Game Night is the newest Jason Bateman comedy and has hit theatres this weekend. In this film, Bateman's character Max and his wife Annie (played by Rachel McAdams) are one of the most competitive couples out there, especially on game nights. When Max's brother comes to visit and plans a fun murder mystery, shit hits the fan as actual criminals get involved in the fun. What comes out of the mess is a surprisingly fun and well made comedy.
As I said before, Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams play the central roles. Bateman is playing the same character he does in pretty much all of his films but it almost always works so I won't complain. He brings the laughs, he brings the heart, and he's damn good at doing it. Rachel McAdams isn't someone I would typically think of as a comedic actress but other than one or two rough line deliveries I thought she did really well in a pretty different role. Kyle Chandler plays Max's brother and I really liked his performance. Chandler is one of those guys that doesn't get the credit he deserves, but I can't help but be excited any time I see him in a supporting role. His performance in this film is by no means anything special but it serves the film well. Jesse Plemons plays Max and Annie's neighbor Gary, a buzzkill that they don't like inviting to game nights. Plemons is hilarious as his deadpan delivery makes for some fantastic moments. Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, and Sharon Horgan round out the game night crew and all put in very funny supporting performances, including some sub plots that make for great laughs.
Story wise this film is pretty generic. It follows the tropes of many recent comedies, becoming more of an action comedy at times. Luckily it works pretty well in this film as the directors keep it from being too over the top. There is also some quite impressive film-making shown. There is one scene with a long take of the group trying to escape from a bunch of guards with an expensive glass egg, and as a big fan of well choreographed long takes this was a definite win for me. There is also some really cool cinematography, especially within some of the car chases. The story is for the most part very predictable but offers some fun and unexpected twists that were well appreciated. There is also a moment of hilarious self-referential humour surrounding the twists which I thought was fantastic. As is the case with most comedies, there are moments that hit well, like one early on that made me literally spit my drink everywhere, and some that fall brutally flat.
Overall this is a surprisingly really well done comedy. Nothing special story-wise but the cast is great and the film-making techniques are quite impressive compared to most recent comedies. This is the perfect film for a date night or a fun night out with friends so I definitely recommend it.
Rating: 3.6/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
As I said before, Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams play the central roles. Bateman is playing the same character he does in pretty much all of his films but it almost always works so I won't complain. He brings the laughs, he brings the heart, and he's damn good at doing it. Rachel McAdams isn't someone I would typically think of as a comedic actress but other than one or two rough line deliveries I thought she did really well in a pretty different role. Kyle Chandler plays Max's brother and I really liked his performance. Chandler is one of those guys that doesn't get the credit he deserves, but I can't help but be excited any time I see him in a supporting role. His performance in this film is by no means anything special but it serves the film well. Jesse Plemons plays Max and Annie's neighbor Gary, a buzzkill that they don't like inviting to game nights. Plemons is hilarious as his deadpan delivery makes for some fantastic moments. Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, and Sharon Horgan round out the game night crew and all put in very funny supporting performances, including some sub plots that make for great laughs.
Story wise this film is pretty generic. It follows the tropes of many recent comedies, becoming more of an action comedy at times. Luckily it works pretty well in this film as the directors keep it from being too over the top. There is also some quite impressive film-making shown. There is one scene with a long take of the group trying to escape from a bunch of guards with an expensive glass egg, and as a big fan of well choreographed long takes this was a definite win for me. There is also some really cool cinematography, especially within some of the car chases. The story is for the most part very predictable but offers some fun and unexpected twists that were well appreciated. There is also a moment of hilarious self-referential humour surrounding the twists which I thought was fantastic. As is the case with most comedies, there are moments that hit well, like one early on that made me literally spit my drink everywhere, and some that fall brutally flat.
Overall this is a surprisingly really well done comedy. Nothing special story-wise but the cast is great and the film-making techniques are quite impressive compared to most recent comedies. This is the perfect film for a date night or a fun night out with friends so I definitely recommend it.
Rating: 3.6/5
Written by Matt McKenzie
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