Game Night 4K UHD Review
Cast chemistry elevates “Game Night.”
Written by Mark Perez, 2018’s “Game Night” centers around married couple Max and Annie who are competitive game lovers. The couple frequently hosts game nights with Ryan (who seemingly has a new date every week) and married couple Kevin and Michelle. Their oddball police officer neighbor Gary used to be a part of game night when he was married, but since the divorce he has not been invited. When Max’s brother Brooks arrives back in town after being away for sometime, he volunteers to host a murder mystery party game at his place. The winner gets a Stingray car (which Max has always wanted). Max and Brooks have a complicated relationship as Max has always been jealous of his success while Brooks always acts like a bit of a jackass towards him (reasons for which come out later).
On the night of Brooks’ big game night, he reveals that he hired a company to make the game more authentic. Things go sideways, however, when Brooks is kidnapped by 2 guys which was not part of the game (although everyone thinks it is initially). As Max, Annie, Kevin, Michelle, Ryan and his new date Sarah break off to find Brooks, they soon find themselves in a situation where it’s difficult to discern what is real and what is part of the game due to some twists and turns along the way.
In an era full of sequels and reboots, “Game Night” deserves credit for telling an original action-comedy story. Granted, it’s not exactly high art, but in terms of being an entertaining action-comedy, it succeeds. Directors John Francis Daley and Jonathan Goldstein (best known for the underrated “Dungeons And Dragons: Honor Among Thieves”) helm a relatively fast paced movie with a top notch story set-up that leads into all sorts of chaos for the game players and especially for Max and Annie (whose relationship grows throughout the story). As with any comedy, the humor doesn’t always land with some bits being stretched out a bit too much (the fight club for example). Luckily, there’s some good laughter to be had here particularly with the dog sequence, the “celebrity” hook-up, and anything involving the awkward Gary (played by Jesse Plemons).
Speaking of Plemons, he’s definitely the scene-stealer here as the weird and slightly creepy cop who wants to be a part of game night. There’s also a host of memorable supporting players such as Kyle Chandler, Lamorne Morris, Michael C. Hall, Billy Magnussen, Jeffrey Wright, Sharon Hogan, Danny Huston, and Kylie Bunbury. The heart of the movie though is Jason Bateman and Rachel McAdams as Max and Annie. The highly believable chemistry between the two makes the movie flow.
Video/Audio:
Presentation: 2.39:1 2160p. How does it look? The random catalogue title upgrades continues to be an odd trend for WB, but regardless this is a quality 4K upgrade. Would you need to upgrade from the Blu-ray? Not really, but if you haven’t picked the title up yet, this is the one to get.
Audio Track: 5.1 DTS-HD MA. How does it sound? Expect a crisp 5.1 track.
Extras:
* A near 7 minute gag reel
* “An Unforgettable Evening: The Making Of Game Night”- A very brief near 4 minute featurette with cast and crew interviews, set interviews, and discussions about the project and its production.
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