Game Night
Apparently there is a culture of middle-age adults getting together on a regular basis and playing games together, because that is the basic premise of the movie, Game Night. I am middle-age, but completely unaware that this maybe an actual thing. But let’s go with it anyway.
Game Night is written by Mark Perez and directed by John Francis Daley and Johnathan Goldstein.
Jason Bateman, who by the way doesn’t seem to age, plays Max a highly competitive game player, and Rachel McAdams plays Annie his wife. Their cute-met was at a game night in a bar.
We don’t know what these two do for jobs. You know the things that pay for the games, but that’s not the point.
Max has a brother that he very jealous of, Brooks. Brooks is a angel investor that makes a lot of money in Calefornia. Brooks is the cause of a lot of problems. Max and Annie want to have a baby, but they can’t. And we learn from a fertility doctor that a jealousy could be a big factor in sperm motility.
Along with these marriage issues, they have a creepy neighbor. Gary Kingsbury is a cop who is devestated that his wife has left him. Gary used to be in the game night crew, but ever since the divorce Max and Annie have kept him out. Played by Jesse Plemons, he gives a great monologe to introduce his character.
I explain these scenes because this is a silly movie.
And it is a funny movie.
Brooks wants to make it up to Max and Annie that they haven’t seen each other for a year, and he hosts “The Game Night to End All Game Nights.”
The plan is to host a kidnapping-murder mystery.
The plan goes arwry when Brooks is capture by actual kidnappers. Max and Annie, their friends who are also apart of the game night crew, Kevin, Michelle, Ryan, and Sarah, follow the clues that are left by the original kidnapping actor, played Jeffery Wright in a great, but uncredited part.
The movie moves along as the friends separate to solve the game.
At moments the movie recalls old screwball comedies, with fast talking and witty banter. Then followed by slapstick comedy with wonderful physical comedy. (I’m trying really hard to not give away any of the jokes.)
The plot swings back and forth, is it a real kidnapping or is not.
Turns out Brooks is really a smuggler and is in deep to a gangster referred to as The Bulgarian, played by Michael C. Hall.
The movie goes over the top when Gary comes to the rescue. The puzzle only deepens when Gary shows up. Look for a cool start of the credits scene to give us a little more information on Gary.
Final Thoughts
If you liked Horrible Bosses and other recent Jason Bateman comedies I would recommend seeing this at the theater.
And if you can't do that, definitely catch this on Netflix.
End Credits
There are two credits scenes I recommend staying for. The first scene is at the start of the credits and informs us a little more about Gary.. And the second scene is at the very end of the credits involves Gary’s ex-wife and another side character that is up til now only referred to in the past.
