Two violent young men take a mother, father, and son hostage in their vacation cabin and force them to play sadistic "games" with one another for their own amusement.
A 14-year-old video enthusiast is so caught up in film fantasy that he can no longer relate to the real world, to such an extent that he commits murder and records an on-camera confession for his parents.
Strange events happen in a small village in the north of Germany during the years before World War I, which seem to be ritual punishment. Who is responsible?
Director:
Michael Haneke
Stars:
Christian Friedel,
Ernst Jacobi,
Leonie Benesch
A young man harasses a homeless woman, another man protests, the police arrest both and the woman has to leave the country. What were their various story-lines leading up to this event?
Director:
Michael Haneke
Stars:
Juliette Binoche,
Thierry Neuvic,
Josef Bierbichler
Georges and Anne are an octogenarian couple. They are cultivated, retired music teachers. Their daughter, also a musician, lives in Britain with her family. One day, Anne has a stroke, and the couple's bond of love is severely tested.
A grieving couple retreat to their cabin in the woods, hoping to repair their broken hearts and troubled marriage, but nature takes its course and things go from bad to worse.
Director:
Lars von Trier
Stars:
Willem Dafoe,
Charlotte Gainsbourg,
Storm Acheche Sahlstrøm
When Anna and her family arrive at their holiday home, they find it occupied by strangers. This confrontation is just the beginning of a painful learning process.
Director:
Michael Haneke
Stars:
Isabelle Huppert,
Anaïs Demoustier,
Béatrice Dalle
In this English-language remake of a deconstruction in the way violence is portrayed in the media, a family settles into its vacation home, which happens to be the next stop for a pair of young, articulate, white-gloved serial killers on an excursion through the neighborhood.Written by
MuzikJunky
I had never heard of 'Funny Games' before I saw the trailer for the re-make of the German Original. I was really just expecting a run-of-the-mill horror/thriller movie that entertains, but is forgettable. When I finally saw the film my first reaction afterwords was, "What on earth just happened?". The film's style is almost like you're looking through a window into the house where the 'Funny Games' are taking place. The camera makes little movement, and sometimes there are lengthly scenes where it doesn't cut at all. The film is definitely an art film and may be confusing to people expecting a big budget Hollywood blockbuster. The films PROS: There is an EXCELLENT message sent through the movie, about America's growing love for watching gruesome torture and gore on the big screen nowadays. You don't pick up on it the first time you watch it, but you notice that its not so much a movie about a story than it is a statement. There are also brilliant performances from Naomi Watts and the other co-stars. And some scenes are really suspenseful! The Films CONS: For people who are not prone to understanding the hidden meaning underneath art films immediately (like me) you will feel confused, and somewhat frustrated. There are times where it feels like you have to suffer through a 7-minute static shot of the living room and its wounded occupants lying there sobbing until you can get to an interesting situation. Overall 'Funny Games' was an original experience, but one that fails to really deliver a suspense filled 'Mainstream' performance.
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I had never heard of 'Funny Games' before I saw the trailer for the re-make of the German Original. I was really just expecting a run-of-the-mill horror/thriller movie that entertains, but is forgettable. When I finally saw the film my first reaction afterwords was, "What on earth just happened?". The film's style is almost like you're looking through a window into the house where the 'Funny Games' are taking place. The camera makes little movement, and sometimes there are lengthly scenes where it doesn't cut at all. The film is definitely an art film and may be confusing to people expecting a big budget Hollywood blockbuster. The films PROS: There is an EXCELLENT message sent through the movie, about America's growing love for watching gruesome torture and gore on the big screen nowadays. You don't pick up on it the first time you watch it, but you notice that its not so much a movie about a story than it is a statement. There are also brilliant performances from Naomi Watts and the other co-stars. And some scenes are really suspenseful! The Films CONS: For people who are not prone to understanding the hidden meaning underneath art films immediately (like me) you will feel confused, and somewhat frustrated. There are times where it feels like you have to suffer through a 7-minute static shot of the living room and its wounded occupants lying there sobbing until you can get to an interesting situation. Overall 'Funny Games' was an original experience, but one that fails to really deliver a suspense filled 'Mainstream' performance.