Game Night
Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler, Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris
Directed by: John Francis Daley and Johnathon Goldstein
Rated: R
Game Night. We've all had one. Usually it involves charades or scrabble or something along those lines, but what if it involved solving a mystery surrounding a kidnapping attempt. Don't worry the kidnapping is fake of course. It's just to make Game Night more fun. Wait, the kidnapping is fake...isn't it?
I went into Game Night expecting a decent movie with lots of cheap jokes. I left the theater genuinely surprised at how funny and well written it was. Directed by John Francis Daley (Sam Weir from Freaks and Geeks!) and Johnathon Goldstein, Game Night is clever and fast paced. It follows Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie, (Rachel McAdams) a competitive couple who have game night at their house every week. Things get difficult when Max's seemingly perfect brother Brooks (Kyle Chandler) shows up and decides to have game night at his house to shake things up. He claims they're going to partake in a mysterious kidnapping game to make things more fun, of course no one will be injured. Will things go as planned? Or will game night get a little too crazy?
One of the best aspects of this movie is the small stylistic flairs that make it look like the characters are living in a game. The street view of Max and Annie's neighborhood looks like a game board then slowly zooms in to their house. One great chase scene plays out exactly like a game of Pac Man. It's details like that that show there was so much careful consideration that went into making this movie.
Another detail that I loved about Game Night is the ensemble cast. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams have such great chemistry as Max and Annie. They truly seem like a real life couple. Both actors build off of each other's comedic timing perfectly.
It's not just the two leads that work, every member of Game Night is cast perfectly. Kyle Chandler plays Max's brother, Brooks. He's the seemingly perfect sibling who always tries to one-up Max. However, there's something mysterious about his Game Night plans that may prove he's not as perfect as he seems. Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunberry play Kevin and Michelle, a couple who have been together since they were kids. They have excellent timing with each other throughout the film. Billy Magneussen is a standout as Ryan, a shallow player who isn't exactly the smartest when it comes to games. Jesse Plemons plays Max and Annie's neighbor, Gary, a police officer who desperately wants to be invited to Game Night. He balances humor and creepiness brilliantly.
I don't have many negative things to say about Game Night. There's one scene that went a bit too far for me involving a dog in a computer room. It was pretty gross and I don't like scenes involving animals in bad situations. (Don't worry, the dog doesn't die.) Despite that, this is quite an entertaining ride. The cast, direction, and storyline all compliment each other wonderfully setting up one of the best comedies I've seen in a long time.
Get your team together and get ready for laughs, thrills, and a great time because you don't want to miss out on Game Night!
My Rating: 8/10