Factual error: Max could not have been accidentally shot when Annie drops the revolver. She dropped it when she was startled by firing it into the ceiling so the hammer would still be sitting on the spent/empty shell casing. The trigger or hammer must be pulled back in order for the cylinder of a revolver to rotate to the next live chamber.
Game Night (2018)
1 review
Directed by: John Francis Daley, Jonathan Goldstein
Starring: Rachel McAdams, Jason Bateman, Jesse Plemons, Chelsea Peretti
Your rating
Average rating
(4 votes)
"Game Night" is among my favorite comedies to come out over the past few years. This high concept laugh-riot benefits from a creative script, fantastic visual direction and a wonderful cast.
Max and Annie are a competitive couple who bonded over their love of gaming and trivia, and host a weekly "game night" with their friends. However, things take an interesting turn when Max's wealthy and successful brother Brooks is really kidnapped during a murder-mystery-style role-playing game. Convinced his disappearance is all "part of the game," the group sets out to solve the mystery... only to get pulled into a real-life conflict and a life-or-death adventure.
The writing is top-notch for such a silly film. The story is fun and fluid, with a great sense of pace and some clever and subversive twists to keep you on your toes. It's also just really darned funny - there are tons of laughs to be had with the film. Writer Mark Perez does a wonderful job with the material. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!
I also absolutely adore the direction courtesy John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein. There are so many fun and engaging sequences, and some really creative choices being made. They also load the film with references to gaming at large - for example, fantastic establishing shots utilizing the "tilt-shift" photographic technique that makes them look like miniatures on a game board. Or a chase scene utilizing mounted camera angles similar to a racing video-game. It's very well-done.
And the cast is just wonderful. I've always been a fan of lead star Jason Bateman, and he's as charming and likable as ever. I also gotta give special commendation to Rachel McAdams, who is adorable - and hilarious - as Annie. I was very pleasantly surprised by her comedic chops. But I gotta give the biggest shout-out to Jesse Plemons in a small but memorable supporting role as Max and Annie's creepy neighbor Gary. He supplies some of the film's biggest belly-laughs.
If you're looking for a clever comedy, I absolutely have to give "Game Night" my highest recommendation. It's hilarious. It's very well made. And it's just plain fun. I can't help but give it a 5. It's quickly become a new favorite, and a movie-night go to for me.
More mistakes in Game Night
Ryan: You're like a double threat. Brains... and you're British.
Trivia: The film has many subtle allusions to popular games and gaming archetypes. For example: -Many elements of the plot (such as the hot-rod car and Gary's dog Bastion) are references to game-pieces from the game Monopoly. -The scene where Annie digs a bullet out of Max's arm and then sews it up is both a reference to the Monopoly thimble-piece and the children's game Operation. -During the chase scene, there are frequent shots where the camera is mounted to the back of the cars in such a way to emulate car-racing video-games. -The music includes several cues done in an 8-bit Nintendo video-game style. -Establishing shots are filmed using a photographic technique called "tilt-shift", which makes live action locations look like miniatures, and thus, like board-game pieces. Etc. There are dozens of these types of references throughout the film.
More questions & answers from Game Night
Answer: Brooks was kidnapped by Gary's fake kidnappers. Everything to do with his kidnapping was set up by Gary. Gary did it to make people realise he'd be fun at their game night. However, Brooks was in league with the actual criminals and assumed they were responsible, which is where the mix-up happens. Eventually, the real criminals show up in the third act. Basically, it's two separate storylines that converge at the end through a comedy of errors.
TedStixon