Game Night - A Movie Review

This game night will be like no other.

Game Night was released to theaters in 2018. A group of friends who regularly get together for game nights get entangled in a real-life murder mystery. Figuring out clues to a possible kidnapping, it’s up to the group to work together to solve this puzzle.

At the recommendation of my favorite movie reviewer, Chris Stuckmann, I sat down to watch Game Night. Game Night is an exciting action-packed comedy. We don’t see this type of comedy enough. Taking a simple premise, the movie is filled with witty jokes, thrilling action, and an entertaining plot that keeps you engaged from start to finish.

The cast of Game Night supplies a fantastic team of comedic actors. You can never go wrong with Jason Bateman. He is a natural at comedy. The same goes for Rachel McAdams who is a versatile actress. She has succeeded in several genres in her career.

Bateman and McAdams are the perfect counterparts to one another in comedy. Both have different definitions of comedy, like Bateman’s trademark dry humor, They were so fun to watch on-screen.

Credits to mention are Kyle Chandler, Sharon Horgan, Billy Magnussen, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, and Jessie Plemons. The supporting cast is fantastic each bringing their own unique comedic timing and personality to their roles. Whoever thought of entering through the window as a memorable introduction was smart.

Incorporating various subplots into the film, including several character stories, makes the story work. One couple is always arguing about an issue in their relationship that happened in the past. One character has had an assortment of dates join him on these date nights.

I didn’t know that Jessie Plemons was playing the next-door neighbor until the end credits. He’s another actor that deserves more credit. You never know who you can trust in the movie since most of the plot is set up around this mystery game.

Expect the unexpected. That’s my best piece of advice for Game Night. The movie’s plot is cleverly constructed by John Frances Daley and Jonathan Goldstein who kept the comedy grounded.

With twists and turns that keep you guessing until the very end, the fake kidnapping scenario quickly spirals out of control, and the group finds themselves in over their heads as they try to figure out what is real and what was originally assembled for the game.

The jokes are comical and the humor is kept consistent mixing physical comedy and witty one-liners. This is a genuinely funny film. My favorite dark comedy moment was when Bateman dripped blood all over a white dog. That got a big (unexpected) laugh out of me.

Several events transpire during the night. The film seeks a different location in each scene. The film has more action sequences than I had anticipated. The action scenes are well-executed and visually impressive as well as the camera angles. Camera angles were done well, like this one shot done in a single continuous take. It revved the excitement and suspense of the scene.

Nothing felt out of place. The movie’s pacing is also spot on, with just the right amount of action and comedy to keep the audience engaged throughout. What sets Game Night apart from other comedies is its attention to detail. There are several jokes that you could miss in the first viewing which makes me excited to watch this movie a second time.

Get your friends together and have a game night. Either a real one or watch this film. Game Night is a fun time filled with surprises and twists until the end.