In the times when screwball comedies are far and in between, there are some gems out there that were ignored by the masses upon release. That brings us to Game Night. Granted, the Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams comedy made a healthy $117 million worldwide, so it’s far from a flop. However, it’s still a film that doesn’t particularly get the flowers that it deserves.
The premise for Game Night is simple: Max (Bateman) and Annie’s (McAdams) annual game night turns into an event filled with chaos and conspiracies when their brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) arranges a murder mystery party. The twist? Brooks’s kidnapping isn’t a staged event, and the two couples must figure out how to save Brooks before his night ends in death.
This darkly comedic film has an all-star cast that also includes Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall, Danny Hudson, Lamorne Morris, and Billy Magnussen. It’s a fun tale with a surprising amount of twists and heart. Game Night is certainly one of the best comedies to be released within the past five years.
The Premise Strikes A Nice Balance Between Genres
Naturally, the premise alludes to being a mix between comedy, action, and drama. There’s no shortage of films that blend these elements pretty well – Everything Everywhere All At Once, Jojo Rabbit, and Parasite quickly come to mind. However, it’s still a tricky balance to navigate through since each has necessary beats that must be hit.
Game Night excels at all of it. The premise itself is quite clever, which opens the scope for some fun hijinks along the way. Once we get past the inciting incident, some surprising twists keep the film unpredictable and sharp. Game Night feels relatively grounded, though the action set pieces are still exciting.
The comedy lands because the cast is full of names that have incredible comic timing. However, John Francis Daley and Jonathan M. Goldstein wisely understand when each scene needs the proper beats. The moment of Brooks being kidnapped is being played for the laughs, though Brooks’s end is entirely serious. It’s never too goofy to suspend your disbelief and the original story is consistently entertaining. There’s one twist that borders on the ridiculous side, but even that moment makes sense in the overall scope of the entire story.
The Surprising Depth And Dimension Given To The Characters
Arguably the biggest surprise is the well-rounded characters in the film. Game Night could’ve coasted on its premise alone, but thankfully, everyone understands that we NEED to care about the characters to truly invest in the story. Max’s rivalry with his brother is nothing new, but it offers a nice layer that ties back into his relationship with Anne. On the flip side, Brooks isn’t your typical jerk of a brother as the writers nicely play off his shady dealings and give him a nice warmth overall.
Ryan (Magnussen) and Sarah’s (Sharon Horgan) developing romance is also quite fun. The latter is your classic ladies’ man, but his growth in developing feelings for Sarah is sweet. Their banter feels organic and the scene of him trying to bribe Glenda (Chelsea Peretti) is laugh-out funny.
Kevin (Morris) and Michelle (Kylie Bunbury) have a nice little side plot as well. Though admittedly, the most unbelievable thing in Game Night is Michelle sleeping with Denzel Washington. You’ll get it when you see the actor that’s supposed to be him. Nevertheless, the film gives audiences a chance to breathe by investing time into each of the main characters, and it pays off nicely.
However, the stand out is Gary (Plemons). The “strange, but a good guy” route is pulled off perfectly due to the strong writing and Plemons. There’s not one scene where he doesn’t shine. However, the main villain of the film is lacking a bit. The film spends a lot of time developing everyone in the main cast that the big bad is short-changed. It doesn’t kill the film overall, but given the talent in the role, it would’ve been nice for his to arc with more meat on its bones.
Game Night Is A Must-Watch
If you love darkly comedic action-comedies then you can do no wrong with Game Night. It’s consistently hilarious and it packs a surprising amount of heart and action. It’s not perfect, but the film sets out to be an entertaining thrill ride and it surely achieves its goal.
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