Directors: John Frances Daley and Jonathan Goldstein
Screenplay: Mark Perez
Starring: Jason Bateman, Rachel McAdams, Billy Magnussen, Sharon Horgan, Lamorne Morris, Kylie Bunbury, Jesse Plemons, Michael C. Hall, Kyle Chandler
Running Time: 100 minutes
Genre: Comedy thriller
Married couple Max (Bateman) and Annie (McAdams) share a deep love of all things competitive and host a weekly game night with their friends. One night however, Max's vastly more wealthy, charismatic, better looking brother Brooks (Chandler) shows up, much to Max's displeasure, and immediately takes over the game night, infuriating both Max and Annie. The following week they all have game night at Brooks' huge house. The game Brooks has arranged is an interactive, mystery game, involving a faked kidnapping. Shortly thereafter, two masked men break in and snatch Brooks. As Max, Annie and their friends compete to win the game, they soon realise that this game is all too real.
This is a hugely entertaining comedy-thriller, with plenty of laughs throughout as well as a mystery that piles on twists and turns. Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams, both very talented comic actors, have great chemistry together and they are supported by a strong supporting cast (including Sharon Horgan, of Pulling (2006) and Catastrophe (2015- ) fame) who all get a chance to shine. The action is well-staged and stylish, for example many of the establishing shots of the locations are made to look like a game board with pieces. There are several late reveals that seriously strain credibility, which to be fair, there are jokes about in the film itself. This is not a film that is going to change the world. It is the kind of movie that is ideal for when you just want something light, that is going to give you a couple of hours of solid entertainment. Stay until the end of the credits for an additional scene.
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