If this group is looking for another member for game night, I’m a champ at Taboo.
To be completely frank, I’ve had a handful of disappointments in my romantic life lately and as a result, I really wasn’t in the mood to watch any movie with a focus on romance. Or love. Or any semblance of a relationship, honestly. Yes, I know that Game Night (2018) features several couples but it’s not like the plot revolves around any of their relationships. More importantly though, I chose Game Night because if you’re in search of a wildly hilarious movie that will have your sides splitting with laughter, this is an underrated comedy that’s sure to do the trick. Actually, I do see a fair amount of love for this movie online but it is deserving of so much more. I don’t know a soul who dislikes this movie. Seriously, if you need a great movie to put on that’s a guaranteed a crowd-pleaser, choose this. Anyone of any age will find enjoyment.
Game Night follows a group of friends who meet once a week for a friendly game night. When the shady brother of one of their own is kidnapped during the night he hosts, the rest of the group gets entangled in a dangerous real-life mystery.
It took less than three minutes of runtime (93 minutes by the way, let’s GOOOOOO baby!) for me to begin laughing hysterically. I’ve seen Game Night a couple of times before but my God, I spent this rewatch laughing at each joke as if it were the first time I was seeing it. This is one of those movies that you have a great time with after the first watch, but then with each rewatch you fall more and more in love with how incredibly funny it is. There isn’t a single scene you want to skip or not pay attention to. The whole movie is one great comedic bit after another. It’s no surprise that I find this movie so hilarious because I recently found out it’s written by Mark Perez who also wrote another one of my favourite movies, Accepted (2006)! By the way, check out my review for that movie, here.
Speaking of my favourite movies, a fantastic double feature would be Game Night and Date Night (2010). They’re both action-comedies with stellar casts that are extremely similar in tone and plot. It’s a travesty we haven’t had a sequel to either one yet. I think my favourite kind of action-comedy are the ones where everyday people get thrust into these wild situations. Part of what makes Game Night such a blast is that there’s just enough legitimate action blended with the legitimate comedy. The comedy is the driving force and the action is infused at just the right times. Besides being terribly unfunny, a lot of action-comedies suffer from mindless action that distracts from the story. That’s how you end up with trash like Red Notice (2021). By the way, check out my review for that movie, here.
Game Night gathers a truly impeccable cast of comedic actors. Both tried and true comedic heavyweights like Jason Bateman, Lamorne Morris and Sharon Horgan as well as surprisingly stupendous performances from the likes of Rachel McAdams, Jesse Plemons and Billy Magnussen. This was my introduction to Plemons by the way and oh my God, what an amazing introduction. I don’t think there’s ever been an actor who has made me laugh so hard while delivering such a monotone performance. His role as Gary is delightfully deranged and never knowing what sad observation is going to come out of his mouth is what makes him such a hilarious character. Every member of the cast has fantastic comedic timing and nails every joke and comedy beat they’re tasked with. Some of the best scenes of the movie are when the six main characters are all together and you can tell that the actors are just having the most fun in each scene they’re in. Which in turn makes us the audience have even more fun. They’re all so wonderfully talented and work so well together that it’s easy to imagine any of the three main couples being the protagonists of the movie. That’s how enjoyable each of them are to watch.
McAdams is such a joy. She’s a brilliant actress. Think of her performances in movies like Mean Girls (2004), The Notebook (2004), Spotlight (2015)…each one demands something different from her and she absolutely nails it every time. I have never been disappointed in a McAdams performance EVER. Her earnest delivery of the iconic, “oh no, he died…” is more than deserving of an Oscar, let’s be real. McAdams shares a lovely chemistry with co-star Bateman which isn’t surprising considering they seem to have great chemistry with just about anyone that share a scene with. Like I said, everyone totally delivers but the MVP of Game Night is hands down Magnussen. He is so fucking funny in this movie and an utterly adorable himbo. I defy anyone to not be won over by his lovable cluelessness. I would love to see him in an equally goofy movie role sometime in the future. As long as he’s paired with Horgan again. She’s a sensational straight man who much like McAdams, has never disappointed me in anything I’ve seen her in.
There are so many small subplots and details about Game Night that only endear me to it more. The whole Denzel Washington subplot is HILARIOUS, for example. I also love that besides the competitive nature Max has with his brother, this is a movie free of animosity between the main characters. These are friends united on a mission, there for each other and genuinely like each other which makes for a blast to watch. Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein certainly deserve a round of applause for their work on this movie which when coupled with Perez’s great script, make this movie a winner. I love the little details like using establishing shots to make everything look like little tokens or set pieces on a game board. Anyone could make a movie about a game night that spirals into a crime caper but it’s that attention to detail and style that takes it to another level and I have to applaud it. That unbelievable egg chase that’s filmed in one shot? LOVE!
Imagine collecting your best friends for a game night filled with good laughs, good snacks and good drinks. That’s how much fun watching Game Night is. Man, I gotta get my friends together for game night sometime soon. Not only because duh, it would be a total blast to have a night like that, but also because I totally slay at games like charades and Pictionary and my prowess deserves to be witnessed.
Have you seen Game Night?
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