This movie makes me ask one question: HOW? How are the Russo Brothers - respectable filmmakers- Executive Producers on this dud? How did someone get Natalie Dyer, Asa Butterfield, AND Annabeth Gish to sign on to this lame project? How did a script this bad ever get greenlit? How did it somehow gross over a million dollars globally when it should have never been anywhere near a theater? We will never know the answers to these questions. What we DO know is this is a first rate turd of a movie with zero redeeming qualities other than it is mercifully short. Even the sound stinks in this trash. Stay away.
30 Reviews
Predictable not so scary teen horror with cheese
lifeoutofbalance3 October 2023
Rather boring and predictable. I suppose it's worth a watch if you're really bored and can't find anything else to watch. Not much else to say other than that.. Around 3/4 in I was ready to switch it off and find something else to watch but figured I've gotten this far so I might as well watch the rest. Pretty difficult nowadays to find good horror movies so I guess I'm not surprised. Too bad though I think this could have been a much better movie if it had been given a little more effort. It feels kind of rushed and more like a goosebumps episode designed for teenagers rather than an actual horror movie.
I'll never have the hour and 11 minutes back
mpxbqmr7 December 2023
Why did I even press play? Who let Asa Butterfield star in a horror movie? Why did I even finish this? Are some of the questions I have in my mind after finishing "All Fun and Games". Incredibly disappointed, even though I went in with low expectations. Full of cliches and cringeworthy moments. This movie made me question if these actors were actually good in the first place. I loved Benjamin Evan Ainsworth in Bly Manor, but he definitely wasn't up to par here. Also, Annabeth Gish, you're amazing, what are you doing here? I'm not even going to start on Asa Butterfield. Spare your time, hell, watch a romantic comedy, even they're less predictable. I'd highly recommend you skip this one and watch something worthy of your time instead.
All Fun and Games takes a generic and barebones setup that wears out its welcome with an overdirected and obnoxiously loud style
IonicBreezeMachine1 September 2023
In Salem Massachusetts, Siblings Billie (Natalia Dyer), Marcus (Asa Butterfield), and Jo (Benjamin Evan Ainsworth) spend the night together as their mother works a night shift in the wake of their father having left their family. Jo finds a strange knife and journal in a ruined house as if it was beckoning him, and after clearing it off to reveal an inscription a sinister force takes hold of Jo who insists others play variations of children's games with deadly consequences.
All Fun and Games comes to us from producers the Russo Brothers through their company Gozie AGBO which co-produces the film with British company Anton (behind last years Choose or Die). The film is the feature debut for writing and directing duo Ari Costa and Eren Celeboglu following a handful of short films between the two of them and Costa having worked under the Russos in various capacities including Second Unit work on Avengers: Endgame and Extraction. All Fun and Games seems like it's the kind of horror film that serves as a small scale showcase of what relatively first time filmmakers can do, and unfortunately as a showcase it's not all that impressive and fails to elevate the rather underwhelming material.
All Fun and Games from the opening which has a flashforward to events at the end of the film has the feeling of something that might've been pared down from what it was initially supposed to be, especially since Natalia Dyer's character Billie feels like she's kind of been wedged into this forced narrator position that just feels really awkward and the movie runs at only about 69 minutes not including credits. While I can't say for certain, All Fun and Games has all the signs of a troubled production down to even Keith David having been announced as having a role in the film but does not appear in the final product. The actual material is very standard "cursed object" fare much in the same way as Anton's Choose or Die used the same format (and Asa Butterfiled) last year, but where Curse or Die wound up being in my opinion bad in a funny way, All Fun and Games is just bad in a unremarkable and tired way. The movie features a large number of flashy edits that call attention to themselves as well as jump scares involving screaming and "in your face laughing" which is when it hit me that the movie feels like a revisit to that late 90s early 2000s era of horror filmmaking with stuff like Feardotcom, Soul Survivors, or Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows that eschewed building horror or atmosphere in favor of aggressive editing that executives thought would cater to the "MTV Generation", so in a way All Fun and Games was a little like visiting an old friend (only to remember why you lost that friend's number in the first place). Most of the actors do what they can with the material, but there's so little to the very stock roles their given that there's very little any of them can do. Asa Butterfield unfortunately has to spend a good chunk of the runtime being the main antagonist and the voice he's been directed to do feels like he's doing a bad impression of Brad Dourif by way of Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance but at least it's more dignified than we he had to regurgitate Betamax tape in Choose or Die. If there's a lesson to be learned here, it's that Butterfield probably shouldn't make any more horror films with Anton.
All Fun and Games is a turgid and generic horror film that isn't scary or interesting in the slightest and feels like the kind of generic product that'll be destined to take up the back corners of streaming services alongside other mediocre and substandard horror offerings you've already forgotten about. If you must seen an Anton produced horror movie, just watch Choose or Die because at least it's unintentionally funny.
All Fun and Games comes to us from producers the Russo Brothers through their company Gozie AGBO which co-produces the film with British company Anton (behind last years Choose or Die). The film is the feature debut for writing and directing duo Ari Costa and Eren Celeboglu following a handful of short films between the two of them and Costa having worked under the Russos in various capacities including Second Unit work on Avengers: Endgame and Extraction. All Fun and Games seems like it's the kind of horror film that serves as a small scale showcase of what relatively first time filmmakers can do, and unfortunately as a showcase it's not all that impressive and fails to elevate the rather underwhelming material.
All Fun and Games from the opening which has a flashforward to events at the end of the film has the feeling of something that might've been pared down from what it was initially supposed to be, especially since Natalia Dyer's character Billie feels like she's kind of been wedged into this forced narrator position that just feels really awkward and the movie runs at only about 69 minutes not including credits. While I can't say for certain, All Fun and Games has all the signs of a troubled production down to even Keith David having been announced as having a role in the film but does not appear in the final product. The actual material is very standard "cursed object" fare much in the same way as Anton's Choose or Die used the same format (and Asa Butterfiled) last year, but where Curse or Die wound up being in my opinion bad in a funny way, All Fun and Games is just bad in a unremarkable and tired way. The movie features a large number of flashy edits that call attention to themselves as well as jump scares involving screaming and "in your face laughing" which is when it hit me that the movie feels like a revisit to that late 90s early 2000s era of horror filmmaking with stuff like Feardotcom, Soul Survivors, or Blair Witch 2: Book of Shadows that eschewed building horror or atmosphere in favor of aggressive editing that executives thought would cater to the "MTV Generation", so in a way All Fun and Games was a little like visiting an old friend (only to remember why you lost that friend's number in the first place). Most of the actors do what they can with the material, but there's so little to the very stock roles their given that there's very little any of them can do. Asa Butterfield unfortunately has to spend a good chunk of the runtime being the main antagonist and the voice he's been directed to do feels like he's doing a bad impression of Brad Dourif by way of Jack Nicholson's Jack Torrance but at least it's more dignified than we he had to regurgitate Betamax tape in Choose or Die. If there's a lesson to be learned here, it's that Butterfield probably shouldn't make any more horror films with Anton.
All Fun and Games is a turgid and generic horror film that isn't scary or interesting in the slightest and feels like the kind of generic product that'll be destined to take up the back corners of streaming services alongside other mediocre and substandard horror offerings you've already forgotten about. If you must seen an Anton produced horror movie, just watch Choose or Die because at least it's unintentionally funny.
better luck next time
SnoopyStyle9 September 2023
Kathy Fletcher (Annabeth Gish) is a single mom to Jo, Billie (Natalia Dyer), and Marcus (Asa Butterfield). Their father had sobered up and left the family. They live in their longtime home in Salem. Jo finds a cursed knife. One night, he demands that the group play a game.
This is basically just Asa Butterfield cutting up people with that knife. It's not actually scary or compelling at all. It rather boring. Eren Celeboglu and Ari Costa are the writing/directing team. This seems to be their first full length feature. Everybody has to start somewhere. Not everyone can hit the first pitch out of the park. Let's hope that they do better next time.
This is basically just Asa Butterfield cutting up people with that knife. It's not actually scary or compelling at all. It rather boring. Eren Celeboglu and Ari Costa are the writing/directing team. This seems to be their first full length feature. Everybody has to start somewhere. Not everyone can hit the first pitch out of the park. Let's hope that they do better next time.
A film with potential is unfortunately squandered
JJSM2226 September 2023
On paper, All fun and Games has what should make up a good horror film; a cast of young rising star actors, a setting seeped with supernatural history and an interesting curse. However it ultimately falls flat.
The whole length of the film is only an hour and 15 minutes, barely constituting an actual film. The characters are introduced in a quick narration that basically should have been the opening 15 minutes if it hadn't been rushed. The dialogue from the possessed individuals is more silly than terrifying and the whole "I will play, I won't quit" doesn't really sound like something they'd say in the 1600s.
Trying to fit the kills into the form of some disturbed games just takes away their potential to be violent or original. It also binds the evil spirit in rules that are ultimately completely ridiculous. The only reason it's even getting a 3/10 is because I like the cast and this was not exactly their best work.
The whole length of the film is only an hour and 15 minutes, barely constituting an actual film. The characters are introduced in a quick narration that basically should have been the opening 15 minutes if it hadn't been rushed. The dialogue from the possessed individuals is more silly than terrifying and the whole "I will play, I won't quit" doesn't really sound like something they'd say in the 1600s.
Trying to fit the kills into the form of some disturbed games just takes away their potential to be violent or original. It also binds the evil spirit in rules that are ultimately completely ridiculous. The only reason it's even getting a 3/10 is because I like the cast and this was not exactly their best work.
It's hard to watch nonsense👺👺👺
Democrit12 September 2023
Watching nonsense is always frustrating, especially when it exhibits a simple and predictable plot. This film, in particular, exudes annoyance through constant conflicts that arise out of nowhere. The characters incessantly argue and bicker, without any reasonable cause. It's astonishing that they resort to such hostility, as if a mere touch would make them tear each other apart! The storyline is banal, uninspiring, and lacks depth, making it quite primitive and crude. Who would willingly waste their precious time on such a cinematic disaster? Certainly, this monstrosity may invoke irrational reactions, making one yearn to seize their neighbor's popcorn and create chaos, all while wearing a frenzy in their eyes, declaring, "I won't surrender until I've thoroughly explored the absurdity!" Furthermore, I am utterly perplexed by Annabeth Gish's decision to be part of this production. It's beyond my comprehension.
Oh they tried, but they failed.
jmbovan-47-1601739 January 2024
So, quick run down: disgruntled family without a dad, struggles with misfit kids who find a knife that is curses by a demon and so the possessesd one kills people.
Whew! I wish that summary was difficult to do, but it wasn't. That is all the plotting that happens in this film. They try to make it seem scary, with dread filled narration. But as soon as the characters start to talk, we can see 1 trope, 2 trope, 3 tropes galore! Every bad decision made in horror movies is made.
And the biggest egregious mistake they make is that no time is spent to establish characters that matter or that we care about, so everything that happens in the movie is "Eh, Who cares." Poor acting that leads to over the top moments that don't go anywhere. Nothing follows logical sense for a person making choices, but the film simple builds based upon what they need to have happen. Contrived.
Oh, they start with some historical fact and from this we are to believe that this is the reason. No. They use this historical fact as a lazy way to establish what they wanted to be scary. They failed.
The film looks nice if a bit dark.
Whew! I wish that summary was difficult to do, but it wasn't. That is all the plotting that happens in this film. They try to make it seem scary, with dread filled narration. But as soon as the characters start to talk, we can see 1 trope, 2 trope, 3 tropes galore! Every bad decision made in horror movies is made.
And the biggest egregious mistake they make is that no time is spent to establish characters that matter or that we care about, so everything that happens in the movie is "Eh, Who cares." Poor acting that leads to over the top moments that don't go anywhere. Nothing follows logical sense for a person making choices, but the film simple builds based upon what they need to have happen. Contrived.
Oh, they start with some historical fact and from this we are to believe that this is the reason. No. They use this historical fact as a lazy way to establish what they wanted to be scary. They failed.
The film looks nice if a bit dark.
Fun enough for what it is but still heavily problematic
kannibalcorpsegrinder22 October 2023
While trying to get through their life, the brother of a deadbeat family finds that a special knife relic he discovered grants him the ability to force others into playing life-or-death children's games against their will and must try to stop its effects when the outcomes turn deadly.
This was a rather disappointing if still watchable enough genre effort. Among the brighter spots here is the way this manages to provide the setup for the particular games to be played. The discovery of the knife while trying to get past his bullies and the way the spirits appear to torment him into getting his friends involved is a rather fun way to go about this, while the resolution of this tends to be handled with the main part of the film being his possessed state rampaging and slashing them in a fine fashion offering some brutal stalking scenes and plenty of nice gore. This is all done nicely enough with some fun moments to set up the finale where everything is brought about and wrapped up with the confrontation involving the spirit tormenting them that's quite likable overall to hold the film up for the most part. There are some big problems with this one holding it down. The main drawback to be had here is the utterly unlikable and irritating first half that never once makes this feel like it's anything worthwhile. The interwoven family dynamic at play here with the deadbeat brother who's going nowhere in life, the idiotic sister who is too blindly in love to be tolerable, and the weakling brother who's too weak to stand up to a bully who all feels way too cliched to be intriguing or enjoyable. Coupled with their constant sniping and bickering about being forced to spend time together or being more concerned with their social standings than anything remotely resembling a family unit, this all makes everything bland and underwhelming as a means of carrying about this supposed group of victims, so it's got very little impact later on. The other main drawback to this one is the overall lack of interest this one generates in the actual games themselves. By not dwelling on the background of what's going on and only dealing with the location where it's taking place, the games and their connection to the knife have no meaning making it again hard to care what's going on. The lack of interest that brings about is incredibly hard to overcome with the inability to understand what's going on or how it all comes together with the only real scene to do so being the discovery of the diary that seems to explain the entire thing in a rudimentary manner but feels so shortsighted it's nearly impossible to get anything useful out of the sequence. These all combine together into a series of issues that hold this one back.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.
This was a rather disappointing if still watchable enough genre effort. Among the brighter spots here is the way this manages to provide the setup for the particular games to be played. The discovery of the knife while trying to get past his bullies and the way the spirits appear to torment him into getting his friends involved is a rather fun way to go about this, while the resolution of this tends to be handled with the main part of the film being his possessed state rampaging and slashing them in a fine fashion offering some brutal stalking scenes and plenty of nice gore. This is all done nicely enough with some fun moments to set up the finale where everything is brought about and wrapped up with the confrontation involving the spirit tormenting them that's quite likable overall to hold the film up for the most part. There are some big problems with this one holding it down. The main drawback to be had here is the utterly unlikable and irritating first half that never once makes this feel like it's anything worthwhile. The interwoven family dynamic at play here with the deadbeat brother who's going nowhere in life, the idiotic sister who is too blindly in love to be tolerable, and the weakling brother who's too weak to stand up to a bully who all feels way too cliched to be intriguing or enjoyable. Coupled with their constant sniping and bickering about being forced to spend time together or being more concerned with their social standings than anything remotely resembling a family unit, this all makes everything bland and underwhelming as a means of carrying about this supposed group of victims, so it's got very little impact later on. The other main drawback to this one is the overall lack of interest this one generates in the actual games themselves. By not dwelling on the background of what's going on and only dealing with the location where it's taking place, the games and their connection to the knife have no meaning making it again hard to care what's going on. The lack of interest that brings about is incredibly hard to overcome with the inability to understand what's going on or how it all comes together with the only real scene to do so being the discovery of the diary that seems to explain the entire thing in a rudimentary manner but feels so shortsighted it's nearly impossible to get anything useful out of the sequence. These all combine together into a series of issues that hold this one back.
Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence and Graphic Language.
A long prologue from a Supernatural episode...
jgalexandriarz20 January 2024
I had great expectations about this movie. Asa Butterfield has always been a great actor since he was kid, so I was excited to see him on a horror movie, but his acting is one of the only things that saves this movie.
Overrall, "All fun and games" is a mix of "Evil Dead", "The Conjuring 3" and "Supernatural". It would not surprise me if there was a post credits scene showing The Winchester Brothers arriving on Salem to investigate the case... Not to mention the fact that the movie itself begins with a huge spoiler that breaks all the tension that could fright the spectator... Not so much fun, almost no Games...
Overrall, "All fun and games" is a mix of "Evil Dead", "The Conjuring 3" and "Supernatural". It would not surprise me if there was a post credits scene showing The Winchester Brothers arriving on Salem to investigate the case... Not to mention the fact that the movie itself begins with a huge spoiler that breaks all the tension that could fright the spectator... Not so much fun, almost no Games...
Excellent horror movie
boondocksaint241 October 2023
As someone who loves horror movies, this movie was awesome! It's a fast paced horror movie. For those who want some long in depth character development or a slow burn, this isn't for you. For those who like the 80's style slasher movie this is for you. There's a curse, possession and death.
The movie isn't long which is nice. There are some flashbacks involving the curse. Which gives you enough plot to understand what's happening. I enjoyed the acting from the main characters. They did a good job of bringing the characters to life. It takes childhood games like hangman, hide and seek, tag and red rover and turns them into ways to kill.
The movie isn't long which is nice. There are some flashbacks involving the curse. Which gives you enough plot to understand what's happening. I enjoyed the acting from the main characters. They did a good job of bringing the characters to life. It takes childhood games like hangman, hide and seek, tag and red rover and turns them into ways to kill.
Spooky and predictable jump scares that didn't make me angry
leesimon-2635715 October 2023
Do you like child actors? Do you like spooky jump scares that aren't real? Me neither. But this wasn't poorly made, and if you don't despise seeing children on screen like I do, you may enjoy the experience. I'm not usually a fan of spooky ghost stories (especially demons) because the story is always the same. There is a ghost or demon, then someone yells bible verses at it. The end.
This movie benefited from a lack of stupid religious angles to "solve the ghost problem." But it was still just a stupid "haunted item" movie. The unoriginal idea of having it take place in Salem seemed like a reason to avoid coming up with an original back story.
Netflix made a movie a few years back about a priest faking exorcisms. This is along those lines, but a little bit worse, because it's slightly less original that the fake priest story.
That said, the sound was mixed well, it was shot on proper cameras, and the movie did have some type of story throughout. This isn't worth less than 5 stars. And if you actually enjoy ghost movies, you could see it as a much higher score. Watch it if you like ghost stories. If you liked that fake priest movie on Netflix, you will like this one.
This movie benefited from a lack of stupid religious angles to "solve the ghost problem." But it was still just a stupid "haunted item" movie. The unoriginal idea of having it take place in Salem seemed like a reason to avoid coming up with an original back story.
Netflix made a movie a few years back about a priest faking exorcisms. This is along those lines, but a little bit worse, because it's slightly less original that the fake priest story.
That said, the sound was mixed well, it was shot on proper cameras, and the movie did have some type of story throughout. This isn't worth less than 5 stars. And if you actually enjoy ghost movies, you could see it as a much higher score. Watch it if you like ghost stories. If you liked that fake priest movie on Netflix, you will like this one.
Nothing To Write Home About.
meddlecore7 February 2024
The plot of this film is incredibly infantile.
Adolescent finds knife haunted by demonic children.
Demonic children use knife to possess his brother.
Brother forces his acquaintances to play games, in which the only winner is the one who survives.
The target market here seems to be somewhere between kids and young teenagers.
But it's too violent for young children.
And too childish for teenagers.
So it fits into that medium where no one is bound to like it.
Being a Canadian...I wanted to enjoy this, if only because it has the kid from Son Of A Critch in it.
But the plot is way too bad.
The character development is lackluster.
And there's too much lead up before the action kicks in.
Which ends as abruptly as it begins.
And they can't even get through a damn game ffs.
There's really nothing to like about it, to be honest.
Other than it being relatively short.
So you don't have to waste too much of your life indulging in it.
But that's about all it has going for it.
Other than decent production quality.
2.5 out of 10.
Adolescent finds knife haunted by demonic children.
Demonic children use knife to possess his brother.
Brother forces his acquaintances to play games, in which the only winner is the one who survives.
The target market here seems to be somewhere between kids and young teenagers.
But it's too violent for young children.
And too childish for teenagers.
So it fits into that medium where no one is bound to like it.
Being a Canadian...I wanted to enjoy this, if only because it has the kid from Son Of A Critch in it.
But the plot is way too bad.
The character development is lackluster.
And there's too much lead up before the action kicks in.
Which ends as abruptly as it begins.
And they can't even get through a damn game ffs.
There's really nothing to like about it, to be honest.
Other than it being relatively short.
So you don't have to waste too much of your life indulging in it.
But that's about all it has going for it.
Other than decent production quality.
2.5 out of 10.
Could have been so much better.
shesmy-confidant10 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The actors, at least, we're on the ball, but most of the rest of this was a huge disappointment. The sound was awful - loud does not mean scary, folks. The flashback images didn't add to the narrative. The spirits were underutilized, and when they were used, it wasn't effective. The ghost of Daniel's mother was intended to be frightening and somewhat sympathetic, I think, but instead I was distracted by how bad her hair was and the overall cheesiness of the scene. The "party" everyone was so excited about had maybe three people. . .where was everyone else? The exposition would have been much better as an actual scene. I didn't care at all about the characters that died, and none of the mains were in enough jeopardy to get worried about. Last but not least, whoever did Natalia Dyer's hair should be shot. Overall, it's a swing and a miss. Foul play. They lost.
What a stinker!
bradjhadfield6 January 2024
This movie was awful! Laughably bad. It makes one wonder how it ever got produced and how it managed to even attract some, albeit c-list, stars. The plot revolves around a cursed knife from Salem? It possesses someone, then suddenly the ghosts are real, then they can be burned with light... I don't know, the film just makes stuff up as it goes along. It really felt like there was no script for much of it. And good lord, those quick loud jump cuts got really annoying. By the 100th one we were guessing when they'd come and mimicking the noise. Absolutely dreadful. Only plus is that it's just an hour and 15 minutes, but even at that length I was checking my watch.
It's a lot of nothing.
korkysyard24 September 2023
We visit Salom again in yet another low budget horror fling.
This time our young star of the film Jo, finds a knife made from a human bone after breaking into an old eerie shack. Oh he finds a book of chants and spell like things aswell.
Well you get the drift of it all then. Lights flicker and spooky voices are heard after he takes them home. It's all very predictable from there. Someone gets possessed and chases everyone whilst pulling funny faces and walking like he's shat himself. Ghosts of witches past make the odd appearance to add to the atmosphere and people die All very predictable.
Hard-core horror fans may find something to like,but it was all a bit samey for me.
This time our young star of the film Jo, finds a knife made from a human bone after breaking into an old eerie shack. Oh he finds a book of chants and spell like things aswell.
Well you get the drift of it all then. Lights flicker and spooky voices are heard after he takes them home. It's all very predictable from there. Someone gets possessed and chases everyone whilst pulling funny faces and walking like he's shat himself. Ghosts of witches past make the odd appearance to add to the atmosphere and people die All very predictable.
Hard-core horror fans may find something to like,but it was all a bit samey for me.
Terrible sound mix
russelloc6 January 2024
Regardless of how weak the story is. The sound for me made it almost unwatchable
I have a state of the art sound system a sony bravia oled tv
And while it looked great the mix made
Me have to adjust volume constantly
Even with dialoge enhancement on
.or off i tried it all the levels were so bad
I thought the acting was good considering what they had to do or say
I so wanted to like this
A rather interesting idea for a horror movie. Not the same 4 friends in a remote cabin, or found footage garbage. The premise had promise but alas did not live up to the movie i had in my head
Oh well. They tried.
No, it's fine, totally touch that obviously cursed thing...
Howling_at_the_Moon_Reviews9 January 2024
This was... fine enough for what it was. It overwhelmingly possessed the vibe of a horror made for a younger demographic, yet had language and conversational subject matter that was pretty mature. So in that way it seemed a bit confused.
The acting was surprisingly decent and I was particularly impressed with the youngest brother. The story was pretty basic but still had some very light intrigue to it. They had some decent sfx at times that were cool.
I am partial to a folk horror, a period horror and anything witchy... and this had aspects of all three. So in that way I am a bit biased. 4.5 rounding up to a 5, for most I would probably say a 4. Most likely wouldn't recommend unless you have similar preferences as I.
The acting was surprisingly decent and I was particularly impressed with the youngest brother. The story was pretty basic but still had some very light intrigue to it. They had some decent sfx at times that were cool.
I am partial to a folk horror, a period horror and anything witchy... and this had aspects of all three. So in that way I am a bit biased. 4.5 rounding up to a 5, for most I would probably say a 4. Most likely wouldn't recommend unless you have similar preferences as I.
Contrived, But Curious
JoshuaMercott10 December 2023
Warning: Spoilers
A literary pace and some Salem-witch lore defined "All Fun and Games" which felt like a clichéd but curious campfire fable. I liked how they mentioned some stories being lost along the flow of history. One such loss was alluded to be a curse, passed down through an ensorcelled blade.
The Fletcher family experienced the blade's dark mischief, which later saw Marcus Fletcher (played by Asa Butterfield) committing murder and more. He, Natalia Dyer as Billie Fletcher, Laurel Marsden as Sophie Fletcher, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Jonah Fletcher shone in the movie, which didn't exactly give any of them enough room to stretch their acting tendons. But they boasted great chemistry in every scene they were in.
The folk-tale flair with which the movie progressed made it seem worth watching, though just once. I liked how they built up the demon activity. Even though the plot picked up pace it grew predictable, a fact that removed much of the story's intrigue.
Jonah unwittingly found a strange bone blade and innocently began experimenting with dark witchcraft without fully realizing what he was getting into - rather, losing himself in. What later happened to his older brother Marcus made more sense in retrospect.
The knife essentially held the demon-corrupted soul of Daniel Good (played by Shylo Molina) who 'passed on' from one person to the next by making them It (like the game), which progressed to Hangman (another game), and so on. But the 'devil made me do it' trope has been done to death, so this plot-element soon wore out its welcome.
The historical flashbacks and 'possessed realm' scenes were remarkable. They evoked a 90s vibe and, moreover, weren't mundane. Maclean Fish as the fanatic puritan had good screen presence. But the screenplay barely gave him the time of day, so it was interesting but also disappointing to see sporadic flashes of his original deeds.
The way they minimally showcased supernatural activity was okay. Because not all paranormal dangers in real life are readily visible, let alone describable. The focus soon fell on the ritualistic bone knife, which held plenty of curiosity value. From its whispering blade to its creepy etchings, I liked its design and use in the movie.
The diary of a persecuted woman (Joanna Good, played by Marina Stephenson Kerr) from that era equally captivated. She apparently chronicled her being accused of witchcraft and how they killed her son Daniel as well. She wanted revenge and so, ironically, turned to witchcraft to claim it, starting with making a cursed bone blade using one of Daniel's bones.
The 'games' angle tied up neatly with this lore, but the whole affair felt heavily contrived and overly rushed. Though the family dynamics were on point, the plot itself lacked depth and nuance. It was also far from scary. However, a few eerie elements managed to make the movie passably intriguing.
All in all, "All Fun and Games" did not quite live up to its name, but it stoked my curiosity nevertheless and made me watch it till the end just to see how things would pan out.
The Fletcher family experienced the blade's dark mischief, which later saw Marcus Fletcher (played by Asa Butterfield) committing murder and more. He, Natalia Dyer as Billie Fletcher, Laurel Marsden as Sophie Fletcher, and Benjamin Evan Ainsworth as Jonah Fletcher shone in the movie, which didn't exactly give any of them enough room to stretch their acting tendons. But they boasted great chemistry in every scene they were in.
The folk-tale flair with which the movie progressed made it seem worth watching, though just once. I liked how they built up the demon activity. Even though the plot picked up pace it grew predictable, a fact that removed much of the story's intrigue.
Jonah unwittingly found a strange bone blade and innocently began experimenting with dark witchcraft without fully realizing what he was getting into - rather, losing himself in. What later happened to his older brother Marcus made more sense in retrospect.
The knife essentially held the demon-corrupted soul of Daniel Good (played by Shylo Molina) who 'passed on' from one person to the next by making them It (like the game), which progressed to Hangman (another game), and so on. But the 'devil made me do it' trope has been done to death, so this plot-element soon wore out its welcome.
The historical flashbacks and 'possessed realm' scenes were remarkable. They evoked a 90s vibe and, moreover, weren't mundane. Maclean Fish as the fanatic puritan had good screen presence. But the screenplay barely gave him the time of day, so it was interesting but also disappointing to see sporadic flashes of his original deeds.
The way they minimally showcased supernatural activity was okay. Because not all paranormal dangers in real life are readily visible, let alone describable. The focus soon fell on the ritualistic bone knife, which held plenty of curiosity value. From its whispering blade to its creepy etchings, I liked its design and use in the movie.
The diary of a persecuted woman (Joanna Good, played by Marina Stephenson Kerr) from that era equally captivated. She apparently chronicled her being accused of witchcraft and how they killed her son Daniel as well. She wanted revenge and so, ironically, turned to witchcraft to claim it, starting with making a cursed bone blade using one of Daniel's bones.
The 'games' angle tied up neatly with this lore, but the whole affair felt heavily contrived and overly rushed. Though the family dynamics were on point, the plot itself lacked depth and nuance. It was also far from scary. However, a few eerie elements managed to make the movie passably intriguing.
All in all, "All Fun and Games" did not quite live up to its name, but it stoked my curiosity nevertheless and made me watch it till the end just to see how things would pan out.
It's all fun and games, but not so fun...
MothmanPL27 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
The movie had a potential and a pretty good idea to follow.
We have a cursed item, that brings up a tormented soul, that wants to play childhood games. The item - knife - is picked up by a young boy and against his brother's advice, he brings it home. Once he reads a curse written on the blade, he starts seeing horrors from the past. Horrors of Salem city. It starts to affect him, make him descend into madness.
Pretty decent begining for a horror movie, right? I thought so too. Unfortunately what had the possibility to be a great, tension building and maybe s bit brutal / gory movie, became a cheap jumpscare mediocracy. I was watching this movie in a theater, and it was just... Too loud! Screeching noises made me wanna get out of the room. They are really annoying and it's pretty much the only thing that could make me flinch. And not because it was scary, just unpleasant.
Suprisingly, the movie ended pretty quickly for me. I thought there will be more and i felt a bit of dissapointment.
Now for the bright side... Acting, especially by Asa Butterfield is pretty decent. Cinematography is fine, i'd say. Music is almost non existent, not important.
Summarizing... I was expecting more. Especially that i like Russo brothers, Asa and Natalia. Even tho Russo brothers were producers, and not directors, i thought that if they believed in a movie, it would be at least decent. Unfortunately, i learned again, that big / liked by me names is not everything, that's needed to make a good movie.
It's just the title to watch once and soon forget.
We have a cursed item, that brings up a tormented soul, that wants to play childhood games. The item - knife - is picked up by a young boy and against his brother's advice, he brings it home. Once he reads a curse written on the blade, he starts seeing horrors from the past. Horrors of Salem city. It starts to affect him, make him descend into madness.
Pretty decent begining for a horror movie, right? I thought so too. Unfortunately what had the possibility to be a great, tension building and maybe s bit brutal / gory movie, became a cheap jumpscare mediocracy. I was watching this movie in a theater, and it was just... Too loud! Screeching noises made me wanna get out of the room. They are really annoying and it's pretty much the only thing that could make me flinch. And not because it was scary, just unpleasant.
Suprisingly, the movie ended pretty quickly for me. I thought there will be more and i felt a bit of dissapointment.
Now for the bright side... Acting, especially by Asa Butterfield is pretty decent. Cinematography is fine, i'd say. Music is almost non existent, not important.
Summarizing... I was expecting more. Especially that i like Russo brothers, Asa and Natalia. Even tho Russo brothers were producers, and not directors, i thought that if they believed in a movie, it would be at least decent. Unfortunately, i learned again, that big / liked by me names is not everything, that's needed to make a good movie.
It's just the title to watch once and soon forget.
Best horror movie I've seen!
jseath-156399 October 2023
I have no idea why this got such terrible reviews because I am a huge horror movie critic and I thought it was a fantastic movie and it was very well done best horror movie I have seen in a very long time!! I thought the acting and story were great I'm half tempted to watch it again or even buy it. There should be more horror movies like this especially this time of year!!!! I loved it from the beginning to the very end of the movie and I really thought it had the scare factor without being cheesy like some horror movies. It seems I like lately most horror movies have really run out of good ideas and this one was spot on. Great job!!!!!!!
An entertaining horror film without further pretensions.
jp_9114 November 2023
"All Full and Games" has a boring trailer and when you watch the movie the result is better but not excellent either, it is just another entertaining and predictable movie. The leading actors give good performances, the cinematography stands out in lighting and together with the filming locations they achieve a gloomy atmosphere, although the camera movements are not innovative. The script tells a simple but effective story: a curse in Salem, Massachusetts and mixes the elements of supernatural cinema on the theme of witches and ghosts with also elements of the slasher subgenre. The digital special effects are bad, they look really unreal. An entertaining horror film without further pretensions, perhaps the fact that it was co-produced by three countries was the reason why it did not make it any further, there were probably disagreements between the production companies and the two directors who made it.
Not good not bad
mychakk28 October 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I saw it during a Halloween marathon at my local cinema. Wouldn't have chosen it otherwise. And that would have been better for me. Don't get me wrong, it's not that bad at all (I have seen way, way worse). It's just not my thing.
I'm not a fan of slasher movies and so I've chosen the Scary Marathon over the Bloody One at the cinema, and yet this was more slasher than anything. The story wasn't bad, although the film was short enough to not make you get engaged in the characters. Consider it at your own will if it's good or bad.
I did like the main character/killer acting though. He was creepy in a good way. The young boy actor was *way* more better in Bly Manor on Netflix than here though, I had been pretty impressed by him and the little girl back then, here he mostly annoyed me with his acting choices. Trying to be too intense. Not good at all.
The story is predictable, the finale as well. But the ending is sad, understandable, but sad. All in all a teen slasher for people who like this kind of movies. Not for me.
I'm not a fan of slasher movies and so I've chosen the Scary Marathon over the Bloody One at the cinema, and yet this was more slasher than anything. The story wasn't bad, although the film was short enough to not make you get engaged in the characters. Consider it at your own will if it's good or bad.
I did like the main character/killer acting though. He was creepy in a good way. The young boy actor was *way* more better in Bly Manor on Netflix than here though, I had been pretty impressed by him and the little girl back then, here he mostly annoyed me with his acting choices. Trying to be too intense. Not good at all.
The story is predictable, the finale as well. But the ending is sad, understandable, but sad. All in all a teen slasher for people who like this kind of movies. Not for me.
Unscary, failed wannabe horror flick
johannes2000-112 March 2024
It's hard to take this wannabe horror flick serious: it's just so totally lame and unscary! The story is chaotic, the writing is lazy, the direction and editing thrive on cheap effects like flashing images and constant sudden sound-bursts, and the goings-on got rather repetitive and with that even tedious.
Asa Butterfield plays the lead character, I hold him in high regard since Sex Education, but his appearance here is a serious lapse of judgement. They gave him a weird hairdo, made him talk with a heavy American accent, and worst of all: let him walk through most of the movie like a robotic zombie, with piercing eyes and a develish grin, trying very hard to look like someone possessed by a 17th century Salem-witches curse. To no avail, the effect was just ludicrous. Maybe it all would have been reasonably palatable, if they had made it into a horror comedy, but alas, it was all meant to be dead serious. I'm sorry for Natalia Dyer, who did a fine job. And as far as Butterfield is concerned: let's quickly forget this unfortunate mishap.
Asa Butterfield plays the lead character, I hold him in high regard since Sex Education, but his appearance here is a serious lapse of judgement. They gave him a weird hairdo, made him talk with a heavy American accent, and worst of all: let him walk through most of the movie like a robotic zombie, with piercing eyes and a develish grin, trying very hard to look like someone possessed by a 17th century Salem-witches curse. To no avail, the effect was just ludicrous. Maybe it all would have been reasonably palatable, if they had made it into a horror comedy, but alas, it was all meant to be dead serious. I'm sorry for Natalia Dyer, who did a fine job. And as far as Butterfield is concerned: let's quickly forget this unfortunate mishap.
Generic movie with familiar faces
aronharde12 November 2023
I'm a huge horror movie fan and when I saw the cast of this movie I was definitely interested. It's always enjoyable to see some familiar faces especially in the horror genre and sometimes you can find some real gems and I was hoping that this might be one of them.
The premise sounded rather generic but it's really hard to be original nowadays since most ideas have been done before or in a similar fashion. Anyway I went into the movie with no real expectation aaaand I got a generic and rather boring attempt in scaring the audience by loud noises and screaming characters. For some reason I liked the way the movie started and I was invested in our main characters but once the real " horror" started, it was ordinary stuff that we have seen before in countless other movies. However the movie wasn't completely terrible but just really forgettable and has no particular strengths to stand out. Also there are some weird visuals and the movie keeps adding this weird filter that really doesn't add anything.
If that's still sounds interesting to you and you think you might enjoy this, give it a try but don't have your expectations to high because you will be disappointed in the end. [5,0/10]
The premise sounded rather generic but it's really hard to be original nowadays since most ideas have been done before or in a similar fashion. Anyway I went into the movie with no real expectation aaaand I got a generic and rather boring attempt in scaring the audience by loud noises and screaming characters. For some reason I liked the way the movie started and I was invested in our main characters but once the real " horror" started, it was ordinary stuff that we have seen before in countless other movies. However the movie wasn't completely terrible but just really forgettable and has no particular strengths to stand out. Also there are some weird visuals and the movie keeps adding this weird filter that really doesn't add anything.
If that's still sounds interesting to you and you think you might enjoy this, give it a try but don't have your expectations to high because you will be disappointed in the end. [5,0/10]
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