Cinephile No. 709 "Game Night"
“Disappointing at Every Turn”
A Review of "Game Night” by Nathan H. Box
Directors: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein, Writer: Mark Perez, Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Kyle Chandler
Rating: 2 STARS, SKIP
The Plot
A group of friends who meet regularly for game nights finds themselves entangled in a real-life mystery.
My Critique
For those of us addicted to movies, nothing hurts like a disappointing film. Well, perhaps seeing an actor as talented as Jason Bateman plays the same character repeatedly every time he gets comfortable. That might hurt worse but for our purposes here we will focus on “Game Night.”
Most of you skipped “Game Night.” “Black Panther” came out and became the center of the film-going universe. In its wake, films such as this were left to struggle. Struggle is exactly what this film does. Focused on an overly competitive couple, deep sibling rivalry, and a unique gathering point, this film had potential. Yet within minutes of the film’s opening, it begins collapsing under the weight of forced dialogue, humor/jokes that never really land, and a premise succumbing to its own ridiculousness.
Real or fake… You will spend much of the film trying to figure out if you should believe what is happening before you. Since the plot is so overly thought out like a painter who doesn’t know when to quit, you have a pretty good sense that a turn is coming in the storyline. The question then becomes, should you care? For me, the answer was a solid no. Which is disappointing because this film possessed a lot of talent.
The American institution of game night cherished by so many adults is fertile ground for a good roast. What it didn’t need was forced turns, a heist, and actors who don’t seem to be going anywhere. For these reasons, I recommend skipping this one. Plan your own game night instead. It will be much more fun than this film.
Be good to each other,
-Nathan
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