic timing but it works with the rest of the film. I wouldn't really consider this an action comedy but it gets there. Being R Rated (thank you, filmmakers, for that) the film is surprisingly violent. Characters get beaten, shot and there's one gruesome death near the end.
Bateman is doing his usual shtick but it works well for the film. McAdams seems like she is having a blast and she shines in the film. He character you can not root for the entire time. They have great chemistry and like all couples their share of ups and down. If anyone outdoes McAdams is Plemons who steals every scene as their police officer neighbor who doesn't get the invite to game night anymore for a reason best seen then explained here. He's creepy, he's odd, but he's downright hilarious almost every time he's on screen. I've seen him in things before but this is his break out performance and I'm very excited to see him in this the upcoming Antlers with Guillermo del Toro on as a producer.
When the film gets wild it's nice to see the filmmakers have seen a few action movies. The scenes are shot well and not edited to death. There is a chase that builds some nice tension with also being pretty funny. The directors use some angles and types of shots not normally used in a comedy. I'm happy to say they shot the film like a movie, not a comedy. After this second viewing, I can very much recommend Game Night as a pretty funny comedic thriller. I don't see them making a sequel but when the final moment in the film, I wouldn't be surprised. This is definitely a gather a group and all laugh together type of film.