Another adults-only comedy from the makers of Horrible Bosses, Game Night is the latest in a long line of films operating within the ordinary-people-become-embroiled-in-crime subgenre. Putting a murder-mystery game-within-a-game spin on proceedings, it's essentially David Fincher's The Game with crude humour, which is exactly as good or bad as that sounds, depending on your tastes. Writer Mark Perez and directors John Francis Daly and Jonathan Goldstein certainly don't hold back in their attempt to garner laughs. They throw everything from impersonations and horror parody to visual jokes and gross-out humour into the mix. It's hit and miss at best, but when it's funny it's really funny; a gag-inducing bullet extraction and a hilariously slow negotiation involving a dim-witted philanderer trying, and failing, to play hardball are a couple of memorable sequences almost worth the price of admission on their own. Unfortunately there are also plenty of clangers littered throughout-plus a completely misjudged subplot that tries to inject a message about growing up-that create sizeable laugh-free portions of the movie, especially in the final act. As the married couple who host the titular weekly event, Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams are a hoot when playing off each other. His straight-faced quips and her bubbly/snarky barbs are an ideal match, so hopefully they share the screen again soon. As far from being a game changer as it is from being a complete dud, Game Night is an amusing diversion that'll be most enjoyed with an alcoholic beverage or two.
Review of Game Night
