Game Night
My wife and I are no strangers to game nights with friends and other couples. Actually, my parents weren’t, either. Nobody in our circles has put together a game night quite like the one John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (“Horrible Bosses”) have in store for the characters of “Game Night.” On the one hand, thank God, but on the other hand, it would seem to be a wild ride.
The film begins at a trivia night at a bar, where Max (Jason Bateman) and Annie (Rachel McAdams) are on the final question, say the right answer out at the same time, and fall in love, beginning a romantic montage of game nights and wedding bells to come for the couple. We then come to the present day, where Max and Annie are not only trying to get pregnant (but stress appears to be getting in the way), as well as preparing a game night with their usual crew- Kevin and Michelle (Lamorne Morris and Kylie Bunbury), Ryan (Billy Magnussen) and whatever women he’s brought with him- while trying to avoid their next door neighbor, Gary (Jesse Plemons), a creepy cop who recently divorced their friend, Debbie. In this environment swings Max’s hotshot brother, Brooks (Kyle Chandler), who seems to be everything that Max isn’t, as well as having a competitive streak all his own. He hosts a game night for all of them at the house he’s renting, and sets the stage for them for a game night to remember with a clue-based game like the murder mystery dinner theatre you’re probably thinking of. But what happens when it turns violent, and all too real, when Brooks’s life catches up with him?
When I looked up writer Mark Perez’s credits on IMDb to see what else he had done, I did not expect to see the 2006 comedy “Accepted,” which I really enjoy, on there, but it makes sense that, like Daley and Goldstein, he’s drawn to high-concept comedy conceits that become scrappy, and very funny, ensemble vehicles with a couple of strong lead performances. I was very much a fan of “Horrible Bosses” from Daley and Goldstein, and the R-rated edge of that film is ideal for what the trio want to do with this concept. This is dark, adult humor, and I like the way it uses it without going too obscene with the language and adult themes- there will be blood, though. I love the team that Bateman and McAdams make at the center of this film, and they have an enjoyable arc as a couple, but the supporting cast helps make this as successful as it is. Chandler is great as the macho brother who has secret insecurities, and Morris and Bunbury are very funny together as a long-time couple who argue as much as they chase clues in this evening. Magnussen is delightfully dim, and is matched well with Sharon Horgan as an Irish co-worker he invites to this wild game night. And it’s really good to see Michael C. Hall as a criminal at the end, but let’s face it, Plemons is the one you will be remembering here as the indelibly unsettling Gary, a guy who just wants to be included, and sees these people as friends he always wants to spend time with.
Game nights seem childish, but they are wonderful bonding moments between people, and an easy way to create memories that will last a lifetime. This is part of why it’s a big aspect of the social life of my wife and myself, and that affection I have for the event is part of why I wanted to see this film. Why the film entertained me in its execution is due to how confidently, and entertainingly, it pulls its premise off. It’s a very pleasant surprise.
